Plumbing Point » frameless sliding shower doors

The Style and Flexibility of Frameless Shower Doors

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:42:16 +0000

If you are looking for a stylish and flexible way to add a touch of class to your bathroom, then you should consider adding a set of frameless shower doors. These doors are not only beautiful but they add elegance and can transform an entire bathroom.

Frameless shower doors are a tremendous feature of any modern bathroom. They add both beauty and style to any type of bathroom decor. They have several features that make them particularly popular among home-owners looking to remodel a bathroom.

Style

For one, they are available in several different styles of glass. In addition to standard clear glass, frameless shower doors are available in color tinted glass as well. Bronze tinting, blue tinting, and gray tinting are all popular styles that add an extra amount of elegance to the bathroom’s aesthetic appeal.

Flexibility

In addition to the color variations, frameless doors can be customized to fit into virtually any type of shower space. So whether your bathroom setup requires a right-hinged door or a left hinged door, a door hinged off the wall or one hinged off a side panel, or even a door hinged from multiple side-panels, a frameless shower door should be an option for you. And don’t worry if your bathroom setup isn’t conducive to a hinged door, there are also a wide variety of frameless sliding shower doors to choose from as well. So whether you need a door that slides on a track or opens on a hinge, there is sure to be a frameless option that suits your needs.

Frameless Shower Door Manufacturers

There are a variety of companies that manufacture and disrtibubute various types of frameless shower doors. Companies like Hovoson, Artistcraft, and Superior all offer a wide assortment of both hinged and sliding glass doors. Some companies even offer do-it-yourself kits that include detailed instructions on installation and setup. In addition, these companies also frequently offer customization options. Custom frameless glass shower doors are of course a little more expensive than standard versions, however, the idea of seeing an image or name etched into the door is too enticing for many consumers to pass up. The customizations for a framless glass shower door don’t just stop there either. People often get very creative and many of the top manufacturers will accommodate virtually any request within reason.

Frameless Glass Shower Doors

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:08:01 +0000

With the growing move in bathroom renovations from traditional metal framed sliding shower door systems to frameless glass shower doors, consumers everywhere are anxious to learn just how these new systems stack up. While the overall look of the frameless system may be more appealing, there is still some question as to the durability and strength of the new designs.

Why Go Frameless?

The initial benefit of a frameless shower door system is it’s visual appeal. The aluminum frame system has been completely eliminated, providing a more streamlined and modern look. The aluminum frames themselves had become notorious over the years for fading and corroding when exposed to everyday bathroom cleaning products. By eliminating the metal frame component of the shower door system, the need for costly upkeep and frame replacement is eliminated as well.

How Are Frameless Glass Shower Doors Designed?

In order to replace the support once provided by the metal framework, fixed glass panels are integrated into the sides and corners of the shower door system. The support they add provides a place for the upper track, or header bar, to rest on. The joints were the fixed panels meet are connected with a thick silicone bonding agents which maintains the seamless appearance of the design while also creating a waterproof seal between the panes. The sliding doors themselves are also rimmed with the same silicone material to provide a cushion to the edge of the glass and eliminate sharp edges.

How Well Can The Glass Hold Up?

Another primary concern with consumers of the strength of the glass used in a frameless door. Because the metal framework has been eliminated, the strength of the glass has been increased to accommodate the extra support needed. The glass used in frameless systems is often twice the thickness of glass used in traditional metal framed doors. Like any glass used for household applications, the doors and support panels are tempered which increases their overall durability.

A frameless glass shower door is not only beautiful, it is also extremely durable. Because of the visual appeal and ease of maintenance, the demand for frameless systems will continue to grow and eventually surpass that of the older framed designs.

Frameless Sliding Shower Doors

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:59:58 +0000

One of the hottest trends right now in bathroom renovations is the use of frameless sliding shower doors. Not only do they provide a more streamlined appearance to a bathroom, they offer a more modern feel as well. Frameless shower doors are also more durable than traditional framed doors and require less maintenance over time.

What’s Wrong With My Framed Doors?

While framed shower doors used to be a high demand item, over time, their appeal began to dwindle. The frame system in this type of shower door is often made of some type of anodized aluminum. The anodization process simply involves exposing the aluminum to an electric current in order to change the outward color of the material. This allowed the frames to be customized t the specific style or color scheme of the bathroom. The problems that developed with these systems over time was the colors of the aluminum would begin to fade. Also, most chemicals that consumers were using to remove spots or hard water buildup on the glass were also having a corrosive effect on the aluminum frames. The solution the designers came up with was to eliminate the frame altogether.

How Does a Frameless Sliding Shower Door Work?

By removing the frame system from the sliding doors, support of the header bar, or top track of the system itself, became the first concern. This problem was solved with the use of fixed side or corner panels that extended from the base of the shower to the header bar. The fixed panels were strong enough to support the header bar and eliminate the need for the sliding door to be fixed with a metal track. The sliding panels themselves are often made of glass that is connected with silicone joints for a seamless appearance and buffered with a similar silicone material to provide a watertight seal when closed as well as a slight cushion for where door meets the fixed panels.

A frameless sliding door system can eliminate the hassle of buying, cleaning, and replacing shower curtains on a regular basis as well as eliminate the need for maintaining a framed door system that may involve costly repairs. A frameless sliding shower door system provides the best look with minimal effort on upkeep.

Frameless Shower Doors

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:38 +0000

One of the hottest growing trends in the home renovation and new home design markets today is the emphasis on form in a bathroom instead of just function. For the first time, bathrooms are being designed and remodeled to be beautiful instead of just practical. Standard sinks are being replaced with artistic vessel sinks, vanities resemble high-end furniture rather than bathroom storage, and tattered plastic shower curtains are being replaced with elegant frameless shower doors. In fact, frameless shower door systems are quickly becoming one of the must-have additions to any modern bathroom.

What Is A Frameless Shower Door?

Gone are the days of plastic shower curtains whose selection was restricted to pattern that best matched the existing color of your bathroom walls and counter tops. Consumers have said farewell to the frosted sliding or swinging plastic doors framed in cheap aluminum that had become faded and even corroded over the years. The new choice for anyone looking to update the look of the bathroom, or design a new one from scratch, are frameless shower doors. A frameless sliding shower door system is one that relies on fixed glass panels to support the main track on which the sliding doors move. The doors themselves are glass as well and bordered with a thick silicone gel which prevents rough edges, eases movement along the tracks, and creates a watertight seal where the door meets the fixed panel. The same gel is used to seal joints where fixed panels meet, acting as both an adhesive and a water sealant. Decorative metal connectors or brackets may also be used in conjunction with the gel to add extra stability where fixed panels are joined. Any frameless shower door hardware used is then mounted directly onto the glass.

Are Frameless Shower Door Systems Safe?

Frameless glass shower doors are made from heavy-duty, tempered safety glass. The glass is thick enough to support the weight of the upper track, or header bar, while also being strong enough to withstand most potential impact forces. Because the glass is tempered, even if breakage were to occur, the frameless glass shower door would break into rather smooth and small pieces resembling pebbles or gravel, as opposed to jagged chunks and glass splinters. Because the system eliminates the need for the older aluminum supports and frames, the chances of cuts and scrapes resulting from worn or corroded metal is eliminated as well.

What Types Of Frameless Systems Are Available?

Frameless Sliding Shower Door Systems

The most common frameless system on the market is a sliding model. Frameless sliding shower doors used primarily in conjunction with standard bathtubs. A track is mounted on the rim of the tub that the fixed panels and sliding door set into. There are typically two fixed panels supporting the header bar, one on each side of the sliding door itself. The upper track system for the sliding door is built into the header bar.

Frameless Bypass Shower Door Systems

For bathrooms containing walk-in shower systems as opposed to standard tubs, frameless bypass shower doors are the design of choice. Most walk-in showers are set into a corner, leaving two sides flush against a wall two sides exposed. The frameless bypass shower door system consists of the same fixed glass panels mentioned above that comprise the full exposed sides of the shower as well as a door frame design on the remaining exposed side. A glass door is hinged into the frame and designed to create a watertight seal when closed. As with the sliding systems, the frameless shower door hardware is connected directly to the glass panels and door.

Custom Frameless Shower Door

For bathroom with unique layouts, or consumers who prefer a mom-traditional design, custom frameless shower doors are also an option. While traditional shower systems are square, these custom systems can vary in shape from rectangular to octagonal. Custom frameless shower door systems can also be designed smaller than the standard systems, ideal for guest bathrooms or areas where space is an issue, or larger than a traditional unit, perfect for areas such as master bathrooms where over-sized showers are more common. Other methods of customization include the use of colored or tinted glass, frosted glass or laser etched glass featuring intricate designs. Frameless shower door hardware is also fully customizable to match any style of room from vintage to ultra-modern.

If you’re looking to completely redo a tired bathroom, add a focal point to your existing bathroom, or are in the process of building a bathroom from the ground up, selecting a frameless shower door system is the perfect way to add a touch of class and elegance while also maintaining function and efficiency.