The shower pod has undergone a complete transformation in recent years, with manufacturers dramatically improving its style, ease of installation, and watertight performance. Following the pod’s remodelling, Peter Dimeloe, managing director of Coram Shower Pods, describes how these latest designs are suitable for a range of applications and have significant benefits for both installers and contractors.

For many years, the construction industry has recognised the benefits of the shower pod. With the sector under pressure to complete build projects more efficiently, the shower pod’s fast installation in a single site visit, reduces build times and limits cost.

Equally, its modular design suits applications such as educational and healthcare facilities, as well as hotels and social housing, which require a durable showering space that requires minimal maintenance.

As the shower pod’s popularity has steadily grown, leading manufacturers have strived to improve upon existing designs, developing shower pods that better suit the needs of the construction industry, as well as the end-user. The outcome of this, a new generation of high performance shower pod, which is stylish, watertight and simple to install.

Easy and Efficient

The modern shower pod is manufactured in sections, which means it can be installed in a building after roofs or windows are in place, and in retrofit developments. Also, as the latest shower pods are designed in a number of component parts, rather than as a single unit, each section can be manoeuvred up stairwells and through doors with relative ease. Once in the bathroom, installing the modern shower pod is straightforward, as the sections simply slot together.

In addition to their innovative construction, well-designed pods are supplied with a thermostatic mixer and feature a specially designed mounting plate, which is pre-fitted in the factory. This allows the mixer to be easily connected to the hot and cold feeds using valve nuts. Thoughtfully designed shower pods also include flexible pipes that hang down the back of the unit and are accessed via a removable panel at the front of the pod base, allowing easy attachment to water pipes. 

Because the modern shower pod negates the need for sealant or tiling to achieve a high quality, watertight finish, these latest designs can be fitted by one tradesperson in a single operation, which eliminates the need for multiple installers. In turn, the modern shower pod simplifies on-site scheduling and reduces the installation time to about an hour.

Installing Satisfaction

While installation must be fast and efficient in order to meet tight timescales, it is essential that the finished shower space is durable and watertight.Leaking showers account for countless call backs and dissatisfied end-users every year. As such, manufacturers have made achieving a leak-free finish much easier for installers, equating to reduced repair costs and greater end-user satisfaction.

Well-designed pods feature overlapping joints on all sections, meaning water cannot escape from within the showering space. Similarly, the latest designs feature a raised lip on the base of the pod, which stops leaks from occurring on the outer edges between the pod and the enclosure door. Design features, such as these, make achieving a watertight finish much simpler and have proved so effective at eliminating leaks that leading pod manufacturers provide a watertight lifetime guarantee.

In addition to its watertight performance, the strength and durability of the modern shower pod sets it apart from previous designs. High quality pods are constructed from glass-reinforced polymer (GRP), which makes them extremely robust and easy to maintain. Equally, as the modern shower pod does not require re-tiling or re-sealing, and has no awkward gaps or dirt traps, its maintenance requirements are significantly reduced. 

Responding to the requirements of UK installers and developers, particularly in terms of stringent timescales and build costs, manufacturers have developed the shower pod to be a practical and cost-effective solution, which is suitable for a range of applications. As a result, the shower pod’s popularity is set to rise, as more contractors, installers and end-users look to benefit from this high performance system and manufacturers continue to develop their designs with these audiences in mind.