Glass Shower Enclosures: Benefits and Design Options
If you are remodeling your bathroom, then now is a great time to consider installing a glass shower enclosure.
If your bathroom is still equipped with a standard bathtub and shower curtain, then you should realize that a glass shower enclosure can provide your bathroom with a more stylish, modern appearance. In addition, these enclosures have safety and health benefits when compared to traditional bathtubs with shower curtains.
Read on to learn the advantages of adding a glass shower enclosure to your bathroom and just a few of your many design options.
Glass Shower Enclosure Benefits
When replacing your bathtub and shower curtain with a glass shower enclosure, you can look forward to the following aesthetic, safety, and health benefits:
Larger Appearance
The glass surrounding a glass shower enclosure does not cut a small bathroom in half visually as an opaque shower curtain and tub can, leading to a bathroom that appears to be larger. In addition, if your current bathtub takes up much of the floor space in a small bathroom, a glass shower enclosure can free up much-needed space.
Easy Access
People who are aging or who suffer from arthritis or other disabilities can struggle to step over the sides of a bathtub to enter it. Curbless glass shower enclosures make entering the shower easy for people with mobility or pain problems because they don’t need to step over anything to get in the shower.
Less Mildew
Traditional shower curtains and surrounds are porous, making them breeding grounds for mildew in a wet, steamy bathroom. Glass is extremely mildew resistant since it is non-porous.
VOC Reduction
Vinyl shower curtain liners emit VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, for at least a month after they are removed from their packages. You can skip the shower curtains after you opt for glass shower enclosure and look forward to the emission of fewer toxins inside your home.
While many people who add glass shower enclosures during bathroom remodels opt to lose the bathtub altogether, you don’t have to choose one or the other if you enjoy taking baths. You can install a freestanding tub in the same bathroom or, if you lack room for both in a small bathroom, you can simply add a glass sliding door to your current bathtub to replace your shower curtain.
Shower Enclosure Design Options
A shower enclosure design expert can help create a custom shower design perfect for your bathroom and your needs. However, you should learn about some of your shower enclosure design options now to help you begin to decide which you would prefer in your new shower.
Door Type
Glass enclosures have two main door style options: sliding and swinging. Swinging doors are also called pivot doors or hinged doors. Swinging doors can swing outward or both inward and outward. They are best for larger bathrooms. Sliding doors are best for small bathrooms and smaller showers since they don’t need extra floor space to swing inward or outward.
Frame Style
Glass shower enclosures come in framed and newer frameless designs. Framed shower enclosures have metal frames that support the shower glass, while frameless showers incorporate thicker, stronger glass that is structurally stable without this frame.
There are two main differences between these shower door frame styles: aesthetics and design options. Most homeowners choose one frame style or the other depending on whether they enjoy the appearance of a frame or not. However, frameless shower enclosures come with more design options.
Glass Type
You are not limited to one type or even color of glass when designing your glass shower enclosure. While clear, non-textured glass is always an option, you can instead opt for glass that is tinted or textured.
Clear, non-textured glass is a good option if you would like your bathroom to appear as streamlined as possible. However, a unique shade of tinted glass can also be chosen to complement your bathroom decor while providing additional shower privacy. Textured glass can also be used to provide shower privacy and great aesthetic appeal.
Curb Style
Glass shower enclosures come in curbed and curbless designs. Curbless enclosures are also called one-level showers. There are advantages to each curb style.
A shower curb helps keep water in the shower and can form a tighter seal with a shower door to keep steam and heat in the shower. However, disabled people often struggle with curbs, which are not the only option for helping a shower retain water.
Curbless shower enclosures are easier to enter, offer a more modern shower appearance, and if desired, do not even have to be completely enclosed. With proper shower head choice and proper drain installation (often double drains or linear drains), you can keep water in the shower without having to worry about it leaking across the floor.
If you are remodeling your bathroom, then consider replacing your bathtub and shower curtain with a glass shower enclosure to reap their many aesthetic, safety, and health advantages. Contact Central Glass Company to speak to a shower enclosure design professional today.