Once the mortgage was paid in full, I decided to make some changes to my family's house. That included investing in new doors throughout the home. That proved to be more complicated than I expected. With the help of a contractor, I explored options for bedroom doors that were built to reduce noise. There was the option of using French doors in some areas to allow more natural light into the space. I also learned a lot about door locks and where they would do the most good. If you want to replace all the doors in your home, let's talk. I'll share the tips that my contractor provided. With a little luck, those same tips will save you some time and effort.
If you are ready to enclose your shower, then a glass shower surround is the way to go. There are several decisions to face that will impact your choice of surround and shower door.
1. Privacy
One of the first things to consider is how much privacy you prefer while actually taking a shower. For parents, who may be constantly interrupted in the shower, privacy may be more important than for those that don't have to worry about being walked in upon. There are a variety of glass finishes that provide privacy for those that require it, including frosting, etched designs, or raindrop-styled texturing.
2. Access Width
Always check how wide the doorway into the shower is when open. This is especially true for those with accessibility concerns, as you may need to verify that one can enter the shower with necessary accessibility aid such as walkers. Wider doors can also make the shower or tub-shower combo easier to access for cleaning or if you must provide assistance to someone else in the shower, such as a child.
3. Coverage Needs
Not all showers require a full surround. If you want to skip the issues with moving doors and a full shower enclosure, look at the options that are available for fixed shower partitions. These glass walls are placed to prevent water from spraying outside of the shower while it is in use, but they do not fully surround the shower area. Partitions are best suited to designs where the showerhead is affixed to one wall, not to those where the showerhead is centered above the shower basin.
4. Cleaning Ease
No one wants water spots and more cleaning work in the bathroom. Fortunately not all glass shower stalls are difficult to clean. Opt for frameless models, as these only have a few clips as opposed to a full-frame surround. This means there are fewer crevices to catch dirt. If water spots are your main concern, then textured or frosted doors are less likely to show obvious spotting between cleanings.
5. Door Design
Glass shower doors come in two main open styles, swinging and sliding. Swinging doors require room to open outwards, so they are better suited to more spacious bathrooms. Sliding doors require less space to operate, making them more suitable for smaller bathrooms. Sliders are most often used on shower-tub combos, but you can find them for shower-only surrounds as well.
Contact a shower store to see more of the available shower doors and surrounds that are available.
Share1 December 2021
