Have you recently decided to give your bathroom shower a facelift? Whether you’re considering semi-frameless or seamless shower doors, you probably have a long list of questions you’d like answered before you hire your shower door manufacturers. Take a look at the most common questions that homeowners have for professional shower door installers.
1. Do you have a shower door showroom?
Designers, architects and homeowners alike value the opportunity to visit a shower door showroom. Offering an expansive selection of semi-frameless or seamless shower doors, shower glass panel options and shower glass coating, the best shower door manufacturers have a shower door showroom with samples on display. Seeing the enclosures firsthand and visualizing how they would look in your home, can greatly benefit your decision-making process. Typically, you’ll find expert designers available to assist with your design questions and technical experts to discuss the elements of precision and accuracy. Consider bringing along your current shower enclosure measurements so you can get a quick estimation during your visit.
2. What’s the difference between frameless/seamless shower doors vs. semi-frameless?
Frameless or seamless shower doors have very little metal framing. The only metal on seamless shower doors is the hinge and potentially a small strip at the bottom to catch water droplets. Some people think frameless means no metal whatsoever. This is not the case. Frameless units can be virtually metal-free, except for clips on any stationary shower glass panel, hinges and handle. But frameless units may have a header running on top of the unit and u-channel on the stationary panels. A semi-frameless shower enclosure also has metal framing everywhere but the door. This means that vertical seams at the corners of the enclosure are held together by metal.
3. What are the different types of shower glass?
Many shower door manufacturers offer Low-Iron Ultra Clear Glass.
Low-Iron Ultra Clear shower glass is an excellent option when beauty, clarity and functionality are the cornerstones of your design vision. Low-Iron Ultra Clear Glass contains as little as 10 percent of the iron content of regular glass, so it can transmit 91 percent of light compared to 83 percent for regular glass. You won’t have that greening effect you normally find with thick glass.
4. Should I use shower glass coating and how do I know the coating was applied?
Untreated glass is porous, making it susceptible to mineral deposits and soap scum. Plus, uncoated glass can discolor, and etching can occur when using harsh cleaning agents. You can save time and money by having a shower glass coating applied to the glass at the beginning of the manufacturing process. The once-only application makes it easier to clean grime, dirt and soap scum easier to clean. An electronic gage will reveal whether or not a shower glass coating has been applied.
ShowerGuard is a protective coating that shower door manufacturers add to the glass at the start of the process. The patented technology permanently seals the glass surface, fighting corrosion before it starts. Thanks to its patented sealed surface technology, ShowerGuard glass stays beautiful and scum resistant shower after shower.
5. Which way should the shower door open? Can the door swing in or out?
Your bathroom layout will dictate how your shower door opens. Shower doors can swing in, but building codes require that all shower doors must swing out as well. For safety reasons, it is illegal to have the door swing in only, but you can have it installed to swing out only. One of the best things about seamless shower doors is the fact that they can swing either way.
6. How tall should glass be?
A good rule of thumb when it comes to the height of shower glass is to have it be in line with the shower head comes. You want to have enough ventilation between the glass and ceiling to prevent mold from growing on the ceiling. A typical frameless glass enclosure can range from 72” to 78” but can be as high as 96”. All heights over 96” require special engineering considerations that may require thicker glass to support the increased weight of the glass. Standard heights typically cost less than custom height enclosures. Your shower door manufacturers will review and make recommendations when necessary. Leave to professional.
Once you’ve decided to have a new shower enclosure installed, get ready to head to a shower door showroom. Evaluate your existing shower and start with a wish list. Establish a budget. And most importantly, have your questions ready for the experts. Professional shower door manufacturers will be expecting them!
