Choosing a Bathroom Shower Enclosure

When it comes to a bathroom shower enclosure, you have a wide range of options to choose from. It’s important to find the right one for your space and needs.

Glass thickness is a significant factor when choosing an enclosure. At the lower end, you’ll find 4mm glass, while mid-range enclosures use 6mm toughened safety glass. Top-end enclosures are fitted with 8mm thick glass, which offers the most structural integrity for a frameless shower enclosure.

Framed

A frameless bathroom shower enclosure is a modern-looking option that makes a space feel more open and airy. It also places a greater emphasis on other design features in the room, such as intricate tile-work or marble floors.

Clear tempered glass is often the most popular choice for frameless doors, and it can help showcase your gorgeous stonework or tile. However, this glass can require daily squeegeeing to keep it clean.

Frosted or textured glass is another option that can add privacy and an extra touch of style to your shower. These options are easier to maintain than their clear-glass counterparts, and some offer subtle color for a unique look.

A semi-frameless bathroom shower enclosure is a hybrid between framed and frameless, with framing on each side of the larger piece but not around the door panel. This allows for a clean appearance, but it can be more expensive than a frameless option.

Frameless

If you’re looking to make your bathroom shower enclosure look more modern, frameless glass can be a great choice. It offers a sleek look that is often seen in modern design, and it can also make your bathroom feel more spacious.

Unlike framed shower doors, frameless ones do not require a metal frame. Instead, these showers use glass panels that are sized based on your design preferences.

This allows you to showcase the gorgeous stone or marble tiles you have on your bathroom walls. This is a great way to increase your bathrooms visual appeal and resale value.

Frameless shower doors are also easier to clean than framed ones because there’s no frame to collect mineral deposits or water stains. Additionally, they are less likely to crack or shatter due to the lack of frame and a heavier glass material.

Hinged

Hinged shower enclosures are a popular option in modern bathrooms because they can give your space a minimally-styled look. They also allow for a wider entrance opening, which is helpful for people who need to use a wheelchair or walker.

Typically, hinged shower doors are framed or frameless and can be made of plain and decorative glass. They latch with magnets when closed to make a waterproof seal.

If you want a shower that’s easy to clean, consider frameless designs. They are simple to maintain, are less expensive than framed ones, and don’t have metal framing that collects soap scum and mineral deposits.

Another popular option is a traditional framed door called the Crittall style, which has clear glass and a black U-channel frame with a black grid on the glass. This combination looks sleek in any bathroom size and makes the tile visible through the glass.

Sliding

Sliding bathroom shower doors are a popular choice in bathrooms for many homeowners because they allow access to the bathtub without taking up valuable space. They also feature a clean modern design that can add a sleek touch to any bathroom design.

Typically sliding doors have tracks on the bottom and two vertical sides that slide across to open the door. Trackless and frameless options are available for an added cost.

CON: These doors tend to collect soap residue, mildew, water and other debris that needs to be cleaned off frequently. Additionally, they can be a bit more complex than hinged doors and can require extra cleaning and maintenance down the road.

Sliding “barn style” shower doors combine the space-efficiency of gliding with the modern look of frameless glass. This is a great option for homes that don’t have the square footage to accommodate a sliding door but still want to take advantage of frameless glass.