This guide is to help people avoid pitfalls when buying/ installing a "Koral" steam shower.  I just installed the KC-8008 and I felt it would be helpful to have first-hand information.  I am not attempting to steer anybody towards or away from this unit . . .  just giving information that might save time and $$ on installation.

Does it look as good in person as it does in the picture - YES!  It's absolutely fabulous.  I felt it was difficult to install due to poorly translated and vague instructions.  Examples:  "Connect the glass door with the glass backboard, then fix the top" or my personal favorite, "Assembled initilally is not close,Diately sll screws and nuts must be serewed tightly before using" (honest).  It took myself and two plumbers almost 5 hours just to build the "glass room", even after reading the instructions several times beforehand.  Fortunately my seller's technical support person  (there is no tech support for Koral itself that I could find - it's not related to the Koral tubs on the 'web as I mistakenly thought) promptly answered the phone and did clear up our biggest questions or we may have never gotten it together properly!  With clear written instructions it would have only taken only two people (if strong) 3 hours at most and saved me a lot of $$ .  It would be impossible for one person to install alone, as somebody needs to support the side walls while the other secures them to the rim of the tub.  The entire unit weighs around 400 lbs., so the walls and glass pieces ARE very heavy (and I believe good quality).  If you have any questions I would be happy to try and help - just email me. 

The most important thing I learned is that you have to build it away from the walls (as you must screw the unit's sides to the top edge of the tub from the back) and then when it's all together, slide the entire unit into place.   It actually moves pretty easily over smooth flooring.   Instructions say to make sure your walls are at right angles - I also tried to make my plaster smooth thinking the walls fit tight to the wall like my old unit.  I wasted my time because the walls are freestanding a couple of inches away from the wall (you can't tell because the front frame hides the edges). 

You also don't need to worry about the smoothness of the floor (mine is rough concrete and bumpy where the under-cement plumbing was dug up and moved) since the tub sits a couple of inches off the floor on three adjustable legs.  You still can't be totally out of level; as the feet only adjust so much.  There is a lot of leeway as to where the plumbing input/drains are as they are attached by long hoses (I think standard 1/2 inch valves is what I used).  My bathroom is so small that I couldn't move it very far away from my wall so it was good that my plumber was small and limber!  I almost had to remove the toilet since I only had 5" between tub and toilet, but we managed to pull it away to the front first, and then to the side and just jump over the toilet. 

It was interesting to me that the tub had a silicone strips or gaskets between the sections and didn't need caulking.  I wasn't sure how that would work but my plumber said it was great because caulking usually gets all moldy and yucky over time.  Surprisingly, this system works great and I don't have a leakage problem (so far at almost 1 year's usage) and very easy to keep clean with a toothbrush when needed.

Make certain your seller is reputable.  I can't stress this enough.  I had a huge problem with the water pressure, and he cheerfully ordered and shipped a new diverter valve and output piece.  It fixed the problem beautifully.  Since you will find it difficult to find replacement parts locally, this is very important.  I love my seller!

The surface of the tub is very smooth and a bit slippery when soaping.  But it stays VERY clean and the whirlpool feature is very pleasant and has nice strong jets.  Loved the fiber optic lighting!  I find the leg massage useless, and have only used the steam once, but it's a nice feature.  I wish more than one function could be on at a time (such as the back jets with the rain head) or that I could install my favorite showerhead (which allows showerhead and handheld to be on at the same time).  You can install any handheld hose attachment to it, but since there is not a post from the wall (it's a weird sliding thing) you can't put an actual showerhead on it; if that makes sense lol.

I have had this unit installed for over almost a year now and overall I am thrilled... I think the quality of the tub and the glass walls, etc. is very good.  I think the structure itself will last for many, many years.  I looks very impressive and makes me very happy every time I go into the bathroom!