Glass shower doors are significant upgrades for your bathroom. When you feel like switching the style and look of your bathroom, glass shower doors are the way to go. They transform the look of your bathroom from its natural look to one of elegance and style.
Glass shower doors make your bathroom look spacious and more significant than its actual size. This comes in handy, especially for small-sized bathrooms. Also, the glass used in shower glass is tempered glass, which makes them safe options for use in bathrooms.
Before moving on to how to measure a shower door [framed and frameless], let’s take a look at the shower door types in the section below.
DIFFERENT SHOWER DOOR TYPES
The following are the different shower door types that are available in the market.
1. Sliding Shower Doors: Saves extra space in small-sized bathroom
Frameless sliding shower doors are commonly referred to as bypass doors. This type of door does not take up lots of space. It is an excellent option for small-sized bathrooms. It features double glass panels and, in some cases, more than that. These panels glide on tracks fixed at the bottom and top of the shower enclosure past each other.
2. Pivot Shower Doors: Swing doors that open from one side (inward and outward)
Pivot doors, also referred to as swing doors, open into the bathroom from one side. The glass panel opens inward and outward made possible by the hinges used to fix the door at the corner.
3. Hinged Shower Doors: Similar to pivot but only opens outward
Hinged shower doors are similar to pivot doors in that they both feature hinges that hold them to the wall of your shower enclosure or shower area. The only difference is that while pivot doors open inward and outward, hinged doors only open outward into the bathroom.
4. Fixed Shower Screen: Most economic and durable option but less functionality (fixed glass screen)
Fixed shower screens are glass panels that offer you privacy like all other shower door types but do not feature any form of movement.
5. Folding Shower Doors: Two parts of glass screen (one fixed, and other movable as door)
Folding shower doors are also referred to as bi-fold shower doors. It features glass panels that consist of two sections. One section is fixed while the other section is movable. As a result, the shower door glass folds when the door is pulled or slid. It is excellent for bathrooms with severe space constraints.
HOW TO MEASURE A SHOWER DOOR [FRAMED AND FRAMELESS]
Before measuring your door, the first thing is to measure the doorway that leads to your bathroom. This is to make certain that moving your shower glass door into the home and bathroom won’t be a challenge. Once this is confirmed, you can move on to how to measure a shower door [framed and frameless]
Needed items:
- Measuring tape
- Pen
- Paper
- Level
- At least two individuals
STEPS
- STEP ONE: Draw Sketch precisely on the paper
Draw a diagram of your shower using the pen and paper. This will be used as a pictorial reference to name the measurements.
For accuracy, take the measurements of each specific area twice. If there is a difference in both measures, go with the bigger number. For each measurement, round it up to the closest 1/16-inch for precise accuracy.
- STEP TWO: Take measurement precisely
Measure the distance between the walls of your shower area or enclosure. To do this, you measure the distance from one side of the shower wall to the other wall. For a standard enclosure, you measure in the top area, middle area, and base area. If your shower enclosure type is a neo-angle shower, measure the distance using the base sections of the shower pan.
- STEP THREE: Ensure walls are straight for perfect installation
Straight walls are essential to successful shower door installations. To determine if your shower walls are straight, set your level on the walls flat and observe if the bubble on the indication line is centered. A centered bubble means a straight wall.
If the bubble moves to either side, instead of the center, raise the lower end of the level and move it from the wall slowly till the bubble stays put in the center. While keeping the level in place, indicate the distance connecting the level and the wall on the piece of paper where you have the pictorial representation of your shower.
A wall that is not plumb will require professional hands during installation. Disclose the information to the professional that will handle the shower door installation.
- STEP FOUR: Measurement of the height of the door you want
The next step is to measure the space from the shower base to the top of the shower. If there’s a base or the door to be installed will have a base, you measure from the top of the base up to where you want the shower door to stop or to the top.
- STEP FIVE: Measurement of the width
If you will be installing the same shower door style as the one in the bathroom currently, measure the door’s width and use it for the new door. If the shower door will have a base like in a new-angle shower, use the width measured using the base sections.
- STEP EIGHT: Give a margin for shower glass door opening
If you plan to install a bi-fold door, pivot door, or swing door, you need to make sure the door’s width will move freely in your bathroom space. Set your measuring tape to the desired width of your shower glass door. Place the tape’s end on the spot where the door’s hinges will be fixed and swing the measuring tape in a semi-circular direction while holding it in place.
SHOWER DOOR DESIGNS AND STYLES BASED ON FUNCTIONALITY AND SPACE
At Fab Glass and Mirrors, the following shower door styles and designs based on your space and functionality are available to you.
- Fixed shower screens
- Glass shower doors
- Door and panel shower doors
- Corner shower
- Neo-angle showers
- Steam showers
- Metro sliding shower doors
- Bypass sliding doors
WHICH STYLE AND TYPE ARE BEST FOR SMALL BATHROOM?
First of all, when it comes to installation style, frameless shower door are the best for small bathrooms. Frameless shower doors can be personalized to your personal needs and style, and they bring a modern feel to the bathroom space.
Also, due to the lack of metal support frames, the door takes up less floor space compared to framed shower door options that require metal support frames to be installed.
With regards to the shower door type, a corner shower door is a perfect fit for small bathrooms as this door type makes use of small floor space compared to other shower door types.
WRAP-UP
In this piece, we have examined the importance of shower doors and shower door types. We have also looked into how to measure a shower door [framed and frameless] and the shower door type that’s best for small bathrooms.