Mirror screen under the bath
Decorating a bathroom is just as important and responsible as the renovation itself. Here it is necessary to choose as responsibly as possible not only the material used, but also the method of its installation, since the bathroom is constantly experiencing temperature changes and high humidity. Particular difficulties arise when decorating a small room, when installing furniture and plumbing fixtures. A good option for visually expanding the space and giving the room more solidity would be a mirror screen under the bath. Based on our own experience and feedback, we know that the mirror perfectly tolerates moisture and is not prone to deformation under the influence of high temperature.
Do-it-yourself screen installation features
As a beautiful decorative screen, mirrors are the best material for making the frame yourself. The process of creating a glass structure is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. In order to make a glass screen for the bathroom yourself, you need to prepare all the necessary tools and supplies in advance. Then you need to plan in detail the entire assembly process, which should consist of such items as:
- preliminary marking and installation of fasteners for fixing the screen;
- accurate measurements of all future details of the frame, calculation of the exact dimensions under the glass and sketching a detailed diagram on paper, indicating all dimensions;
- then comes the process of creating a supporting frame from an aluminum profile;
- cutting out chipboard or plywood panels, which will be the basis for installing a mirror or plexiglass;
- installation of cut panels on the created frame;
- decoration, which includes the installation of mirrors on the panel with glue and finishing decoration.
Note. When creating a plexiglass bath screen, it is not necessary to use a rigid base. It is possible to purchase thick plexiglass, which in itself has sufficient rigidity and can be installed without a base, but in this case the glass must be frosted or have a pattern so that all the insides do not shine through.
When installing plexiglass, which does not have a reflective surface, you can additionally install LED lighting in the niche, which will illuminate the floor and also visually increase the space.
Wireframe creation
The creation process begins with the choice of design, which can be made in a deaf version or with opening doors. Doors can also be installed both on hinges and in skids. It should be borne in mind here that installing doors on hinges is not always possible, since space is needed to open them. A blank screen is also not happy, since it is necessary to have access to the space under the bathroom for inspection or repair of the siphon. Therefore, we will assemble a glass bath screen with opening sliding doors, which is the best solution for a small room.
To create a frame, you need to purchase a W-shaped metal profile and make a frame edging out of it in such a way that the open end of the profile looks into the inside of the structure, since it is in the profile runners that our doors will move. Next, cut the profile according to the dimensions and assemble it into a single structure, after which you install the finished frame under the bathtub and fix it with dowels to the wall and floor.
It is important to remember that when choosing a W-shaped profile, you need to take into account the thickness of plywood or chipboard, which should freely enter the grooves. It is highly desirable that the profile be as rigid as possible and not play while the door is moving.
The next step is to cut the chipboard along the entire length of the screen with a margin of several centimeters and divide this sheet into two equal parts, these will be two doors that you insert into the skids. When cutting, you need to take into account that the mirror screen for the bathroom should look very beautiful, which means that you should carefully consider exactly how your doors will be located.
Important. Please note that each door should be slightly longer than the overall size of the frame, because in the final version, the first door should overlap the second by a few centimeters so that there was no gap between them in the center of the screen.
After the doors are cut out, clean their ends for softer sliding and insert them into the grooves of the profile. As a result, you get a design in which one door faces the second and they call in behind each other, providing you with access to any part of the space under the bathroom. Then, on the installed doors, paste glass or mirrors pre-cut to size. To mask the profile elements, use the plastic corners that are used when cladding the bathroom with PVC panels.
On this, your glass screen under the bath is almost ready and it remains to provide it with handles. Since it is very difficult to drill a mirror surface, we recommend using special suction cup handles that can be stored in an accessible place and used to open the door if necessary. This is very practical, since they will not spoil the appearance of the mirror, and besides, the built-in handles can be accidentally touched by the foot, damaging the mirror. This option is also suitable in cases where there are small children in the house and they really like to climb on the cabinets, and as you know, in the space under the bathroom we very often store household chemicals and other hazardous substances.
On this, you can consider the screen finished and enjoy the result. The presented material can be taken as a basis as a guide to action and make your own adjustments to it based on your desires and preferences.
