Deciding On A Door

The Door Options For Walk-In Showers

30 June 2020

Peetu Couri

There are a few options for the homeowner looking to furnish a walk-in shower. As a homeowner, you have the final say on what option to pick from. You can either choose a regular shower door with a frame, a frameless shower door, or to completely eschew the door altogether. There are many factors to consider before choosing the right shower door for your bathroom.

Walk-Ins With a Framed Door

Walk-in showers with a regular, framed door are by far the most common option for homeowners. The installation is easily done at home, and it's a low-effort choice for anyone wanting to prevent water from seeping out of the bathroom. These doors are installed on a track that fits between two walls that surround the shower on its sides. Either part slides into the other on the track, or the door swings out on a hinge.

These doors are the most effective at keeping water where it should be, but they can be hard to clean, and water can get stuck in hard-to-reach spaces. This can cause mold in an environment that is typically humid and dark. Additionally, these doors can be bulky and negatively affect the design of your bathroom. A homeowner primarily concerned with both looks and cleanliness may prefer a frameless door.

Walk-Ins With a Frameless Door

Frameless shower doors are those that are fixated to the shower wall and to itself by way of hinges and metal holds. These shower doors have a minimal amount of non-glass material used, and aren't flush with the shower wall. This means the doors are easy to clean and can't have mold stuck in hard-to-reach spots.

However, that also means it is much harder to prevent water from spraying outside of the shower. Additionally, these shower doors must be custom-fit and are therefore more expensive than framed doors. If you aren't interested in any shower door so far, then you may want to design a walk-in that doesn't need a door.

Walk-Ins Without a Door

Walk-in showers that don't require a door are designed so that water does not go into other parts of the bathroom or household even while there is no complete, hard barrier. These showers are custom made with the household's specific architecture and plumbing in mind, so they can't be done without professional help.

You will need a contractor to determine the exact parameters of the shower itself, plus the location of the showerhead, waterproof tile, and the drain to make sure all the water stays inside the shower. It can be difficult to design these showers, and not everyone has the time or energy to redesign their bathroom just to avoid having a door.

Conclusion

There are many options to choose from when designing your walk-in shower, and each has their own drawbacks and advantages. Framed shower doors are the easiest to install, while frameless shower doors are the most mold-resistant. Doorless walk-ins can meet the best of both worlds, but only if you're willing to hire a contractor because they cannot be done without professional help. Overall, shower doors are an important part of bathroom design and cleanliness.  

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