Frameless Shower Doors: Pros and Cons
Are you considering frameless shower doors for your bathroom? You’re not alone. Over the years, due to their clean and stunning aesthetic, frameless shower doors have become an immensely popular option, especially for modern bathrooms.
Since you’re reading this article though, you are still likely weighing your options. So, to help you decide whether you should choose frameless shower doors or if you should choose another option, we’re going to explore the pros and cons of this shower enclosure.
But before we do that, we’d first like to explain what frameless shower doors are. That way, you’ll know exactly what you can expect should you decide to move forward with them.
What Are Frameless Shower Doors?
As the name suggests, frameless shower doors don’t have the typical metal frame that normally surrounds the glass and holds it in place.
Instead, these modern shower enclosures are made out of thick tempered glass (typically around 8mm), which provides enough strength and durability to ensure that the frameless doors are safe and strong enough to withstand regular use.
To preserve the minimalist look that frameless shower doors offer, they are also installed and secured in place using discreet hinges or brackets that are not as easy to see.
The Pros of Frameless Shower Doors
Now that you know what frameless shower doors are, let’s take a look at some of the pros of choosing them for your bathroom:
Elegant and Modern Appearance
One of the biggest reasons why frameless shower doors have become so popular is because of their elegant and modern appearance. As we’ve mentioned previously, this shower enclosure doesn’t feature a frame at all, allowing for a sleek and minimalist design that creates an open and airy atmosphere.
Easier to Clean and Maintain
Since frameless shower doors don’t feature a frame or the typical seals, there are far fewer crevices that can trap dirt. This makes the shower doors significantly easier to keep clean and maintain their pristine and shiny appearance.
Customisable and Versatile
Since frameless shower doors don’t have a frame, they’re one of the most versatile options on the market, allowing customers to find a frameless shower enclosure that suits their exact needs, regardless of the size or shape they’re looking for.
Increases Bathroom Value
Frameless shower doors are deemed a luxurious option and because of that, they are often one of the easiest ways to increase the value of your bathroom. This can make them a great option if you plan on selling your property in the future and want to extract as much money from it as possible.
More Natural Light
With no metal framing to block any of the natural light, frameless shower enclosures allow more natural light to flow freely through your bathroom. This will not only make every corner of your bathroom brighter but more spacious too.
The Cons of Frameless Shower Doors
Despite the benefits that frameless shower doors offer, there are also a couple of cons that you need to consider, including:
Higher Cost
The first downside to frameless shower doors compared to other framed options on the market is their higher cost. Depending on its size, shape, and the materials it’s made out of, frameless shower doors can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds to over a thousand pounds or more.
Requires Professional Installation
Since the brackets and hinges of frameless shower doors are more discreet and the glass doors are more difficult to handle, to ensure safety and correct installation, they need to be installed professionally, which can add to their total cost.
Maintenance and Upkeep
To preserve their shiny appearance, frameless shower doors need to be maintained often. This is especially true if you have hard water running through your home as it is the biggest cause for limescale.
Less Privacy
Although frameless shower doors look great and allow more natural light to flow through them, that also means that the shower space will be significantly more visible, resulting in less privacy.
Prone to Water Leakage
With no metal frame or typical seal to keep water within your shower space, if not installed correctly, frameless shower doors can be much more prone to leakages.
Are Frameless Shower Doors Right for You?
A lot of people wonder how to choose shower doors. And that’s a valid question because you don’t want to buy shower doors that are not right for you. To help you see if frameless shower doors are the right option for you, there are a few things that you need to think about:
Consider Your Bathroom Size and Layout
No two bathrooms are the same. So, when shopping for frameless shower doors, consider the size and the layout of your bathroom. To give you an example, if your bathroom is quite small, you want to make it feel as big as possible, and one great way to do that is to opt for frameless shower doors.
Budget Considerations
If you don’t want to spend more than you have to on a shower enclosure, framed shower doors would be the better choice since they’re typically more affordable. That being said, there are also budget-friendly frameless shower doors, so keep that in mind as well.
Lifestyle and Maintenance Preferences
If you lead a busy life and don’t want to dedicate a lot of time to maintaining your bathroom but want to keep it clean - frameless shower doors would be the better choice as they’re easier to clean.
Installation and Maintenance Tips for Frameless Shower Doors
Frameless shower doors require specific attention to detail as far as installation and maintenance is concerned. So, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind.
Professional Installation
When you buy frameless shower doors, we recommend that you hire a professional to install them for you. This can cost extra but it’s important to ensure safety, prevent leaks, and that the doors function as intended.
Regular Cleaning and Care
Unless otherwise stated, frameless shower doors can be cleaned with regular cleaning products that you’d use for framed or any other shower doors. Keeping the glass shiny and beautiful is important to ensure that the frameless shower doors provide you with the aesthetic you chose them for in the first place.
Sealing and Preventing Leaks
Since frameless shower doors don’t have a frame and the typical seal, you need to buy the right shower doors for your bathroom design and make sure that it’s installed properly to prevent any leaks while showering.
Comparing Frameless vs. Framed Shower Doors
If you’re still sitting on the fence between a frameless shower door and a framed alternative, to help you make a decision, we’re going to compare some of the most important factors to consider:
Cost Comparison
Frameless shower doors are, on average, more expensive than quality quadrant shower enclosures in the UK. The same applies to other framed alternatives as well.
To give you an example, budget-friendly frameless shower doors can cost anywhere from £200 while their framed counterparts typically start from around £150.
Aesthetic and Design Differences
Although every shower enclosure is different, the biggest difference between the two is that frameless shower doors don’t have the typical frame around the glass, allowing for a more modern aesthetic.
Durability and Maintenance
Both framed and frameless shower doors are durable (this can vary from model to model). In terms of maintenance, aside from cleaning the glass on a regular basis, there isn’t a whole lot to maintain when it comes to frameless shower doors.
This is unlike their framed counterparts, which have a frame, a seal, and other features where dirt can get trapped over time. This can make maintenance more difficult and time-consuming.
Final Thoughts / CTA
Frameless shower doors have been and continue to grow in popularity. And it’s easy to see why. They’re not only easy to maintain but can completely transform the look of your shower and bathroom space.
If you’re looking to purchase high-quality frameless shower doors, at Plumbworld, we offer a large variety of options to suit every functional need, aesthetic, and budget.