Shower Doors
While a simple shower curtain will keep water off your bathroom floor, shower doors can be a much more elegant solution. The right type of shower door will improve the look of your bathroom, while offering water-tight seals, privacy, and easy shower access. When choosing between various types of glass shower doors, consider pivot shower doors, sliding shower doors, round shower doors, Neo-Angle, and Barrier-Free showers.
In addition to the type of shower enclosure you have, you’ll need to consider the bathroom’s layout. A shower door needs enough clearance in the bathroom to open completely. The amount of space you have around the shower will determine which direction the door opens. The dimensions of your shower’s opening are also important. The standard shower door size is between 22-inches and 36-inches. A shower opening wider than 36-inches will likely need an additional door panel or a type of shower door designed for wide openings.
Shower Door Options
Inline Doors: These doors fit in a shower that has a single straight opening, and include bypass doors (meaning sliding doors, single swing doors, and any door and panel configuration without angled panels)
Return Doors: The panel doesn’t line up to the door, but instead sits at a 90-degree angle. You can choose from a swing door or bypass door with a return panel
Corner “Neo” Doors: With this option, your shower door is located in the center of two panels, both of which are angled at 135 degrees
Swing Doors: Much like any door in your house, these doors swing out into the bathroom to allow entry into your shower
Sliding Doors: A stylish and space-saving option, sliding doors move along a single line. Some sliding enclosures feature bypass doors, where both sides slide, while others feature a sliding panel coupled with one that is fixed
Rolling Doors: Much like sliding doors, rolling doors travel along a single plane. However, advanced ball bearings ensure a premium glide along the track on a fixed panel
Panel Enclosures: For fans of simplicity, panel-style enclosures offer the purest form of entry. Assuming a strategically positioned shower head, and featuring no moving parts, panel enclosures keep the water in, while allowing for total freedom when entering
Framed: A framed enclosure includes framing around both the door opening and each panel. It’s the perfect way to complement the finishing on other fixtures in your bathroom
Semi-framed: A semi-frameless enclosure has framing on each side of the larger piece, but not around the actual door or panel. It’s ideal if you want to incorporate your finishing without obstructing the view into your shower
Frameless: These doors have minimal framing in order to provide the clearest view into your shower. It’s the best way to highlight tile, rain showerheads, and other high-end features
