Shower enclosure in Chisinau: how to choose and where to look

A shower enclosure gets bought once a decade and used every morning. The mistakes almost never come down to the brand or the price: the enclosure will not fit the alcove, the door swings into the basin, the tray will not sit flat because of where the drain is. All of that gets settled before you walk into a shop, in fifteen minutes with a tape measure.

Below: what to measure and decide in advance, what to check with your hands in the showroom, where to look at enclosures in Chisinau, and what to do when no standard size fits your bathroom.

What to decide before the shop

The salesperson will ask you three things: the size, the type and the tray. Without answers ready, the conversation turns into a walk past display units.

The size. Measuring the corner is not enough. Write down the width and the depth of the space, the ceiling height (critical in attics and older flats), the distance to the washing machine and to the basin, and which way the bathroom door opens. Walls in apartment blocks are rarely straight: measure at floor level and again at a metre and a half, because a few centimetres of difference is common.

The type. A corner enclosure saves space and fits almost anywhere. An alcove enclosure goes between two walls and needs a straight opening. A walk-in, meaning a single glass panel with no door, looks the most open but demands room: the spray travels further than you would expect.

The tray. A raised tray is simpler and cheaper to install because it hides the drain underneath. A low or floor-level tray is more comfortable and looks better, but it needs a fall, room for a channel drain and a screed laid carefully. That decision comes before the tiles go down, not after.

The door. A hinged door needs clear space outside it: in a narrow bathroom it will hit the basin. A sliding door saves space but has more mechanics, and mechanics need servicing over time. A bi-fold sits between the two.

Glass, frame and hardware: what to check by hand

• Glass thickness. 6 mm is the baseline; 8 mm feels noticeably more rigid and quieter, especially on hinged doors. The glass has to be toughened, and the mark is usually etched into a corner.
• The anti-limescale coating. It does not last forever, but in the first years it saves real cleaning time. Ask what it must not be cleaned with, otherwise the coating is gone in a season.
• The frame and its adjustment. Ask what the vertical adjustment range is. Out-of-plumb walls are normal here, and 10 to 20 mm of tolerance solves the problem without opening up the wall.
• Rollers and hinges. Open and close the door ten times in a row. Play, squeaking or sticking in the showroom will only get worse at home.
• Spare parts. Seals and rollers are consumables. The question to ask the seller: will I be able to buy these separately in five years?

When no standard size fits

A sloping ceiling, a pipe riser in the corner, an 84-centimetre alcove, a step in a load-bearing wall: in bathrooms like these a typical 90 by 90 enclosure simply does not go in. That leaves two options, rebuilding the walls or having the glass cut to your own opening.

The second option is covered by Omtek, the official Radaway dealer, with a showroom at 24 Romana Street in the Centre district. There you can order a shower enclosure or a glass panel made to your own dimensions and configuration: the glass is cut to your exact opening, including non-standard angles, alcoves, walk-ins and unusual heights. Catalogue of models and sizes: baie.omtek.md.

Before ordering made-to-measure glass, book a surveyor. Guessing, or working from somebody else’s drawing, does not work: a one-centimetre error means a new sheet of glass at your expense.

Where to look at enclosures in Chisinau

This is a showroom purchase. A photo shows neither how rigid the glass is nor how the door runs. The shops below are in the catalogue, and each listing carries the address, phone, opening hours and Google rating. Ratings are a snapshot of 31.08.2026.

• Supraten, Ciocana, 4.5 out of 5 from 4,429 reviews, and a second store in Rascani, 4.4 from 4,778 reviews. The largest building-materials chain in the country, with a separate shower-enclosure section in its catalogue. The reference point for availability and budget.
• Nanu Market, Centre. Sanitary ware, shower enclosures and trays.
• Romstal, Buiucani. A chain with a dedicated bathroom section.
• Climatec, Botanica, 4.4 from 275 reviews. Sanitary ware and building services, with a shower-enclosure section.
• Omtek, Centre. Radaway, and glass cut to individual sizes.

The full list sits in the Construction materials category, or by district: Centre, Buiucani, Rascani, Ciocana, Botanica.

Five mistakes that show up on installation day

1. Only the width of the corner gets measured, with no height and no note of where the drain sits.
2. A low tray is chosen after the screed has already been poured, with no fall built in.
3. A hinged door ends up in a narrow bathroom and catches the basin.
4. The glass is ordered before the tiles are chosen, and the thickness of the finish changes the opening.
5. Nobody asks about spare parts, and three years later an ordinary roller stops the door.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper: a ready-made enclosure or glass and a tray bought separately?

At a standard size, an off-the-shelf enclosure almost always works out cheaper, because it all comes in one box. A made-to-measure glass solution costs more, but it is the only thing that fits an unusual opening. The comparison only means something once you have the measurements on paper.

What glass thickness should I choose?

6 mm is enough for sliding doors and small screens. On hinged doors and wider walk-in panels, 8 mm feels noticeably more stable. Either way the glass has to be toughened.

Can I shower straight on the floor, without a tray?

Yes, but that is decided before the screed and the tiles: you need a fall towards a channel drain and proper waterproofing. Retrofitting it means taking the floor up.

How long does a made-to-measure enclosure take?

It depends on the configuration and on glass availability, so the lead time is confirmed when you order, after the survey. Ask at the same time who does the installation.

Is a surveyor worth it?

For an off-the-shelf enclosure you can measure yourself, as long as you check the opening at three points. For glass cut to order a surveyor is essential: the mistake is paid for with a new sheet of glass.