How to Choose the Right Type of Glass Shower Screen for Your Bathroom

A glass shower screen can be a good choice for any bathroom, as it opens up the space and reflects light, making the area seem bigger and brighter. It's also much more hygienic than a shower curtain liner, which often gets mouldy and holds mildew, especially along its bottom. When you are ready to choose a glass shower screen for your bathroom, note a few tips so you ensure you get the right type for your home.

Framing

Shower screens usually come fully framed, semi-framed, or frameless. A fully framed screen means that a frame goes around every panel, and this can create a more traditional look, but it can also close in a smaller shower screen or look too cluttered in a small bathroom. A semi-framed screen is framed only along the one side that is hinged to the wall, and this can look much cleaner and less cluttered, while still bringing in a metallic element to the bathroom.

A frameless screen is just that; simply a piece of glass without a frame, and this is best for very small bathrooms or where you don't want to be committed to one type of metal frame that should match your bathroom accessories. This can also be good if you have a nice tile in the bath that you want to remain the focal point of the room, as there will be no frame on the screen to block that view. Frameless also means less cleaning and less maintenance, as metal frames may be more likely to show off water marks or any type of discoloration over the years.

Hinged, or not

In a very small bathroom, you may assume that it's best to get a screen that is not hinged and which only covers part of the bathing area, so you don't need to move the door into the bathroom space and risk hitting the sink or toilet. However, a small bathroom may mean not much of an opening for you to enter the bathing area. Consider if this would be an issue, not just if you were to gain weight, but if you were to have eventual mobility issues that wouldn't allow you to so easily access the bathing area through a small opening. Note, too, if it would be difficult to clean the tub around a door that isn't hinged; having a hinged door, even if you can open it only a few inches or centimetres, might still be a good option.