If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your bathroom, consider replacing that drab shower curtain with a luxurious glass door. Not only are glass enclosures in showers more visually appealing, they are easy to keep clean. Glass shower doors have a sleek transparency that makes a bathroom appear bigger. When properly installed they stay watertight and provide a beautiful openness to your bathroom. They can be custom fit for pretty much any space.
There are many steps to ensure a quality custom fit that will not only look good but also will be functional. It’s not necessarily a difficult task but it is best left to professionals as they will provide guaranteed workmanship.
Proper installation begins with precise measurements. This can be tricky and must be exact for your shower door to properly function with no issues such as leaks or uneven doors. The measurements include the height, width, and thickness of the shower door glass, as well as the surroundings and space your door will need to properly open and close. Your professional installer will take measurements to fit your unique space. There are framed and frameless styles of glass doors, both requiring proper measurements as the initial first step.
Framed and frameless shower doors are typically made of tempered glass, which may be treated for easy cleaning. Framed doors are made of thinner glass because the frame supports the door. The frame itself is usually made of aluminum and may be powder-coated in a variety of colors and finishes. The frame may be smooth or textured, and the glass is sealed into the frame to prevent leaks.
Frameless doors are made of the same tempered glass but have a much thicker pane because there is no supporting metal frame. Clips, hinges and door pulls are set into the glass and are caulked at the edges and corners with a thick silicone to seal the glass. Often, the door itself may have a rubber “sweep” at the bottom to keep water in the shower.
The installation of a frameless door may be more labor-intensive than a framed door because the clips used to attach the door need to be perfectly level to prevent the heavy door from sagging over time. If tile is installed in the shower, then special drill bits are needed to attach the clips properly. Heavy silicone caulk is used where the glass meets the walls on stationary panels to prevent leaks.
Framed doors are a little less labor-intensive to install because the glass is thinner and the doors are less heavy. The frame makes the installation faster, as the glass rests on this rather than on a clip or hinge. Caulk is still necessary to secure the frame and ensure that the glass is held properly in the frame.
You can expect installation of frameless doors to take a minimum of three to four hours, while a framed door can usually be installed in about one to two hours. Both framed and frameless doors should be installed by professionals to ensure a safe and flawless process. More Than Glass is proud to be your trusted professional glass specialists serving all your needs for quality home improvements to suit virtually any budget.