When installing a shower, you should always make sure that the rest of your bathroom is protected from water flowing from the shower. Whether you shower in a shower stall or a bath, you will need some sort of preventive screen to collect the water and direct it to the shower drain. These protective screens are shower doors and you can buy all kinds of them.
How can I learn?
Take a look at these shower door reviews to find the one that best meets your needs. We've even included a helpful buying guide that will help you think about everything you need to find the best shower door for your bathroom. While there are many other shower doors on the market, this list presents some of the best on the market and there is something for every budget.
SHOWER DOOR PURCHASE GUIDE - POINTS TO CONSIDER
Before buying your shower door, there are a few things you should consider. Not all sliding doors are suitable for all customers. You should not only think about the door lock but check this shower door buying guide to find out the other things that you should take into account.
TYPES
You will quickly notice that there are many different door styles to choose from. Depending on how they get out of your bathroom, they are not all likely to adapt.
Framed or Frameless: Some shower doors have a frame, while others do not. Shower doors that have a frame are usually thinner glass because the structure is more supported by the frame. The frames are usually made of metal and have the finish that is designed to harmonize with bathroom faucets and other hardware. The frameless versions, on the other hand, look much more modern and are easier to clean. The lack of a frame means that there is no place where mineral deposits, soap or dirt can accumulate, which also makes your sliding shower door much more hygienic. Frameless doors are generally more expensive than framed doors. Indeed, they are designed to adapt to thicker and treated glass panels. The thicker glass is designed to compensate for the lack of a frame.
Neo-angle: these types of doors fit in the corner of your bathroom. There is only one door on this type of shower door, and they usually pivot to open and close.
Sliding: A sliding shower door is usually one of the best choices if the bathroom is too small or if the layout does not allow the door to open. These doors are made up of glass panels that are anchored to a rail. They are able to slide freely along the rail using rollers.
GLASS
You should choose your glass carefully when looking for a shower door that suits your needs. It is important that your shower door is made of tempered glass. This type of glass is designed to be more resistant than other types of glass and if an accident were to break it, it would break into small rounded pieces so that the glass is least likely to cause injury.
For your shower door, you have a choice between different colors and glass designs. Among the options, you can choose between patterns, seedlings, frosted, and clear. Some people prefer frosted glass because it allows them to use the shower in complete privacy.
Note that the tempered glass has a slightly green tint. While you probably won't mind, there is an alternative. The low iron glass will make the tint not as visible, but you should make sure that this is something that is really important to you, as it can double the cost of your shower door.
HARDWARE AND FINISHING
Even if you have chosen the frameless shower doors, you must remember that there will always be hardware included. This hardware is necessary and includes the bracket that holds the doors in place, the slide and the handles. You can choose different hardware finishes in most cases, so you need to make sure that your hardware will match that of your bathroom, for example, your shower head and your faucets.
MEASURE
When you measure yourself at your shower door, be sure to do so after you have laid your tiles and finished decorating. Tiles can add width to your walls, creating a significant difference in the width of the door you need.
Some shower doors can be adjusted to accommodate irregularly sized openings. These are ideal choices because they will ensure you have a perfect fit. You can cut the shoe depending on the width of the shower door.
You should take the measurements at the top and bottom of the space for your shower and use a plumb bob to check that your walls are straight. If you notice that there is a small difference in width between the top and bottom of the shower, or that the plumb line indicates that your walls are out of plumb, you should choose a shower door that has support adjustable. These can usually be adjusted up to an inch to accommodate vacant walls.
Do not forget to note on which wall you want to install the shower door. While some shower doors are configured to be left or right only, there are many others that have a reversible design to make the door suitable for both.
FEATURES
Shower doors can be equipped with various features to enhance your showering experience.
- Water deflector: To keep the water in the shower enclosure, some shower doors go a little further. A water deflector ensures that water hitting the shower door is returned quickly and efficiently to the shower enclosure. This means that there is no water on the bathroom floor when you get out of the shower.
- Towel rack: For convenience when taking a shower, why not choose a shower door that comes with a towel rack over which you can drape your towels. When you prepare to shower, you can cover yourself with a towel, and when you are in the shower, you will have a place to drape it. Once you are done, you can take your towel and dry yourself. Some shower doors are designed so that the towel can only be installed on one side of the door while others allow you to choose.
- Shelves: When you are in the shower, it is really useful to have a place to store your toiletries. There is nothing worse than trying to balance your shampoo and shower gel on the rim of the shower base and avoid tripping over it when it slides onto the shower floor. You can choose a shower door that comes with shelves so that your toiletries can finally be stored in a safe place. Some of these offerings also include shower panel systems.
HOW TO INSTALL A SHOWER DOOR?
- Measure the space for the door
- Buy the shower door you want and make sure you buy a mounting kit with it if it doesn't include one.
- Assemble the rails and the frame if there is one. You should mark the location of the track so that you know where to place your bead of sealer.
- Put silicone sealant on the threshold of the shower base where you marked the location of the track.
- Add the bottom rail and press it well into the sealant.
- Hold the brackets in place and make marks on the tiles where the screw holes are located.
- Drill holes where these marks are located. Make sure to use duct tape on the tiles before continuing so that your tile does not crack.
- Use plastic wall anchors, which are hammered into the drilled holes. Then screw the frame to the wall.
- Add the rail and the gasket if there is one.
- You can now lift the glass up. Make sure the glass is securely in place on the rail and that you can easily open and close the door by sliding it along the rail. You will probably need to install the rollers after the glass is put in place, so it's a good idea to make sure someone else is nearby to hold the glass in place while you do this.
- Remember to consult the user manual before installing the shower doors yourself. It is a task that should only be done by someone who is competent enough to do it. If you don't feel confident enough to do it yourself, you should hire someone to install the door for you.
CONCLUSION
Shower doors are an essential part of your bathroom furnishings. If you don't want to end up with water all over the floor every time you shower, finding the best shower door is a good investment.
We hope these shower door reviews helped you come up with some great ideas and our buying guide should have given you a few things to consider.
Remember that shower doors are heavy and made of glass, so if you want to install one yourself, make sure you take the necessary precautions before you start. Take the time to read the instructions and make sure you have someone to help you install the shower door. If the shower door you have chosen is particularly difficult to track or if the door is wider than you thought, you should contact a professional to be sure that your door will fit properly.
