About Glass Shower Doors

Are you looking to replace those awful shower curtains with a stylish easy to clean glass shower door? Well read on. I have been looking into what you need to know and will let you in a few secrets.

First don't buy anything until the shower enclosure is finished of the bathtub is installed. This is because even with the best will in the world, no wall is ever perfectly straight and tiles on the walls will vary the straightness and thickness of the walls around the bath or shower. This means that any measurements you take, even if you allow for tiles etc, will never be absolutely correct- so if at all possible WAIT!

Now I have that out of my system! When planning shower doors you have to take into account what they will fit to - bathtub or shower tray, frame or not, opening mechanism and glass.If you are installing a glass door over an existing bathtub, then you are most likely going to have a sliding door arrangement, this is most common for a number of reasons. You have to consider the attachment method to the wall and what weight the bathtub can take and in most cases you end up with framed sliding doors. This will usually be the most cost effective solution as well. If you have a shower cubicle then your options are broader. The style of door will depend upon the size of the opening, a narrow opening may need to have a bifold door, whereas a very wide opening may need a fixed section of glass as well as a door.

Frame Or Not?

This decision will impact the effect on the room. Most shower doors are framed as the glass can be lighter and thus cheaper, but if you have the resources a frameless shower door can streamline you shower area and make it much more stylish. When it comes to cleaning glass shower doors then frameless is easier than framed as there is no frame for the dirt to get stuck into. Having a frameless door can change the overall effect on the room, as the frame can be quite intrusive. If you have the option and a shower cubicle area larger enough then a frameless glass door can be very chic.

There are 3 basic methods for opening shower doors - sliding, swing and bifold. Of course if you have the space you may not actually have a shower door, just a glass surround! The sliding door is the most common method of closure for showers and is self explanatory. If you do not have enough width for a sliding door then a bifold door may suit, but these are rare and usually used where space is a real premium. The swing door is just like a normal door and can be mounted on hinges with magnetic closure mechanisms. The swing door needs to have space to open it without contacting any other bathroom furniture to prevent damage to the door by hitting the vanity etc. The color of the hinges and surrounds can be coordinated with existing bathroom furniture for a remodelling job, or chosen to personal preference- there is a large variety in color and style available.

This is in my opinion the item that has the most impact on the finished bathroom. The glass can be patterned, clear, tinted, frosted, etched, tempered, stained - almost any effect you can imagine is possible. You can even get custom glass shower doors with your own design on them. Tempered glass is useful if you have children in the house, it is safety glass that stays together when broken. For privacy you may prefer to have frosted or etched glass or consider patterned glass. Patterned glass shower glass doors are also good as they don't look like they need cleaning the first time you use them! clear glass can make you shower cubicle appear larger than it is and tinted glass can make it appear smaller.

The last consideration is the door furniture you choose- handles etc. These should match or complement any existing bathroom fittings to the best effect. If you have chrome taps then tend to chrome or silver colored fittings, if you have gold taps then gold fittings will fit best. The style of the fittings will be whatever appeals to your personal taste.

Whatever kind of glass shower doors you choose will be a distinct improvement over the shower curtain.