What to Know Before Choosing A Shower Enclosure

One of the top three rooms of any home is the bathroom. Most specifically, the master bathroom. This is a sanctuary for many and deciding on the décor is of vital importance. The more high-quality elements you have in your bathroom will determine the added value. For example, in most new construction homes, the master bathroom will have glass shower doors They aren’t “cookie cutter” because they have a specific width and shape. The same goes for the toilet, sinks, countertop, mirror, and flooring, not to mention the hardware. However, the shower glass doors are the focal point of the bathroom (if no tub).

If you are designing your bathroom in a new construction home or remodeling your old bathroom, the custom touches reflect your personal style. And you don’t want to waste money on products that are inferior. Glass shower doors have many components you will need to consider for décor and to prevent leakage. A leak over time can cause serious damage to the floor, subfloor, and ceiling below it.

Glass Shower Panels and Sizes

Everyone has a vision for their bathroom, whether it’s created from magazine pictures or ideas from home improvement shows. First thing’s first: the size. You must know how big you want your shower to be, without it overpowering the room when installing glass shower enclosures. You will need to know:

1. the exact dimensions of your shower space. How much room do you have between the shower and toilet or shower and counters?
2. how much time is needed for clean up?
3. the type of doors for the décor and your budget for a glass shower.

So, now that you have the dimensions, do you want a framed or frameless shower? Both are designed for safety and function and match various budgets. Framed doors are more flexible because they can be placed anywhere (e.g. the wall) due to their seals and sweeps. Frameless doors have heavier glass and heavy-duty hardware. Yet, frameless doors are more desirable and look better. Do you know how many glass panels you want? What about the doors themselves? There are many styles to choose from based on your design of specialty glass:

• Door and panel with door hinged off a wall
• Door hinged off a panel (with header)
• Door hinged off a panel (fixed panel to ceiling)
• Two-sided enclosures
• Three-sided enclosures
• Neo-angle enclosures

Are you installing a one-piece shower (i.e. hotels) or are you tiling the floors and walls? It is recommended to have the tiling done by an expert to avoid having the threshold tip the wrong way, causing water to run away from the drain. Preventing leaks also depends on the sealant and sweeps. There are many kinds of sweeps depending on the color, shape, and thickness of the glass doors. Careful consideration should be given to them since you want them to keep the water in and protect your flooring when installing commercial glass repairing. Also, how much visibility do you want with the glass? Do you want low iron (e.g. super clear) or colored (e.g. solexia)?

There is also the thickness of the glass. The glass will be thicker with frameless shower doors and will determine the available colors and textures.

The Perfect Shower

Once you have decided in the dimensions, style, panels, color, tiles, and hardware, you are now ready to find your new shower. At Michael’s Glass Company, our dedicated staff is here to help answer these questions and find the perfect glass panels for your shower. Our installers will treat your home like your own, paying careful attention to protect the other elements of your bathroom as well as transporting the components to the bathroom. Contact us today for a free quote or by calling at (215) 338-3293.