Frameless shower screen sliding door
Dive into this articleFrameless shower screen sliding door: What you need to know
There’s no doubt that a frameless shower screen is as classy as can be, and it gives your bathroom a stylish design that adds value to your space. However, you may be at a loss as to what type of shower door you should install for your screen, be it a pivot, bifold, sliding door, or any other glass door type.
In this article, we will let you discover why a frameless shower screen sliding door is the best option to adopt when choosing the shower door of your screen and, we will guide you through the different types of sliding shower screens available in Australia.
Are framed or frameless cabinets better?
Sliding doors need rollers to function, and you slide them along rails when you need to open or close them. Thus, you can minimize the use of space in your bathroom when opting for a sliding shower screen.
Framed shower screens or fully framed showers have a 50 mm U channel that holds the rollers inside so the glass panels can slide. However, this aluminium U Channel is harder to clean, and some inside of it will be harder to reach, making it verry hard to maintain.
On the other hand, the frameless glass panels are only easier to reach and clean and, after using the glass coating service, which makes the glass easier to clean, will help you mainting your shower screen clean all the time.
The fully frame showers also consist of laminated glass panels, which are safer if you have kids since they hold once they break due to the double tape film in between the two 3 mm glass panels compared to shattering in the toughened example. One disadvantage of the fully-frame shower screen happens when the water manages to go in between those two glass panels damaging the film and turning your glass panel into white and impossible to clean.
In conclusion, frameless shower screens are easier to clean yet require delicate use to protect the glass from smashing; we do not recommend them if you have kids.
How do frameless sliding shower doors work?
A frameless shower screen sliding door consists of one fixed panel and another moving panel, and you can choose to place the fixed panel either on the right side or on the left side.
While a frameless shower screen sliding door does not have an Aluminium frame surrounding it, like the semi-frameless sliding shower screen, it still offers almost the same level of elegance and quality.
The feature that makes frameless shower screen sliding doors so elegant and luxurious is that they don’t need tracks, and they slide instead on three sets of wheels placed on a metal rod, unlike semi-frameless and framed sliding doors that are surrounded by frames either on the top in the case of semi-framed doors or all over the glass, in the case of framed ones, while both types move on a stainless steel track with hangers from above.
Are frameless shower screens more expensive?
The difference in price between frameless shower screens and semi-frameless ones is because those frameless screens use a 10 mm thick toughened safety glass vs. 6 mm thickness for semi-frameless shower screens. Also, frameless panels need more detail and craftsmanship when fabricating them.
To add more style to your frameless shower screen sliding door, you can choose from several options the hardware finishes and colours of the shower screen, such as the handle, wall brackets, hinges, floor brackets, support bars, and others. Showerland offers a frameless sliding shower screen with adjustable width between 1200 mm to 1800 mm with hardware fittings in polished chrome and matt black colours. Other colours include brushed nickel, brass, gold plated, oil rubbed bronze and stainless.
Why choose a frameless shower screen sliding door
We will highlight below some of the main advantages of choosing a sliding door for your frameless shower screen when compared to other types of shower doors:
- Sliding shower screens are less expensive than hinge doors or different door types.
- A sliding door keeps water trapped inside the shower pan, and the probability of leakage drops to a bare minimum with this type of shower door. This advantage will save you plenty of costs when it comes to the damage prevented by not wetting the tiles and material of your floor.
- A bypass sliding door has two doors that move side to side, which allows you to comfortably access with your hand to turn on the water in the shower without risking being splashed by cold water. After the water warms up, you can enter from the other side of the glass door and enjoy a relaxing shower.
- Because sliding doors do not need hinges as pivot doors, there is no gap between the door and the fixed panel plus between the door and the wall, which prevents water from escaping outside the shower. Thus, sliding shower screens are more watertight when compared to other types of shower doors.
- Some people claim that hinge doors are easier to clean when compared to sliding doors. However, this applies only to semi-frameless and framed sliding doors and not frameless shower screen sliding doors because the latter doesn’t have a track and is very easy to clean.
- Sliding shower screens are perfect for smaller bathrooms because they save plenty of space, and you don’t need to open a door in and out every single time you want to get into the shower.
- Frameless shower screen sliding doors allow light into the shower and provide an aesthetic look to your bathroom.
- You can install a sliding door fitted with a high-quality functional handle that you can use to hang your clothes and towels
If you have the required experience with the tools used to install a sliding shower door, you can do it all by yourself. However, we advise for your safety that you hire professionals to help you put in place your shower door.
Please note that installing a frameless shower screen sliding door is a bit harder than mounting a semi-frameless or framed sliding screen, for the simple reason that the latter comes with a metal frame along the wall and the floor equipped with rollers and a track.
You might need between 1 and 2 hours to install a frameless shower screen sliding door, and two persons must be performing the installation process.
Types of frameless sliding shower doors
Frameless sliding shower screens are available in various types, such as the single sliding shower door, the dual-sliding door or the two-panel sliding shower door, the three-panel frameless sliding shower door, and the tub frameless shower door that is installed above the bathtub and replaces old shower curtains.
It is worth noting that three-panel sliding shower screens are old school, and dual-sliding doors and single sliding shower doors are the dernier cri in shower screens in Australia.
The three-panel sliding shower screen repair times are excruciating, and you should immediately get rid of them by simply upgrading to a modern single or dual sliding shower door.
Other types of frameless sliding shower screens include the following:
- The in-line shower door is the door next to an existing fixed glass panel.
- The right-angle shower is two glass panels that meet to form an enclosure.
- The neo-angle shower consists of glass panels that meet at an angle that has swinging doors.
- The steam shower that traps steam inside to keep the ambience warm. This shower has glass walls with no openings running from bottom to top.
What are the standard dimensions of sliding shower screens?
The average size of a frameless shower screen sliding door is 2000 mm high and between 1100 mm and 2000 mm wide. However, if your bathroom doesn’t fit these dimensions, you can request a custom-made sized screen for your shower. Frameless doors use Australian standard 10mm thick toughened safety glass. This type of glass is resistant to breaking and is very sturdy, durable, and strong.
Cleaning frameless sliding shower doors
As we mentioned in our article, frameless shower screen sliding doors are easy to clean. The glass type of these screens doesn’t need much maintenance, so consider using simple cleaning materials and avoid scrubbing too hard. You can scratch stainless steel and chrome materials if you apply strong detergents when cleaning them. Moreover, if you hardly rub the glass, it will be damaged with time.
Most importantly, and to properly clean your screen, dry the shower door after use.
Moreover, follow proper instructions to clean handles, support bars, and other metal materials. We recommend you use polished stainless steel hardware for your frameless screen because this type of material is easy to clean and has a protective coating.
Do frameless sliding shower doors leak?
If you choose the correct size and type of a high-quality frameless shower door for your bathroom and hire professionals to install your frameless shower screen sliding door, you will not suffer from a water leakage problem. Also, make sure to place your showerhead adjacent to the shower door to prevent water from splashing out into the bathroom.
Why are frameless showers so expensive?
- Frameless showers use a 10mm toughened safety glass vs. 6mm thick glass for semi-frameless and framed shower screens.
- Frameless screens are customized depending on the measurements of your bathroom. Customization is expensive because labour costs are high in Sydney.
- Note that it is also costly to add a frameless screen to a bathtub. We recommend uninstalling the tub if you don’t need it.
Choose the frameless sliding door that suits your tastes.
Whether tub frameless, single or dual sliding, with matt black or chrome hardware, frameless shower screen sliding doors have a modern aesthetic design and will give your shower a luxurious spa-like atmosphere. Depending on the measurements of your space and on your tastes and preferences, you can choose the best type of sliding door and enjoy a classy and stylish bathroom.
People also ask
Frameless shower screens come manufactured with 10 mm toughened safety glass compliant with Australian Standards, making them one of the sturdiest, safest, most durable, high-quality types of shower panels. We recommend using the fixed glass shower panel because it is classy, elegant, easy to install, and fits any size or type of bathroom.
You can add a shower base to your fixed glass shower panel to prevent water from leaking outside of the shower area. Shower bases come manufactured in plastic, acrylic, ceramic, or resin materials, and are available in various shapes, designs, colours and sizes. But we prefer that you drop your shower area floor by 10mm and that should solve the problem.
Frameless fixed glass shower panels are more expensive than semi-framed and fully framed shower panels because they require more time and craftsmanship to manufacture. Frameless panels use 10 mm toughened safety glass, while fully-framed and semi-frameless screens use 6 mm toughened safety glass. However, frameless fixed glass shower panels are less expensive than other frameless types of screens.
Because frameless fixed glass shower panels are doorless, they can be subject to water leakages outside the shower area. To prevent that, make the floor around the shower area downward-sloping towards the inside of the shower drain. Moreover, make sure that there is no water overload and no drainage from the showerhead. Try to drop the shower floor by 10mm from the main bathroom floor. Changing the way you stand inside the shower also impacts the leakage since water can hit your elbow or back and flush outside the shower area, especially between the gaps around the door.