Incorrect Hob Placement in Shower Screens

One common mistake when installing a shower screen is incorrect placement of the glass on the hob.

Many homeowners and even some builders assume the glass can sit anywhere on top of the hob.

However, the position of the glass is very important for controlling water runoff.

In most cases, the glass should sit toward the inside edge of the hob so that when water runs down the glass it drains back into the shower area.

Shower Water Stop (Water Bar) Placement

Many tiled showers include a small raised strip known as a water stop or water bar. This is designed to help prevent water from escaping the shower area.

On a tiled shower floor the water stop should normally sit approximately 5 millimetres higher than the surrounding tiles so that water naturally drains back toward the shower area.

The position of the water stop also needs to be considered when planning the shower screen. The shower screen should sit on the inside edge of the water stop so that water running down the glass drains back into the shower.

However, the water stop should not line up directly with the wall tiles. The wall tiles should extend approximately 5–10 millimeters past the water stop depending on the style of screen chosen so that there is enough surface area to secure the shower screen fixings.

Planning this detail correctly during tiling helps ensure the shower screen can be installed properly and functions as intended.

If the glass is positioned too far toward the outside edge, water can run onto the hob and eventually escape onto the bathroom floor.

This small detail is often overlooked during bathroom renovations, particularly when the shower screen layout is decided late in the building process.

With over 30 years experience and more than 50,000 bathroom visits, Sam has seen many examples where correcting the glass position on the hob prevents ongoing water runoff problems.

Not sure if your shower screen will be positioned correctly?

Send Sam a photo of your bathroom and he will let you know if a consultation would be helpful.

Incorrect hob placement is one of the most common causes of water runoff problems in shower screens. You can read more about this and other layout issues in the advice section of this website.