Choosing the Ideal Shower Door For Your Bathroom

Showers have taken a central role in today’s bathroom design, with some people even choosing to leave the tub out of their bathroom renovation in favor of a larger shower.   There is no one-size-fits-all shower, and likewise bathroom shower door come in a variety of styles and sizes to suit any design and budget.  Glass shower doors and enclosures are popular choices, as they give an open, clean feeling to the bathroom, allow light to flow through the room, and help the space seem larger. 

The framed enclosure tends to be viewed as a somewhat outdated choice, which is more difficult to clean and maintain due to the frame collecting dirt and grime.  For some people, the old framed shower enclosure may be one of the reasons why they are seeking to change their bathroom!  While it may not top the list of popular fixtures, updated versions of this double sliding shower door style can still suit your new bathroom as a lower cost option.

Sliding glass doors are available in either double or single doors to accommodate any size shower.  Sliding doors make a sleek option for your bathroom, and also take up less space than that required for a hinged door.  The elegant and practical designs shown below use single sliding shower door for a larger shower enclosure.

Over the years, a small but significant number of homeowners have reported a strange, frightening, and potentially dangerous issue: bathroom shower enclosure that seemingly "explode" into small pieces spontaneously, often with no apparent provocation or stress. In many instances, it happens in the middle of the night, awakening the homeowners suddenly as a glass panel first bursts and then crashes to the floor and bathtub or shower pan.

It's important to note that actual injuries from exploding sliding shower enclosure glass are very rare. That's because the tempering process used to create safety glass causes it to break into very small pieces rather than large, sharp shards. But while this is the greatest strength of tempered glass, it is also a weakness. The heating process of tempering causes the tensile strength of the glass to be altered, and while this makes it much more resistant to direct impact, it also becomes more susceptible to side impact. A piece of tempered glass may withstand a baseball crashing into its face, but it may shatter easily if struck with a mild blow on the edge.