Best Shower Doors in 2024

1. Best Shower Door Reviews in 2024
   
   1. DreamLine Enigma-X Review
   2. VIGO Elan Review
   3. DreamLine Infinity-Z Review
   4. Aston SDR978-SS-60-10 Review
   5. DreamLine Mirage Review
   6. VIGO Pirouette Review
   7. KOHLER K-702207-L-NX Review
   8. DreamLine Aqua Review
2. Everything you need to know about shower doors
   
   1. Door Types
   2. Glass Types
   3. Hardware and Finish
   4. Measuring up
   5. Features
   6. How to Install a Sliding Shower Door
   7. Advantages of the Shower Door

KOHLER K-702207-L-NX Fluence Glass Bypass Shower Door

DreamLine Aqua Fold Frameless Hinged Tub Door

Everything you need to know about shower doors

Door Types

1. Framed – Framed doors are the most common type of shower doors that can be seen in various shower enclosures. A framed shower door consists of a solid frame that may have stainless steel, aluminum, or brass built. The metal frame comes in different finishes and designs, so that they can match with faucets and other hardware present in the bathroom. Glass used in frame doors are generally thinner as compared to other shower door types because of the additional support provided by the shower door frame. A framed shower restricts water to pass through it. A framed shower door is completely sealed, and hence, there are no gaps available for water to flow. One important issue with framed shower doors is mineral build-up. Due to the presence of the frame, deposits of minerals and mud get accumulated over the shower door frame. These buildups require regular wiping and cleaning.
2. Frameless – Frameless shower doors are becoming more popular because of their modern and stylish looks. The absence of frame in these shower doors eliminates the issue of mineral and another buildup as experienced by frame shower doors. In the absenteeism of mineral, dirt and soap deposits; the cleaning process of frameless shower doors become much easier. As there is no frame present to support the complete structure, a frameless shower door makes use of thicker and treated glass panels. However, the use of thicker glass results in making frameless shower doors expensive than framed ones. Moreover, frameless shower doors are not completely leaking free. So, you need to compromise for a small amount of water leaking out every time you take a shower.
3. Neo-angle – Neo-angle doors are specifically designed to fit into the corner of a bathroom. A single door is present in neo-angle type shower doors, and it offers a pivot or swing mechanism for opening or closing.
4. Sliding – Sliding shower doors are best for bathrooms with less available space. The construction of sliding shower door utilizes either two or three panels that slide past each other during the use. Sliding shower doors provide more area for entering/exiting the shower enclosure. Rollers are present in these doors, which easies are sliding of the door in addition to making it hassle-free. Sliding doors are expensive than other shower door types but are the best option when it comes to saving some precious bathroom space.

Glass Types

Glass used in shower doors

1. Clear glass – Clear glass is the traditional type of glass used in shower doors and enclosures. Clear glass is simple, low cost and requires minimal material for its production. Clear glass allows light to pass through it. Resultantly, it provides a feel of more open space in the bathroom enclosure. Moreover, there is no distraction caused by clear glass towards other elements present in a bathroom space.
2. Low-iron glass – Low-iron glass is similar to clear glass, leave for the fact that it is completely colorless. This type of shower door glass is a great option for people who do not like the greenish-blue tint of clear glass. To minimize the greenish-blue tint, the amount of iron used for building the glass is reduced to the minimal value.
3. Frosted glass – This glass type is translucent, and offers a blur see-through. The texture of the glass allows the light to pass completely through it, allows maximum illumination inside the bathroom space. The blurring effect offered by the frosted glass is made possible due to a special technology, which involves sandblasting or acid etching the surface of the glass.
4. Rain glass – The rain glass features a textured surface just as that of frosted glass. The pattern on the rain glass imitates the rain streaks present on an actual glass. This type of shower door glass looks attractive and increases the visual appearance of the shower enclosure as well as the shower door. Apart from looks, the rain glass also conceals water spots, fingerprints and other stains that are easily visible in the clear glass.
5. Hammered glass – A hammered glass also has a texture pattern that resembles a beaten metal. The texture looks stylish and elegant. The hammered glass is translucent and allows most of the light to pass through it.
6. Tinted glass – Tinted glass offers a shade of color on its surface, which makes it darker as compared to clear and low-iron glass. This glass results in dimming the light inside the shower enclosure and thus helps in creating a more relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. Though several tinted glass shades are available, some of the popular shades include gray, black, bronze and aquamarine.

Hardware and Finish

Measuring up

Features

1. Water deflector – A water deflector allows shower door to deflect the water back into shower space when water makes contact with the door. The deflection made by the shower door is fast and offers efficient results. The water deflector feature of a shower door ensures that no water leaves the shower enclosure. This prevents the non-bathroom-enclosure floor from getting wet.
2. Towel rails – Shower doors with towel rails provides a convenient experience to the user. Towel rail allows the user to place the towel over it and hence, there is no need to leave the towel out of the shower enclosure. Come inside the enclosure with the towel on, drape it over the towel rail, take a shower and then grab back the towel to dry off. It is really a pleasant experience while having a towel rail attached with the shower door.
3. Shelves – Shelves are a necessary requirement when it comes to a shower enclosure. There should be some place inside the shower cubicle where one can stock all those shampoo bottles, conditioner, shower gel and other things you need during the shower. So, instead of trying to balance the products on the rim of shower base, one can opt for shower doors that come with individually designed shelves for easy storage and placement of toiletries. The shelves also eliminate the risk of a user slipping over a bottle placed on the floor of the shower enclosure. A shower door with shelves ensures a safe place to stack all the shower related products.

How to Install a Sliding Shower Door

• The first step for installing a sliding shower door is to take measurements of the area, where it is to be fixtured. The measurements should be accurate, and you need to check twice all the measurements you have taken before proceeding to the next step.
• The shower door you are going to buy must have dimensions that can fit within the available shower area, you measured earlier.
• Buy a separate fixing kit, if it is not included in the package containing shower door unit.
• Now you need to assemble tracks and frame of the shower door if they are available.
• Make markings of the area where your tracks will go, as this will give you the idea of a place where the bead of sealant is to be applied.
• Take some silicone sealant and put it on the threshold of the shower base, where the markings of the track are made.
• Bring the lower track and place it over sealant and press it so that it gets into the sealant.
• In the next step, you have to drill holes in the tiles, where you have to place the brackets. For this, you have to position the brackets over tiles where they are ought to be placed. Afterward, make markings of the screw holes on the tiles. Arrange a drilling machine and drill holes over the tiles and be sure to use tape over tiles so that they do not get cracks during the drilling process.
• Hammer plastic wall anchors into the drilled holes and then place the frame on the wall and secure it with the help of screws.
• The next step involves the placement of glass over the selected bathroom area. Lift the glass and put it onto the specified area. Make sure that the glass is placed properly on the track. Before processing to the next step, make sure it is moving over the runner in a smooth manner.
• In the case of a sliding door, you have to install the rollers after the glass is put into place. You might require the help of a person for holding the glass firmly while you are installing the rollers.
• Go through the instructions mentioned in the shower door manual and check for if there are any special instructions regarding the installation of the unit.
• In case, you are feeling a lack of confidence in installing the shower door all by yourself then do not hesitate to contact a professional for the task.

Advantages of the Shower Door

1. Looks – Shower doors have elegant design, which makes them capable of enhancing the overall visual appearance of a bathroom space. Moreover, the wide variety of designs allows users to pick a design that best matches with their bathroom décor.
2. Prevent Water From Getting Outside the Shower – The actual work of a shower door is to prevent water from leaving the shower enclosure space. With sliding doors, the user will be assured that not even a single drop of water is allowed to get outside the bathroom enclosure space during the shower.
3. Long life – Materials used in shower door construction are strengthened and durable that are capable of serving many years. Moreover, tempered or laminated glasses used in shower doors are highly durable and virtually unbreakable. This allows them to be used for a rugged usage and hence, users do not have to worry about buying a new shower door very frequently.

Conclusion