A glass shower door is an essential accessory when there’s is a need to upgrade the look of your bathroom. Whether you have a small or large space, the various types and designs of glass shower doors facilitate every bathroom requirement. If we throw light on the type of glass for a shower enclosure, then tempered is among the best ones. However, it may cost you more but its functionality and advantages are a lot and really worth its cost, whereas, some other glass types are also popular for ensuring safety and aesthetics.

We are currently living in an era of shower embellishment mainly due to the advent of these sorts of technologies. Bathroom technologies are at an all-time high. With different designs of laminated glass coming to market every few months, customers now have more choices than they ever had before. Also, buying shower doors for the bathroom is not an easy task. While looking for a casement that matches perfectly with the decor of your toilet, you have to ensure that your privacy and safety is not hampered in any manner. Here are a few useful tips that will help you to buy aesthetically impressive shower doors at a reasonable price.

Check out this guide while you are looking for performing bathroom improvement project using shower doors ideally.

Shape and size of Bathroom shower doors

Modern days, the shape of bathroom shower doors is no longer limited to rectangular or circular. There is a wide range of options is available from semi-circular and elliptical to hexagonal and octagonal. You can choose any one of them depending upon the cost-effectiveness of the entire remodeling process. Toilets usually have small casements right above the shower area. To catch a glimpse of the exterior landscape as well as enhance the beauty of the bath area, you can opt for a large-sized picture window. If you find small or medium-sized shower doors more interesting, then instead of using just a single casement, place multiple transoms side-by-side. Together, these small casements will create a remarkable effect.

Styles of Bathroom shower doors matter too

As far as styles are concerned, glass blocks and frameless shower doors are most commonly used in the bathrooms. In the case of the former, blocks of glass are stacked one above the other to form a window. The latter is ideal for small space where a limited amount of space is available for various accessories. Bay and bow, hinged, and sash and slide are other types of transoms that can easily perk up the aesthetic appeal of the bath area.

Add light and flashy look to bathroom

Shower doors are an excellent source of natural light and fresh air. A sunlit space is more inviting than an area flooded with artificial lights. However, do remember to keep your privacy intact. In the place of clear glass panes, pick stained or beveled window panes. Stained glass casements have multicolored pieces of glass that are put together to create a picturesque design. Beveled window panes have textured glass, which can be either clear or opaque. Textured-stained glass blocks are also available. These glass-panes endorse features of both stained and beveled window panes. By using these glass blocks, you can brighten up and liven up your bathroom with ease.

Types of glass to ensure safety

It is an important issue that shouldn’t be ignored. Apart from sturdy iron bars and locks, make sure that safety glass has been used in the shower door. Tough glass like tempered glass and laminated glass-panes are ideal for bathroom shower enclosures. In a bid to increase the tensile strength of toughened or tempered glass, it is subjected to a series of physical and chemical treatments. As compared to a normal glass pane, tempered glass-pane is physically as well as thermally stronger. Laminated glass is another type of safety glass in which a layer of polyvinyl butyl is placed between two layers of glass. In addition to being extra safe, these glass-panes also cut off 97 percent of harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Make shower doors fit in your budget

Perhaps the most significant factor in choosing shower doors is going to be your budget. If you are simply replacing existing doors, you can probably get through on a reasonable budget. However, if you are considering an entire room remodel this is a horse of another color entirely? Either way, you should go over the plans you have for your bathroom and calculate costs, estimate upwards to cover potential overages. (There are usually unexpected expenses). Now you can see where the shower doors fit in the budget and know where to begin your search.

Consider the size of the bathroom

Nearly as important as the price is the size of your bathroom or projected size if this is new construction. How much clearance there is between shower enclosures and the sink, cabinets or toilet will determine whether you can even consider hinged doors or not. In some constructions, they are simply not possible! Another thing to think about in small bathrooms is how a frameless shower door will open the room and give the illusion of space.

Different types of glass shower doors

Today, there are various types of laminated glass shower doors available for use. Depending on your taste and also the different shower door glass options, you have to decide on what kind of bathroom shower design ideas available on the market will suit you.

Framed- framed shower doors are very common, and many people opt for them for this reason alone. They are also more economical than other choices. These are good choices for larger bathrooms since the frame itself breaks up the field of vision and makes a room appear smaller.

Frameless- a very popular option today is frameless doors. These are sleek and modern in appearance but can be cost prohibitive. Of all the shower door types, these tend to run on the expensive side.

Swinging- as stated above you have to be careful choosing swinging doors; you want to make sure you are not going to shatter them against the sink for example! These doors give your bathroom a classic appearance.

Sliding- perhaps the most popular of all shower doors is the sliding glass composition. These doors sit in metal tracks that are mounted to the floor or bathtub. Sliding doors have been used in homes of all types for decades, and still remain a preferred choice. One thing you should remember about sliding shower doors is the fact that the track builds up oil, water, soap scum and dirt in an area that is difficult to clean.

What kind of glass is used for bathroom shower doors?

Your final consideration will be in glass type. The options will, of course, depend on which manufacturer you deal with, however generally speaking you can order etched, molded or clear glass for your doors. Consider some of the following glass patterns:

•    Rain Glass
•   Frosted Glass
•    Clear Glass
•    Tinted Glass
•    Frameless Glass
•    Crystal frost
•    Starfire

Double Glazed Insulated

This is made of two layers of glass that are separated by a spacer and sealed at the edges. The air gap between the glass panes helps to make the room warmer, minimize noise, and provide a good view of the outside. Double Glazed Insulated Glass is used in skyscrapers for its ability to facilitate faster construction and reduce the overall dead weight of the building. Double glazed insulated glass is also quite economical in terms of maintenance cost.

Laminated Safety

Laminated Safety Glass is produced by bonding together two or more layers of glass and putting between them an interlayer made of polyvinyl butyl. Bonding is done by subjecting the glass layer to prevent from heat and pressure.

Embellishing a bathroom space through a shower door is the next level after ensuring the level of safety. As the shower doors are been considered most suitable even for replacements when there is a need to install a new style or design. Only the metal hinges and screws are needed to be removed off and you are ready to fix a new one for an entirely new look of the bathroom. The transparency of shower glass doors also reflects- the beauty of your bath floor, especially when there is glass, marble, or mosaic tiles. When you put in a glass shower door, you can either decide to place a frame on it or decide to go frameless. Either way, you increase the value of the home and also provide yourself with a level of luxury plus functionality.

Conclusion

If you want to dress up your existing bathroom or create an entirely new look with a remodel, do not overlook the importance of shower enclosures. There is a style to fit nearly any budget or taste; whether you want a frameless shower door or crystal frost in the framed variety, you have no end of choices.