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The Basics of Shower Doors
Searching for a shower door that fits your wants and needs can become overwhelming very quickly. With so many options, it can be difficult to know where to start whether you are designing a project from scratch or revamping an existing home. Follow this guide to help you understand the basics and feel more comfortable deciding on the buying process.
Here are basics to consider:
- What materials are currently being used in your bathroom?
- Wall Stud Location
- Determine Shower Shape
Breaking It Down
Understanding each element that completes the overall look is important for feeling confident about your shower door choice.
Common terminology to know:
- Filler: Material used to fill in the gaps and uneven openings. Framed and semi-frameless shower doors commonly use filler. This material matches the enclosure lineals.
- Centerline: Imaginary line used to determine the center of the shower. This measurement is referenced when installing bottom curbing and measuring neo-angle showers.
- Buttress: Elevated, off-curb paneling. Buttress is also known as Knee Wall.
- Perfect Overlap: Overlapping slide door sized to maximize the door opening area.
Shower Shapes
The shape of your shower will impact the overall look and feel of your bathroom space. The main shower shapes are inline, return, and corner showers. There are options for custom shower shapes.
Inline Shower Doors: Inline doorways suit in a shower that has an unmarried, immediately opening walk area. Inline shower doors include bypass doors (that means sliding doorways), single swing doors, and any door and panel configuration without angled panels.
Return Shower Door: The panel doesn’t line up to the door, but instead sits at a 90-degree angle. Options include a swing door or skip door with a go-back panel.
Corner Shower Doors: The shower door is positioned in the center of two panels, both of which might be angled at 135 degrees.
Shower entry Options
Depending on your shower shape, aesthetic, and space available in the bathroom, you now can choose the way your shower door opens.
- Swing Shower Doors
- Sliding Shower Doors
- Rolling Shower Doors
- Panel Enclosures
Framed vs. Frameless Shower Doors
Many new homeowners and builders are using frameless showers for a sleek look while some individuals prefer framed showers. What you choose depends on your budget and style. It is also wise to keep in mind the frequency of shower door replacement.
Pros of Frameless Showers:
- Open space: With no frames obstructing the space, the view and lines of the room are open and clear.
- Customizable: Usually framed shower doors come in standard dimensions while frameless shower doors can be cut to desired dimensions.
- Less Mold: With no frame containing a seal, there are fewer areas for moisture to seep into and grow mold.
Cons of Frameless Showers
- Costly: Since frameless glass has to be thicker to support the frameless structure and prevent shattering, the pieces will become more expensive than framed glass shower doors.
- Likely to Leak: Due to the lack of seals, there is a likely chance of water leakage. It is preventable by finding a professional and experienced shower door installer. Make sure to go through a reputable company to receive quality glass.
- Chance of Shattering: Shattering a frameless shower door is rare but is also possible. This happens if you have damaged the glass, received a defective piece of glass, had an improper installation, or drastic temperature changes occur.
Read more about Framed vs. Frameless Showers.
Ready to create your dream shower?
Moyes Glass specializes in custom-made shower doors and mirrors for your replacement or new construction project. If you are looking for inspiration, see our shower doors gallery. Moyes Glass is dedicated to creating your dream shower.
Whether you are designing a project from scratch or revamping an existing home, we have a large selection of shower doors and mirrors to choose from. Our experts will come to your job site and provide you a free estimate for your project. Contact the Moyes Glass shower door experts.
