Neo Angle Shower Design Tips
Neo angle with right side door
A neo angle shower can be a good way to make use of space in a tight bathroom.
Here at The Shower Door Place we have designed and installed many frameless neo angle shower enclosures. The neo angle design can present more challenges to prevent leakage due to the smaller footprint and also due to having gaps on both sides of the door where water from the shower head may be spraying at directly.
Traditionally, most neo angle designs have the door in the center of the shower to accommodate other components of the bathroom such as toilets or vanities in tighter spaces or to generally use the space more efficiently.
If the design allows, a wall mounted door is going to be a much better option when compared to a center door. A wall mounted door combined with the shower head located on the same wall eliminates any of the concerns of water leakage as the spray from the shower is aimed at a sealed glass joint rather than a door gap.
Another advantage of a wall mounted door over a center door is that it doesn’t require any type of header to secure the pivot point on the hinge. This is simply an aesthetic benefit but most people agree that having less metal around the shower looks better. The lack of a header also brings down the cost slightly.
If the door must be located in the center of a neo angle configuration, a rain style shower head or a shower head that can be aimed away from the door will help in reducing leakage. That being said, center door neo angle configurations are inherently more leaky than other configurations because the shower head will be aiming at the door gaps. If this is a concern to you we advise avoiding this design all together if possible.
Neo angle with center door
The most important design factor of a neo angle shower, or any style shower for that matter, is correct inward pitch on the curb, half wall or bench caps. A pitch between 3/16” and 1/4” is ideal for shedding water back towards the shower drain.
Proper pitch will help ensure that water will drain back into the shower and not out onto the floor. This is especially important with neo angle designs if the shower head will be spraying directly at the door. Improper pitch on the curb will lead to water leaking out of the shower as the water sheds off the glass, pools on the curb and runs towards the gaps of the door before leaking onto the floor outside the shower.
Curb cap material is also important. It is best to use a solid piece of tile or stone if possible rather than smaller pieces of tile and grout. Using a solid curb will make it easier to control the pitch across the width of the shower and provide better drainage as there are no grout “valleys” to collect water. Using a solid curb cap can also help prevent cracking of the curb which can happen if the tile isn’t installed with the proper amount of thinset behind it.
At The Shower Door Place we measure and custom cut all of our frameless glass shower doors to have the smallest gaps possible, typically 1/8” or less. Even with tight gaps, center door neo angle showers are inherently prone to leakage regardless of whether the glass is framed or frameless. For that reason, we generally advise that our customers stay away from this design however, we have installed many neo angle shower enclosures that our customers have been very happy with.
As always, if you have any further questions about neo angle showers, frameless glass shower doors or anything else, feel free to give us a call or visit us at one of our showrooms located in Roseville or Minnetonka.
