How to Measure A Shower Tray

Measuring a shower tray can be a straightforward task, but you need to make sure it’s done correctly. If you’ve not carried this task out before, keep reading for helpful hints and tips and a step-by-step guide to measuring your shower tray.

The Importance of Measuring Your Shower Tray

Ensuring you measure your shower tray properly is essential, as an incorrect-sized shower tray could lead to leaks and even prevent you from using the shower tray at all. This can be particularly difficult if you’re trying to fit a shower tray into a space enclosed by three walls, especially when starting afresh and not replacing like for like.

Ensuring all measurements are correct will also help to provide a quick and seamless process when fitting your new shower tray. The last thing you want is to pad out gaps to make your shower tray fit and prevent leaks. Not only can this look unsightly, but it doesn’t always work, leaving you with a mess and an unusable shower tray.

What's more, measuring your shower tray correctly will help you on the way to achieving your dream shower experience.

What Tools Will I Need

Before you start measuring your shower tray, it's a good idea to have the following essentials on hand.

  • Tape Measure
  • Spirit Level
  • Pad and Pen
  • Masking Tape
  • Calculator
  • Large Piece of Cardboard or Paper (A2 is best)
  • Scissors or Stanley Knife

Steps to Measuring Shower Trays

How you measure your shower tray will depend on the type of shower tray you have. For example, a quadrant shower tray will need to be measured differently from a square or rectangular tray.

You will also need to consider how you measure your shower tray if you're intending to switch to a different style and not simply change like for like. For example, if you currently have a square shower tray but you’re looking to replace it with a quadrant tray, you’ll need to work out the radius of the shower tray and not just the measurements of each side.

Keep reading for our step by step guide to measuring your shower tray.

  • If you are measuring to replace an existing square or rectangular shower tray, you simply need to measure the length and width of your existing tray. This will provide the correct measurements to replace like for like.
  • However, if you currently have a quadrant shower tray, you will also need to work out the radius. Simply measure one of the tray's straight sides to find the length, then measure one side to the area where the tray begins to curve.
  • You then need to work out the radius by finding out the difference between the two measurements taken. For example, if one side measured 800mm and the other measured 300mm the radius would be 500mm.
  • If you’re starting from scratch and don’t have an existing shower tray to measure, you’ll need to measure the floor space available for your shower enclosure. A great way of doing this is marking out an area or using a cardboard cut-out to visualise the shower tray in the space.
  • When starting afresh, you also need to make sure to mark out where the waste and waste pipe will sit.
  • This process will also help you to decide on the best type of shower tray for your space, whether that be a low-profile rectangular shower tray, a deep quadrant shower tray or something in between.

Explore Our Range of Shower Trays

At Plumbworld, we stock a wide range of shower trays. From deep shower trays and low-profile options to anti-slip and even stylish slate effect trays, we’ve got plenty to offer no matter your budget. Also available in a range of sizes, from square and rectangle to quadrant options, you can achieve the best fit for your bathroom. Visit our website to view our full range of shower trays.

If you found this post useful, you may also like - The Ultimate Shower Trays Buying Guide - 5 Shower Enclosures for Small Bathrooms - A Guide to Choosing Shower Doors.


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