New to steam showers? Don't know how to select the ideal steam shower over the internet?

As a specialist in the bath industry, Altus Bath fully understands the importance of making the right and affordable buying decision. So we wrote this MUST READ advice as a checklist for you before you buy your new steam shower.

1. Budget

Buying an all-in-one steam shower is a way to save money for your bathroom remodel because you don’t have to buy all the parts one by one and it’s much easier to install. However, don’t go to the other extreme and buy from sellers that offer too-good-to-be-true prices.

2. Pictures

Be sure to look at the pictures. The more detailed pictures the seller can provide the better. Buy from a seller with high quality pictures. Higher quality pictures mean the seller cares about you and is more professional.

3. Features

If you want a truly unique steam shower, be sure to look at the features. A handheld shower, overhead shower and body jets wouldn’t be very impressive features. Ozone sterilization, aromatherapy, foot massage or a thermostatic valve are also very commonly seen. Altus has a number of unique features in the market, for example, wireless music connection, full-sized glazed interior mirror, one-way glazed side panel, etc that can truly “wow” your family members and friends.

4. Certification

Certifications for the products and for the manufacturer are equally important. As for a product, be sure to look for ETL, UL or CE safety marks. As for a manufacturer, make sure that the manufacturer has met ISO 9001: 2000, the international accreditation for total quality control and customer service management. Altus only sources from the largest and best manufactures in the industry to ensure the quality and safety of our products. Most Altus products have obtained both ETL (the North American safety standard) and CE certification.

5. Testing

Corrosion Testing - Some products look shiny when they are shipped new but you may find that the chrome plating starts to deteriorate and peel off in just a few months. Be sure to look for a company who will test the anti-corrosion level of the materials.

Door Rollers - Door rollers or runners are sometimes neglected, and they can be a headache if the quality is low. For example, Altus Bath door runners are tested to pass over 30,000 consecutive uses.

6. Acrylic

Some companies use 100% acrylic; some use PMMA+ABS composite. PMMA is the chemical name of acrylic. There's no right or wrong in terms of choosing which material. Acrylic is nice, but Acrylic+ABS composite sheet (reinforced with fiberglass) with 3 layers co-extruded technology can provide features like excellent chemical resistance, high impact strength, increased hardness, superior wear ability and high-gloss surface.

Color really matters a lot in choosing the material. Cheap materials looks either too bright or too dim. Our products use very high quality color materials. The Matrix series are widely acclaimed for its unique silver-grey color.

7. Frames

Are the frames aluminium? Please note that some companies have plastic frames with a metal coating. Even if they are aluminium, there's a huge difference between a 0.5mm thick aluminium profile and a 1.2 mm profile. Altus Bath uses 1.2mm-1.6mm aluminium profiles. Quality of the aluminium varies too. Some companies use recycled aluminium and even a composite of other metals. Altus uses sanded silvery aluminum of the highest quality.

8. Glass

It is suggested that a tempered safety glass of 5-6mm should be used to provide optimum safety. As a standard, Altus Bath uses 6 mm thick tempered safety glass on all Matrix series steam showers.

Break Test - A 50x50 mm square piece of tempered glass from an Altus steam shower will break into over 90 individual pieces, surpassing industry standard.

Another point worth noting is that some of Altus' steam showers are equiped with beautiful full-sized glazed interior glass and one-way side panel glass that have no comparison in the industry.

9. Water Flow

Altus' pipe clips and valves are made of stainless steel or chrome plated brass so the risk of water leakage, and valve cracking is minimized. However, some manufactures use plastic materials to cut costs.

Water Testing - Make sure your shower has been fully water tested before shipping and fully checked for functionality of its steam, plumbing, water tightness and electrics. All Altus products are fully test before shipping.

Thermostatic Temperature Mixer - Every modern shower should be equipped with this safety valve that will eliminate those huge fluctuations in water temperature while allowing you to select your desired temperature.

10. Fixtures

Again, beware of plastic fixtures with a chrome coating that wear away more quickly. Altus uses chrome plated brass fixtures on the door.

Visit our store: http://stores.ebay.com/Altus-Bath