Ceramic shower trays: sizes, installation and ceramic vs resin

A shower tray is one of the hardest-working pieces in the bathroom: you stand on it every day, it gets hot water, soap and limescale, and once it is tiled in you will not want to replace it. Here is how to choose a ceramic shower tray, which size to pick and what to agree with your installer before the screed goes down.

Ceramic or resin?

These are the two materials most people compare in Italy (piatto doccia ceramica o resina).

• Ceramic: scratch-resistant and durable, it stands up to sunlight and knocks and keeps its finish for years. Older ceramic trays were thick, but modern production allows much slimmer profiles.
• Resin (stone resin, marmoresina): available in many finishes and very thin, and small chips can be repaired. On the downside, it can be damaged by excessive heat and it stains more easily.

Our FORM ceramic shower trays by Alice Ceramica are made in vitreous ceramic with a thickness of only 3 cm, so you get the strength of ceramic with a slim, modern edge.

Choosing the size

Common rectangular sizes in Italy are 70x90, 70x100, 70x120, 80x100 and 80x120 cm, with longer trays of 140–180 cm for walk-in showers. The FORM range comes in:

• 70 cm wide: 70 x 100, 70 x 120 and 70 x 140 cm, good for narrow bathrooms or replacing a bath in a tight space.
• 80 cm wide: 80 x 100, 80 x 120, 80 x 140 and 80 x 160 cm, for a roomier shower or a walk-in layout with a fixed glass panel.

Measure the finished space between walls, not the rough masonry, and remember the shower enclosure or glass panel needs to sit on the tray. Keep enough free space in front of the shower: our bathroom measurements guide covers clearances for the other fixtures.

Floor-level or raised?

• Floor-level (filo pavimento): the tray is set into the floor so there is no step, giving one continuous surface. It looks cleaner and makes the shower easier to use for anyone with reduced mobility. It needs enough depth in the floor for the drain and trap, so plan it at the start of the renovation.
• Raised (in appoggio): the tray sits on the floor and its edge stays visible. It is the simpler choice when you cannot lower the drain into the screed.

FORM trays can be installed either way, floor-level or raised, on a screed.

Installation checklist

1. Prepare a flat, level base and a recess of the right size for the drain at the outlet position. Ask us for the technical drawing to check where the waste sits on your size.
2. Choose the drain. FORM trays are supplied without a drain. A colour-matched ceramic drain cover (PIL011 series) or a Geberit drain (PIL009/PIL012) is available on request.
3. Check the tray is perfectly level before fixing, and connect and test the drain for leaks by running water.
4. Leave a perimeter gap and seal it. Geberit's technical manual for its own trays advises a gap of at least 3 mm all round for thermal expansion, sealed with silicone, and waiting at least 24 hours before using the shower. Follow the instructions for your tray and sealant.
5. Protect the surface from mortar, adhesive and grout while the walls are tiled.
6. Aim the shower head at the drain area, not at the far end of the tray, so water does not sit on the surface.

Watch it done: search YouTube for ceramic shower tray installation videos.

Colours and finishes

FORM trays come in classic glossy white (Bianco), the matt Colore palette (from White Matt and Sand Matt to Anthracite Matt and Black Matt), the glossy I Lucidi colours on several sizes, and textured Materico white. Available colours vary by size, so check the product page. Matching the tray to your WC, bidet and basin gives a calm, coordinated room: see our ideas for styling with Italian ceramics. Colours on screen are indicative, so ask us for a sample if you need an exact match.

Every tray is made to order in Civita Castellana and dispatched in 2–3 weeks. Not sure which size fits? Send us your measurements and a photo of the drain position.

Recommended products

FORM Shower Tray 70 x 100 cm

FORM Shower Tray 80 x 100 cm

FORM Shower Tray 80 x 120 cm

FORM Shower Tray 80 x 140 cm

Sources and further reading

• Arredamento.it: piatto doccia, la guida alla scelta (in Italian)
• Geberit technical manual 2025: shower trays (in Italian, PDF)