If you ask people, some of them will tell you that the shower is one of the most important places in their home. That’s because that’s the area where they begin and/or end their day, which relaxes them both physically and mentally, and that allows them to have a few minutes for themselves only.
This just goes to show that regardless of how “irrelevant’ a shower may appear to be at first glance to some of you, if you think about it, you easily come to the conclusion that it is, in fact, an essential place.
Now, when you think about the shower, another thing that crosses your mind in an instant is its doors. If you’re planning on buying them anytime soon, then these are the factors that you should consider that will make your bathroom even more appealing.
Taking The First Steps
When choosing the right shower door, you shouldn’t only take into consideration your taste, but fitting as well. Consequently, when it’s time to go through different online stores, you should think about all these things below:
- The size of the bathtub (be sure to have precise measurements when it comes to this, so you can be one hundred percent sure that you purchase a door that will fit), along with the size and layout of the shower.
- The overall vibe and look you want to accomplish
- The amount of privacy that you need
But your “journey” as far as this is concerned, doesn’t end here. Before you start with the shower door installation, you first need to properly inspect the existing shower head, as well as the plumbing fixtures, and replace them (if that’s something that you haven’t done in a very long time) and then you can focus on choosing the shower door. These things are going to be much harder to execute if you decide to do everything simultaneously.
Get Familiar With Different Types Of Shower Doors
Even though the market is full of amazing options when it comes to shower doors, it doesn’t mean that every single one of them is ideal for your bathroom. That’s why it would be wise if you first got familiar with everything that’s at your disposal before you make up your mind.
- Sliding shower door – This is a perfect option for every household that doesn’t have large bathrooms because it allows you to comfortably get into the shower, without “doing acrobatics”, or opting for something that’s going to take too much space in your bathroom. Furthermore, sliding shower doors can be found in two versions, single and double options and both of them come with certain advantages. Moreover, they are great for bathrooms that already have a built-in shower, where the only thing that’s left to have is the doors, no extra shower walls.
- Pivot shower door – This one resembles the classic hinged shower door. The whole point of the pivot mechanism is to open the shower door into the enclosure itself, while the rest will simply open outwards, just like that’s the case with traditional hinged shower doors. To put it simply, if you’re planning on having these types of doors, then you should know that they require a lot of space to open them without hitting any other part of your bathroom. In other words, if you do not have a big bathroom, then you shouldn’t consider them.
- Bifold shower door – If you generally need lots of space when you are getting in and out of the shower, then you should consider this one because it offers a huge entranceway in comparison to other shower doors. It’s worth mentioning that because of the folding mechanism, the door will probably jut out from the enclosure a bit when the doors are open. That’s why you need to make sure that you can fully open the door without anything disrupting you, like the basin or vanity unit.
- Hinged shower door – This one opens just like any other internal door inside your household. Since it provides a very wide opening, it means that you’ll be able to easily get into the shower, which makes everything quite convenient. However, if you have a small bathroom, then this option may not be the best idea, because it can be pretty challenging for these doors to fit into bathrooms that aren’t big enough.
- Frameless shower door – If you’re searching for something that isn’t too striking, yet pretty discreet, then you’re going to love this one for sure. Nowadays, you can find various wonderful styles, intended to beautify any shower enclosure.
- Quadrant shower door – This one can be found in two opening types: double door and single door. Although both of these alternatives are good, bear in mind that their opening for access to the shower isn’t particularly big.
Where Do You Plan On Placing The Shower Enclosure?
When it’s time to go to the store to search for bathroom shower doors and fixtures, don’t forget to think about the location of your shower enclosure. That’s something that many people fail to do.
So what does it mean when we say location? It refers to the area where you’ll put the cubicle. It’s of huge importance to ensure you obtain the door that’s going to be able to smoothly fit the location that you chose, and that won’t make things worse in terms of appearance and functionality.
For instance, if your shower cubicle isn’t at the center of the wall, but in the corner, then if you opt for a sliding glass door, you’ll only further complicate things.
Discussing Installation
If you’ve managed to choose the ideal shower door, then here comes the difficult and less enjoyable part – installation. If you do not think that you’ll be able to do it all on your own, then contact a professional.
On the flip side, if you want to do it without anyone’s assistance, then make sure to strictly follow the guidelines.
If this is your first time acquiring a shower door, don’t be intimidated by all the factors that were mentioned today. If you focus on everything that was written, you’ll be able to easily make a smart decision.