A frameless shower door can bring long-term aesthetic balance to your bathroom space. But the integration process involves a number of important considerations. Without taking the time to discuss these with an expert, you may find that the door and the shower space don’t provide the level of luxury and design value you expect. Our team has many years of experience integrating frameless shower doors in homes across the country, and within this latest post, we’ll highlight what you need to know when adding a frameless shower door to your home.

1. Pivoting or sliding door?

The first consideration you’ll have to make when evaluating your frameless shower door is whether you want a pivoting door or a sliding door. Which style of door suits your property? The pivoting door will require more room within your bathroom while the sliding door might be ideal for a minimalist design approach.

2. What’s the budget?

When considering frameless shower doors, your budget will be a big consideration. Make sure you know exactly how much you’re willing to spend on the door and the installation of the door within your home. Generally, sliding doors will cost more than swing doors, driven largely by hardware costs.

3. How often is the shower used?

Consider how regularly you use the shower and whether the shower is part of a guest suite or for your use in the home. If the shower is for the guest suite, will it be used by children or elderly family members? Review how the shower will be used when considering the integration process as this can help you and your contractor to design the door effectively. Note that, changes are not always possible without incurring potentially significant additional costs.

4. Do you need towel bars?

Towel bars are a great addition within a luxury bathroom, for when you require quick access to a towel before or after a shower. For example, you might be coming back from the swimming pool or beach and require a location to place dirty towels before you head into the shower.

5. Can you turn on the water?

Oftentimes you’ll want to turn the water on before entering the shower. You may not be able to do this depending on the design of your frameless shower. You should consider the design and layout before making the investment. Review all the options to ensure that you don’t have to make a change later on.

6. Do you know the location of studs / in-wall supports?

Not knowing where the supports are within your walls can make the integration of a frameless shower door a difficult process. Make sure you know the location of all studding before you move forward. You may make the mistake of hanging the hinge of the door from areas that are structurally weak and this could lead to a number of issues with the initial installation or in the future.

7. What thickness of glass do you want?

The thickness of the glass is a leading consideration when choosing the latest shower doors. The thickness of the glass can impact the weight of the door and its safety for use within your home, as well as the aesthetic of the enclosure. Ensure that the glass is suitable for the hinge to minimize problems with weight-balancing that could lead to the glass being damaged over time.

8. Clear/Standard or low-iron glass?

When selecting glass for your frameless shower door, you have a number of great options. One of the most popular is the ultra-clear glass (sometimes referred to as low-iron, starphire or opti-white) option, which diminishes the green tint that you might see when you look through glass normally. The colour of the glass can be especially important based on the other colours in use in your bathroom. Work with your local bathroom renovation expert to ensure you’re choosing the optimum glass for your home.

9. Will the door be wall-mounted, sliding, or attached to the floor (pivoting)?

The style of mounting used for the door should be one of the first considerations you make when adding a new structure. WIll your new door be mounted to the wall or attached to the ceiling/floor? Which types of hinges/hardware will be required, and how much space will you require in your bathroom for these components? Working with a qualified installation team can help you ensure your costs are optimized, and sometimes reduced, during this process. They can review all of the components required and determine how much to integrate the door without impacting your other bathroom elements.

10. Will you have special showerheads?

Consider how you will be using the bathroom space within your home. Will you be working with multiple shower heads within the space? How about using rainfall showerheads that spread the flow of water during the shower? Identifying the source and angle of the water from the shower space can help dictate the design (location of doors, clearance required, etc.) and ensure a smooth installation.

What to Review When Choosing an Installation Specialist

Now you know a little more about what you need to consider when evaluating your shower door options, you should take the time to review the experts in the marketplace who can help install the perfect glass system. Make sure you consider the following:

1. The quality of the glass

Can the company prove the quality of the glass within their inventory? Where was the glass floated? Where is it tempered? Is it tempered? How do they make the glass and guarantee its quality ready for use in your home? Make sure you receive clear answers to these questions before moving forward.

2. Customization options

What level of customization can the company offer for your home? Will they visit the property and ensure the customization work is completed with precision? Take these elements into clear consideration before moving forward.

3. The experience of the installers

The process of installing a new glass door within your bathroom can take time. Ensure that whoever installs it has the experience and expertise to get the job completed effectively the first-time-around.

To learn more about the latest frameless bathroom options in the marketplace, call Glass Showers and More at 416-800-1156 or contact us here.