I’m in the process of renovating my bathroom, and am strongly leaning towards a frameless shower door. Talk me through the scope of this project?
After you make the decision to upgrade to a frameless shower door, we’ll first remove your existing shower door. Often, the tiles connecting to the frame of the door will be discolored and contain holes on the walls. Drilling holes in the wall should give you pause to put in a framed shower door in the first place, as it means more work to replace. We’ll then dispose of your old shower door, which gives you enough time to sufficiently clean or reinstall your tiles as well as grout any existing holes. After that, we get to work measuring, cutting and installing your new frameless shower, giving you a finished product in no time.
What’s so great about Frameless anyways?
To be as succinct as possible: Frameless shower doors are visually appealing, easy to maintain and simple to clean. When switching to frameless, you eliminate the gritty grunt work that comes with getting mildew off metal. You also make sure that metal doesn’t obstruct your beautiful tiling. It’s also heavier and more durable, easier to open, adaptable to many designs, and can significantly increase your resale value.
Is installing a frameless shower a good DIY project?
No, not really. If you’re overly handy, sure, you could try it. But most frameless shower door installations should be done by professionals. You leave yourself susceptible to irreversible errors in a leaking glass enclosure. Frameless doors are much heavier, and you could chip or even break the tempered slabs with one false move. It’s critical to be precise in your measurements, and your craftsmanship, which is why outsourcing this task to an installer is a wise move.
How do I keep my shower immaculately clean?
The beauty of cleaning a large piece of glass is that it doesn’t take much. By using a squeegee after every shower, you’ll avoid problematic water spots and mineral deposits without applying many of chemicals. To be even more proactive, you can use a surface protector to repel water off the glass, but only if you stick with the squeegee.
Even though my shower door is clear, it still looks green. Why is that?
If you see a light green tint, your eyes haven’t deceived you. Glass contains iron, which in the glass creation process becomes a natural lubricant that makes glass easily drawn from its liquid state. So when it gets smoothed out, the hints of iron is shown. Options are available for low-iron glass, so be sure to consider that when choosing your glass.
Glass suspended in a Frameless Shower seems like it shatters easy? How concerned about this should I be?
Not very concerned. Yes, it can happen, but because shower door glass is structurally designed for beauty and safety, don’t worry. Frameless shower doors are made with tempered glass. When the glass shatters, it breaks into tiny pieces that can scratch your skin, but not puncture to the point of serious harm like glass shards would accomplish.
Usually, a door shatters for two reasons. The first reason is general damage, which may stem from extra pressure on the door to the point where it breaks. The installation process might harm the door, but we’ll know that before we put it up. The second reason glass shatters is out of our control. When tiny particles aren’t completely dissolved in the glass during the fabrication process, they cause defective products that may break later. In rare instances, spontaneous combustion occurs. But ultimately, when we put up your shower door you can put your mind at ease.
As I obtain estimates for my shower door, the prices vary. Why is this, and how do I avoid getting ripped off?
While all shower doors might appear to be the same, the easy answer as to why costs are different boils down to one thing: every shower door and shower door company is different. From the manufacturing process to the installation, every piece of the product and facet of the process differs based on who and what you choose. In fact, the term “Frameless” has many iterations from company to company.
Here’re a few things to consider:
Installations methods differ.
– “U” channel method of installation is considered by frameless. A “U” channel is a tiny metal frame to give your shower door extra support. Yes, it’s a bit counterintuitive to the term “frameless,” but it doesn’t completely compromise your desired minimalistic aesthetic. But the downside is now you have to clean and scrub to keep mold and mildew from making their home in your shower.
– The clips (or clamps) method is when you put clips on the glass and then attach them to fixed panel locations on your tile. Clips tend to be more expensive and more time consuming to install, but have earned the moniker “fully frameless.” It just depends on what you want!
Hardware Matters
Fittings differ in material, and they can make all the difference in the world in holding weight. You’ll run into terminology centering words like anodized, look-alike and brass. The best quality products are solid brass, which usually is plated to your preference in finishes like rust nickel, polished nickel, chrome and bronze. Many companies use aluminum, which is lightweight and cheaper than heavier parts. Remember, load-bearing components are better for holding a thicker glass.
Buyer Beware
Everyone loves a great deal. But there in this business you tend to get what you pay for. Say for instance you get four quotes: the first is $1800, the second is $1650, the third is $1500, and the fourth is $900. While the cost of the fourth quote is half as much as the first quote, you may be getting yourself into trouble by hiring a substandard contractor. These companies might not be insured, might employ people with little experience, and might give you glass that’s not up to par. The end product is truly what matters, so be sure to do your due diligence before you let someone get to work. You’re virtually guaranteeing yourself a world of trouble with the wrong company.