Are you looking for a fresh, inspiring, and chic way to improve your home? Bathroom innovation is one of the best ways to accomplish that! But when it comes to bathroom remodeling, there are just so many options. However, frameless glass shower doors have been gaining wider adoption in the past few years. The minimalist design of a frameless glass shower can give your bathroom a luxurious look. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of frameless glass shower doors. But before we get into that, let’s explore what they are.
What are Frameless Glass Shower Doors?
What distinguishes a frameless glass shower from a framed glass shower is the lack of metal/rubber hardware and framing. Due to the lack of frames, frameless glass showers are custom designed to fit your shower space.
Benefits
Here are some of the reasons to consider a frameless glass shower door for your bathroom:
- Custom-Made
Traditional framed glass showers are mass-produced to be suitable for a wide range of shower spaces. On the other hand, frameless glass showers are fully customizable to fit the requirements of your bathroom. Hence, the design possibilities are endless.
- Modern Aesthetics
As pointed earlier, frameless glass showers are the trending minimalist bathroom decor. Without the bulky look of metal or rubber seals typical of a framed glass shower, a frameless glass shower gives your bathroom a modern, sleek, trendy, and splendid feel.
- Zero Corrosion
One of the main drawbacks of a framed glass shower is the metal frame’s inevitable corrosion with time. Hence, homeowners have to replace them constantly. But since frameless glass showers dispose of such metal hardware, it eliminates the risk of corrosion. Therefore, by installing a frameless glass shower, you get to save money on long-term replacement costs without compromising the aesthetics of your bathroom.
- Increased Property Value
It’s no news that remodeling improves your home value. This is particularly true for bathroom and kitchen remodeling. Installing a frameless glass shower is a major bathroom remodeling that’s guaranteed to boost your property value. This helps to compensate for the high upfront costs of frameless glass shower installation.
- The illusion of More Space
With no bulky frames or shower curtains to segment the room or obstruct the entrance of light, frameless glass showers create the illusion of a bigger bathroom space. While it doesn’t add to your bathroom space, this illusion of a bigger space can be beneficial, especially if you’re claustrophobic.
- Reduced Risk of Mold
In a traditional framed glass shower, water slowly begins to accumulate under the frame with time. The moist and warm air prevalent in the bathroom creates the perfect condition for mold and mildew growth under the frame. And as you probably know, this poses a significant health risk to your family. That’s why framed glass doors require frequent maintenance and sanitation. Since frameless glass showers lack frames, there’s no place for moisture to accumulate readily.
- Easy to Clean
Cleaning the bathroom is quite a burdensome task for many people. Why not reduce the stress by installing a frameless glass shower door? Because frameless glass shower doors lack any groove or hardware for dirt or mold to accumulate, they can be easily cleaned with a simple squeegee.
- Timeless
The great thing about minimalist designs is that they hardly go out of style. With a frameless glass shower door, you can be assured that your bathroom design will remain relevant for decades to come.
Drawbacks
To give you a balanced view, we must explore some of the cons of frameless glass shower doors to help you make the right decision.
- Expensive
Frameless glass shower doors have a far higher upfront cost than framed glass shower for a couple of reasons. First, in a frameless glass shower door, the glass is generally thicker to make it sturdier. This is to compensate for the lack of frames, which adds strength to a traditional framed glass. Second, since frameless glass shower doors are custom-made, it adds to the production cost. Therefore, if you’re on a tight budget, a frameless glass shower door might not be the best option.
- Potential for Leaks
Due to the lack of frames, the glass panes must be perfectly tailored to fit your shower space to create a water-tight enclosure. Any manufacturing or installing error means you might have a water leak from your bathroom during/after use. That’s why using a reliable and experienced contractor is non-negotiable if you want optimal results.
- Breakage
This is a general risk of using glass. Door slamming, glass defects, and improper installation are some common reasons for glass breakage. Also, temperature and pressure between the bathroom’s interior and exterior may lead to shattering – although this rarely happens. But as a safety precaution, glass showers are made from tempered glass, designed to shatter into smaller pieces when it breaks.
- Reduced Privacy
If you’re sharing your bathroom space with others, the transparent glass walls of a frameless glass shower can be too revealing. But if this is a major concern for you, you should consider frosted glass options that reduce the glass’s transparency.
If you are in or around the Salt Lake City area and have questions regarding glass shower doors, reach out to us here today!
