Comparison guides
Shower tray or a fully tanked floor: which suits your room
A tray sits on the floor as a self-contained waterproof basin; a tanked floor turns the whole substrate into the waterproof layer with a tiled or resin finish over it. Both are correct solutions to different problems.
What separates them
- A tray is quicker to fit and easier to replace
- later without disturbing tiling elsewhere in the room.
- A tanked floor gives a completely level
- joint-free look and suits large-format tile that would look awkward meeting a tray edge.
- Trays rely on correct bedding across their
- full underside; a hollow-bedded tray flexes and eventually cracks its waste seal.
Questions we get asked
Can a tray be added to an already-tiled floor?
Yes, provided the floor is level and the waste position lines up; it's a common and practical retrofit.
Is a tanked floor more waterproof than a tray?
Both are waterproof when installed correctly, the difference is in flexibility for future changes, not in performance.
Questions about shower tray or tanked floor?
A short phone call usually answers more than a long email thread. Ask anything, including the awkward questions.