Do-it-yourself selection and installation of the screen under the bathtub - how to do everything functionally and aesthetically?

Those who decide to make a screen for the bath with their own hands, there are many options for solving this problem. Such constructions perform a number of functions: mask communications, improve the design of the bathroom, form a place for storing household chemicals, etc. The home master has an excellent opportunity to translate creative ideas, because installing a screen under the bathtub is fascinating.

What screen options are popular today?

The design of the screen can be very different. You can do it:

• deaf;
• with sliding doors;
• with a hinged door (or with two);
• with shelves;
• with drawer;
• removable etc.

The bath screen looks stylish and makes the bathroom more functional

Finding out how to install the screen under the bath, you need to choose the right model. The design is selected depending on the characteristics of the room. For a spacious room, you can install a screen under the bath with shelves that are mounted on its front surface. It is better to make this design removable, because of the shelves, access to communications located under the bathroom may be somewhat difficult. The most functional screen under the bathtub for a small room is a device with sliding doors. The blank screen is a very simple, but least practical option, because if you need to repair communications it will have to be completely dismantled.

An even simpler way to hide the unsightly surface of the bathtub and the space under it is curtains. An ordinary pipe is mounted under the rim, on which a non-woven fabric of suitable sizes is suspended. Unfortunately, simplicity of execution is the only advantage of this option. Such a screen is short-lived and does not look very presentable.

The screen itself can be made of different materials, for example:

• plastic;
• drywall;
• a thin sheet of painted metal;
• MDF;
• acrylic etc.

Masonry is a more time-consuming way to make a screen in the bathroom, but it is worth noting that this is one of the most reliable and durable options. Most often, after installation of the structure, it requires additional decoration. This provides excellent opportunities for improving the design of the bathroom.

For example, in a small room it makes sense to install a mirror screen under the bathtub, which will visually expand the space. A stylish tile bath screen is a standard option for a bathroom, which is all tiled.

In a small room, a mirror screen for a bath is more than appropriate

Mosaic is an excellent choice for finishing structures with a curved surface. Good tile adhesive will simplify the process and help make it as creative as possible.

Mosaic is usually considered a very expensive facing material, but it looks great.

Please note: When choosing a screen type, you need to think about the possibility of coming close to the side of the bath.To do this, you can leave a small gap below, only 50-70 mm. Another way to solve the problem is to make a slight bevel on a vertical surface. This option is acceptable if the screen is faced with ceramic tiles.

The installation procedure of the drywall screen with a niche for the legs is clearly demonstrated in this video:

The order and features of the screen mounting

A general description of how to make a screen for a bath may look like this:
1. Mark the attachment points using the level.
2. Make the necessary measurements.
3. To make a screen frame from a metal profile.
4. Fasten the frame elements according to the marking.
5. Cut panels from suitable material.
6. Fasten the panels to the frame.
7. Perform facing work.

Please note that by installing the screen under an acrylic bath, you can mount the fixtures directly on the side of the bath, but you cannot drill a cast iron bath rim at home, as this will damage the enamel, and then the entire bath.

For mounting the screen from drywall, the frame is made of a metal profile

The more complex the design chosen, the more installation effort will be required. For example, how to put a screen under the bathtub so that it has sliding doors? To do this, a guide W-shaped profile is mounted on the frame at the top and bottom. Then you need to cut two panels, their sizes should be such as to slightly overlap each other. They will become sliding doors. It remains only to insert them into the guide profile and provide handles.

Advice! You can use removable suction cup handles for the sliding screen. This can be an additional safety measure to reliably hide household chemicals if there are small children in the house.

The swing door is mounted a little differently. You can make it yourself from a profile and a piece of plastic (or drywall), and then fix it in a suitable place on special loops that are in any furniture hardware store.

If in the future the screen will be tiled, the dimensions of the door must be a multiple of the dimensions of the tile so that the ceramic elements do not have to be trimmed. Another possibility is to buy and put a ready-made plastic door.

Panels that can be made with sliding or swing doors are mounted on the frame

To give the screen additional rigidity, the space between the side of the bathtub and the upper frame element is blown with foam. The use of sealant will also not hinder. You can strengthen the frame with the help of additional vertical racks. They can be cut from the profile that was used to make the frame.

For the same purposes, spacers of suitable length are used. They are made of a steel pipe, at the edges of which a thread is cut or pipes with finished threads are welded. Such racks are used when installing lightweight screens with sliding doors.