Selecting the best shower door for your bathroom shower comes down to space, functionality, and your own personal style. Whether it’s a new-build bathroom of your dreams, renovating or upgrading your current space, or maybe you’re somewhere in between, choosing a suitable shower enclosure and doors for your bathroom is crucial.
While choosing shower doors might sound like a simple task, there’s actually a lot more to the topic than you might think. Which design are you drawn to? How much space do you have in your bathroom? Which materials and finish do you go for? What is your budget? We know it can all feel overwhelming, but don’t worry. Selecting your new shower door can be relatively easy, and we are here to help you through this process.
The good news is that we have created the ultimate guide about glass shower doors and selecting the shower doors of your dreams. Our goal is to help make your decision process stress-free and easy right from the get-go. We’re here to show you how to start shopping for your shower door, spell out your options, and everything you should look for in your glass shower door installation.
Ready to learn more? Continue reading below to find out how to select your glass shower door.
5 Things to Consider Before Purchasing Your Glass Shower Doors
Unfortunately, shopping for a new shower door isn’t as simple as closing your eyes and pointing to one. Or even as easy as choosing the prettiest option. There are actually quite a few things that should go into the decision and to keep in mind. Just remember you don’t need to worry, and there’s no reason to over-complicate the process.
There are a handful of things to consider when looking at shower doors. Here’s what you need to know:
- Measurements — Getting accurate measurements is crucial to getting the right shower door. Measurements that are even an eighth of an inch, no, a sixteenth of an inch, can leave you experiencing issues. The last thing you want after buying your shower door and it arrives is for you to discover it doesn’t fit.
Take all the guesswork out of it and get the most accurate measurements using a tape measure. Make sure you get the shower’s width, depth, and height in millimeters (ideally). If you are simply replacing an old shower door, take measurements from the existing shower tray to find precisely what you need. - Shower Location — Where your shower sits in your bathroom can dictate which type of door your shower enclosure has. For example, corner showers might not allow for a sliding glass door like a shower in the middle of the wall would.
As you make decisions, consider where your shower is located — or where it will be located — and use that information as you make your door selection, choosing a door that is most suitable for its location. - Amount of Space — When designing your new bathroom, it might be tempting to go big (because we’re not going home!) when purchasing your new shower door. However, doing this will only lead to issues when it comes to your glass shower door installation. After taking measurements, it is crucial to stick to them and select a door that fits your space.
It is important to remember that not all showers are the common shower sizes (800 x 800mm or 900 x 900mm). Showers come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, so a custom shower door may be necessary.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that the scale of your shower fits the size of your bathroom. You won’t want to go too big if you have a small bathroom. On the other hand, if you have a huge bathroom, a small shower might look silly. It’s all about scale and being balanced. - Budget — Renovations are notorious for becoming expensive. It’s easy (and a little fun!) to get carried away when looking at materials and products for your new space. However, if you want to stay on budget, it’s essential to first, before shopping, decide how much you feel comfortable spending and then stick to it. Having a clear budget from the start can help you save lots of time and money and avoid procrastination.
While shopping online, utilize the price filter. Organizing the list by price will make your experience easier. In addition, this will keep you more focused on making purchases within your price range by removing the temptation to spend outside your budget. - Design — Next, you will want to think about your desired design concept. This is a big one. The options are virtually endless, making choosing just one challenging! Though, a strict budget will inherently narrow down your choices.
Moreover, the size of your bathroom and its current decor and aesthetic will also factor into which shower door you select. So consider these things and your personal aesthetic to make your decision.
You’ll need to decide which glass finish you want in your bathroom. Here are your options:
- Frosted Glass: If you want more privacy, frosted glass doors are a great option, given they have an opaque finish. Frosted glass doors look great in most spaces and can be paired with various decor styles.
- Clear Glass: Clear glass shower doors are stylish, updated, and suit most spaces. Because of their high visibility and clear nature, they help open up smaller bathrooms, giving the illusion of more space. They are also a great option if your shower has some tile you want to show off.
- Patterned Glass: Patterned glass is the perfect middle ground between frosted and clear glass. It offers privacy but is more translucent than frosted glass. This option comes in numerous patterns, such as reeded, rain, water, seedy, and many more.
Next, you will need to look into the various types of shower enclosures. There are many options out there, but we’ve narrowed it down to some of the common shapes and styles most homeowners like:
- Rectangular Shower Enclosures: As you may have guessed, rectangular showers are shaped like a rectangle. They can take up as little space as a standard bathtub or be as large as the size of the bathroom allows.
- Square Shower Enclosures: Square enclosures provide style and functionality. They fit nicely into a corner space in your bathroom and are compatible with a variety of shower doors.
- Quadrant Shower Enclosure: Quadrant showers are ideal in smaller bathrooms and fit into the corner of your space. Quadrant shower enclosures feature a curved or angular front to help utilize the space you have.
- Offset Quadrant Enclosures: Offset shower enclosures are the same as quadrant enclosures, except one side is longer, making it more rectangular than a quadrant enclosure. The offset option allows you to enjoy a bigger shower without having to sacrifice too much valuable space.
- D-Shaped Shower Enclosures: D-shaped enclosures, also called U-shaped enclosures, are shaped like a semi-circle. These enclosures sit on a rounded tray with one straight edge that sits against the wall, like the shape of a D. D-shaped showers are not confined to the bathroom corner and can be placed in the middle of the wall, making a great statement piece.
- Frameless Shower Enclosures: Frameless enclosures, also called European or Euro doors, are just that, frameless. They do not have a visible frame, giving the space a modern, clean, and open look. It’s a great way to make your bathroom feel like a luxe spa.
Now that you’ve decided on the kind of glass you want and the shower shape, you’ll also need to determine which type of door you want (unless you have a walk-in shower installed). Note that each can work with a framed enclosure or in a European, frameless enclosure. Here are your choices:
- Hinged Shower Doors: Hinged shower doors are the most common style and are uber-sleek and simplistic. Precisely as it sounds, these doors open and shut on hinges and can be used with various styles and shapes of enclosures. This timeless design comes in many different styles, so you’re certain to find one that complements your aesthetic.
Hinged doors are best used in larger bathrooms as the door opens into the room. A larger bathroom allows enough space for the door to swing. Hinged door showers might feel too cramped in a small bathroom.
- Pivot Shower Doors: Similar to hinged doors, pivot shower doors are highly simplistic. They can be made to open into the shower or the bathroom, depending on how much space you have and personal preference.
Again, like hinged shower doors, pivot doors are best suited for larger bathrooms (if you decide to have the door open into the bathroom) and can make a small bathroom feel tight. If you opt for doors that open into the shower, please note that pivot doors can open all the way and lie flat against the shower wall, so make sure you do not store anything on that wall that could stop the door from opening completely.
- Sliding Shower/Tub Doors: Sliding doors are a great way to save space in smaller spaces as they are inherently slim and compact and do not require additional room. These doors do not open inwards or outwards. They slide on a built-in track parallel to each other, so you don’t have to worry about being tight on space.
Sliding doors can be used in both angular and curved showers, so it doesn’t matter which shape of shower/tub you select. However, it’s important to note that sliding doors do not always allow for a larger shower opening. Therefore, depending on the size of your shower, the entrance can feel a little tight.
- Bi-Folding Shower Doors: Not only are bi-folding doors extremely functional and practical, but they are also super elegant and stylish. Traditional shower doors take up space when you open them, whereas bi-folding doors won’t. You can choose between two or three folds in your door.
These doors look great in all styles of bathrooms, especially contemporary ones, and are a great statement and focal piece to your bathroom. If you want a modern look that is also ideal for saving space, then you’ll love folding shower doors.
Upgrade the Shower Door in Your Bathroom With the Experts at New Concepts Glass Design!
Hopefully, now that we’re at the end of today’s article, you have a good idea of the type of shower you want and which shower door you hope to install.
Are you looking to replace your current shower door with a new one? The pros at New Concepts Glass Design can help!
Let Northern Utah’s go-to glass experts help you install your glass shower door. Our skilled team has more than 30 years of industry experience and can help you with any of your glass projects. So whether you want to add glass handrails throughout your property, textured glass fronts to your kitchen cupboards or bathroom cabinets, or want a European-style shower door in your bathroom, our talented team can help!
Even if you haven’t 100% settled on a vision, we can offer help. We’re here to brainstorm ideas with you and explore your options to ensure you get exactly what you want. Our knowledgeable team is dedicated to each of our clients, happily taking the time to work with every single one of them to ensure their vision comes to life.
We are dedicated to providing our clients the best customer service and high-quality products. We work tirelessly for our impeccable reputation (we mean it— take a look at our reviews!) and are proud to be the leading glass company in Northern Utah. Contact our professionals for your custom glass projects in Park City, Murray, Salt Lake City, and any neighboring cities for a free estimate today!