What Shower Enclosure and Door are Best for Your Home?
Showers are essential in every home. They help you get clean and also allow you to relax and pamper yourself at the end of a long day. But how do you choose the right one for your home?
While glass showers may seem straightforward on the surface, many different types of shower enclosures and doors can be custom-configured to fit any bathroom layout. Not sure what option is best for you? Or Not sure where to start? Here’s a quick overview to help you out.
Types of Shower Enclosures
The type of shower enclosure you choose can depend on your taste, the amount of space you have, and your budget. Here are the three main types of shower enclosures:
Frameless
The frameless shower enclosure has grown in popularity since it looks clean and modern while adding an illusion of space. As its name indicates, this shower enclosure has no frames to hold the shower screen and doors in place. Instead, the glass panels are secured with hinges to the wall and base.
Since these beautiful frameless showers utilize heavy glass, typically 3/8” – ½” pieces of glass, to ensure you have the best possible outcome with your installation it is best to have your shower enclosure space inspected and then installed by a professional who will ensure that the space has the structural capacity for this type of shower enclosure.
A frameless shower enclosure is an excellent way to show off your beautiful wall tiling and shower heads or to let in natural light. It takes more technique to align and construct properly, but the result is well worth it.
The investment made with a frameless shower enclosure will be well worth it in the end to create the bathroom of your dreams!
Framed
This shower enclosure features framing to hold the shower door and glass panels. These are typically made of aluminum and stainless steel and come in a variety of finishes. You can also customize the finishes to a brushed gold, bronze, or even matte black to harmonize the rest of your bathroom’s interior.
Framed showers offer a timeless and classic look that will complement any bathroom design.
Check ourframed and frameless shower door comparison if you have more questions.
Semi-frameless
If you want a combination of the two, semi-frameless is a perfect blend of both styles. It’ll have minimal frames around the larger parts of the shower screen but not around the door panel. The minimal frame will also make it easier to keep your shower clean, with fewer nooks and areas for dirt and grime to accumulate.
Moreover, you can choose from many different styles and custom designs to fit your space.
Types of Shower Doors
You’ll also have to decide what kind of shower door you want. Here are the main types of shower doors to choose from:
Rolling
A rolling shower door can create a modern or farmhouse look and may also help save space. This door is suspended from a header that overlaps the shower entry. When the door opens, the door panel rolls along the header and goes in front of the fixed glass.
Swinging
A hinged or swinging door works like a standard door and requires ample space to allow it to swing. It opens outward by pivoting hinges mounted to a fixed glass panel or a wall.
Sliding
When space is limited, a sliding door is a great option. These are typically made up of two glass panels that slide horizontally along tracks mounted to the shower enclosure.
Assuming you already know what sort of enclosure you want, the next step is to narrow down potential contractors to do the job.
Contact the Gatsby Glass team at 866-GLASS-64 with any questions or concerns. We are happy to offer free consultations and quotes for your upcoming projects.