Have you been thinking about upgrading your bathroom but are torn between The Woodlands shower doors and shower screens? Glass shower doors open and close, whether by sliding to the side or by a hinge. On the other hand, shower screens are fixed glass panels designed to shield the rest of your bathroom from shower water, but they don’t move.
Not all glass shower doors are the same, and remodeling your shower can be tricky, especially if you don’t understand what you’re looking for. You not only want to choose a functional shower door or shower screen, but you also want to select something luxurious that matches your interior design.
Read on to learn more about the differences between shower doors and shower screens so you can make an informed decision for your bathroom.
What Are The Woodlands Shower Doors?
The Woodlands shower doors are one of the most common options to enclose the shower. Shower doors are often the part of the glass shower enclosure that opens and closes and can either be frameless or framed. Frameless shower doors in The Woodlands are more popular today because they’re more modern and luxurious.
In most setups, the shower doors come as two sliding glass doors on the rails. However, there are many different types of shower doors, including:
- Hinged: Hinged shower doors function like normal hinged doors and are available in both frameless and framed designs.
- Pivot: Pivot shower doors operate on hinges but can fully open in both directions.
- Sliding: Sliding or bypass shower doors use tracks and rollers to slide the glass panels from side to side.
- Bi-fold: Bi-fold shower doors consist of several glass panels that fold together like a map to open.
What Are Glass Shower Screens?
A shower screen is a small ultra-modern glass positioned carefully to shield against shower water splashes. These fixed shower glass panels are not designed with doors or hinges and are usually placed on the side of the shower head, leaving a wide opening for you to enter and exit the shower enclosure.
Because shower screens leave the rest of the enclosure open to the rest of the bathroom, they almost have no visual footprint and leave the bathroom space feeling unconfined and spacious.
Pros and Cons of The Woodlands Shower Doors
Bathroom upgrades or renovations have become one of the most common home improvement projects. With shower doors, you can choose between framed or frameless. However, frameless is much more popular today because it creates a luxurious and spa-like feel. Shower doors are most popular for shower enclosure openings. However, The Woodlands shower doors also have their own pros and cons.
Pro: Keeps Water Inside the Shower
Shower doors completely shut the shower off from the rest of your bathroom space, allowing them to contain water splashes better while you shower. You don’t have to worry about your bathroom floor soaking in water.
Pro: The Woodlands Shower Doors Provide More Design Elements
The Woodlands shower doors come in different designs, allowing you to choose the glass and the hardware for the hinges, handles, and more. You can also customize your shower doors by the shape, finish, and even type of hardware you choose to help you match other elements in your bathroom.
Pro: Distinct Visual Appeal
Because you have the option to customize your shower doors, it also means that you can allow for more creative layouts and decorative features for a distinct visual appeal.
Con: More to Clean
Shower doors and enclosures create more glass surface area for the shower because they are designed to cover the entire shower area. That means there’s more glass to keep cleaning compared to a doorless shower with just a screen.
Con: Maintaining the Hardware on The Woodlands Shower Doors
With glass doors, there’s more hardware that needs not only cleaning but also protection. You want to prevent things like scratches or wearing off the protective coatings. Otherwise, the hardware on the shower doors could rust, corrode, and not look nice.
Pros and Cons of Shower Screens
Many homes opt for shower screens, also called doorless showers, to transform their bathroom look and create an opulent space. But just like The Woodlands shower doors, shower screens also have their pros and cons.
Pro: Ultra-Modern
Shower screens offer a super minimalist shower design, with just one glass panel. They show off the shower tile and are pretty unobtrusive, meaning they won’t detract from the rest of your bathroom. Shower screens are a super modern way to enclose the shower while still blending seamlessly with other fixtures and presenting a sleek and refined finish.
Pro: Simple Installation
Shower screens are usually easier to install. After all, it’s just one panel fixed to the wall. That means you’ll have less time with the bathroom under construction if you choose to upgrade your bathroom with a shower screen.
Pro: Great for Persons With Mobility Challenges
With a shower screen, you can easily create a larger opening to accommodate someone with mobility challenges.
Con: Water Splashes
Shower screens leave a wide-open area for you to enter or exit the shower, increasing the risk of water splashing outside your shower. The splashing water is a concern because it can cause mold, mildew, or water damage to your floors and walls.
Con: Won’t Work for Smaller Showers
If you’re going the shower screen way, you need enough space to actually block the water while still allowing a large enough opening to the shower. Such a bathroom design works well for larger showers, but won’t work well for a tiny stall. There simply wouldn’t be enough room to create an opening and shield the bathroom from water.
Beautiful Frameless Shower Doors in The Woodlands from Apple Glass
If you’re a resident of The Woodlands, Texas, looking for quality and affordable frameless shower doors or shower screens, our team at Apple Glass is here to help. We offer an assortment of top-quality glass for your home, cars, and businesses.
Our shower glass features a Shower Guard technology that makes the glass last longer and makes it easier to clean for the entire lifetime of the glass. The technology also prevents hard water stains that make the glass look cloudy and dull. In addition to The Woodlands glass repair services, we also design, manufacture and install shower enclosures customized to your taste and design. Contact us today for a free quote!