When designing Houston shower doors and enclosures, you want to choose options that best suit your space.
Houston shower doors and enclosures are an investment for your home. Your shower is one of the most used spaces in your bathroom and can make or break your home. A well-designed shower enclosure can add value to your home and can take your bathroom up a notch for style and function. When remodeling your shower, it’s important to consider the design thoroughly. There are some common mistakes many homeowners have made with their shower enclosures. We’ll go over some of these mistakes and give some tips on how to avoid them.
Common Mistakes with Houston Shower Doors & Enclosures
We understand that designing shower enclosures and doors can be a little difficult. That’s why it makes sense for most people to consult with professionals. This can help you get the expertise of technicians that install shower glass every day. In addition, knowing some common mistakes can help you avoid them for your next shower door installation.
Creating Enclosures That are Difficult to Clean
As you’re designing your Houston shower doors and enclosures, you might be thinking about interior design or creating a spa-like experience. The last thing from your mind might be cleaning. However, it is important to consider cleaning as you design your shower. Unfortunately, many people end up creating shower enclosures only to find later that there are many small nooks and crannies that are basically uncleanable. This can lead to significant soap scum, mold, mildew, and germs building up in these difficult-to-clean areas and creating unsanitary conditions. So, it’s important to avoid sharp corners that may be difficult to clean.
Aiming Shower Heads Toward Houston Shower Doors and Caulking
Another common mistake for shower enclosure design is aiming shower heads toward areas vulnerable to moisture. Shower head placement is an incredibly important part of designing your shower enclosure and doors. With shower enclosures, there are small gaps that provide enough room for support hardware and hinges. These gaps are typically sealed with special caulking or with plastic seals, such as sweeps on Houston shower doors. However, even though these areas are sealed against water, they are still more vulnerable to leaks than solid glass panels or walls. Our experts generally recommend aiming shower heads and body sprayers in your shower away from doors and gaps.
Leaving the Glass in Houston Shower Doors Vulnerable to Hard Water
Speaking of vulnerabilities in shower enclosures, another common mistake is leaving glass unprotected against hard water. Minerals in hard water can cause many problems for your shower glass, such as etching and stains. This is because regular glass has small, microscopic peaks and valleys that allow the minerals to build up and cause problems in the glass. These small surface imperfections also make it difficult to clean and remove things like soap scum from the glass. All this can reduce the expected life of your shower doors and enclosures. Nevertheless, many homeowners don’t do anything to protect the glass.
One way to help protect your shower glass is to choose sealed glass like ShowerGuard®. ShowerGuard is essentially a treatment for shower doors that permanently smooth out the surface of the glass. This can help stop etching and stains and make the shower glass easier to clean, as well as increase the expected life of your shower doors and glass panels.
Choosing Thin Glass Panels for Frameless Shower Doors in Houston
Also, it’s important to choose the right type of glass for your shower enclosure. It’s a common issue for many homeowners to choose glass that is too thin for frameless shower doors in Houston. This can cause things like wobbling or rattling doors that feel flimsy. In addition, this can also be a dangerous issue, as thinner glass needs extra support to help reduce the risk of breaking. Framed doors can use thinner glass because of the metal frame providing added support for the glass panel. However, frameless options need slightly thicker glass because there is no frame for support. The best way to avoid this issue is to choose shower glass experts to help you select the right glass options for your shower enclosure design.
Houston Shower Doors Can’t Open All the Way
As you’re planning for your new shower, you might not be thinking about other fixtures like the toilet or the sink. However, if you’re planning on choosing a swinging shower door, this is a huge mistake. Many people end up installing shower doors only to find that they won’t open all the way because they hit another fixture. If you want doors that swing open, you need to make sure you have enough clearance surrounding the enclosure. The easiest way to check is to take a measuring tape and place it where you expect the door to be and open it to the door width. Then, swing the measuring tape out to see if you run into another fixture. If you do, there are a couple of options. If you just need a little more room, you might consider a pivot door that is slightly narrower if possible. Another option is to go with sliding shower doors.
Taking Poor Measurements for Your Houston Shower Doors
Another mistake that a lot of people make is not taking careful measurements. Incorrect measurements can lead to major problems for installation for your Houston shower doors. You might end up dealing with glass panels and doors that are loose and too small for the enclosure or you might have panels that are too big. In any case, the only option at that point is to take correct measurements and re-make the glass panels, basically starting from scratch. Instead, consider having a glass expert come measure for your shower or follow a precise shower enclosure measuring guide to avoid these issues.
The Entrance is Too Narrow
In most cases, the bare minimum door width for your shower is 22 inches to meet building codes. However, 22 inches isn’t a lot of room to get in and out of your shower enclosure. As with many other things in life, doing the bare minimum for shower entrance width may not be quite enough. After all, you don’t want to feel like you’re squeezing in and out awkwardly every time you want to take a shower. Instead, consider opting for a larger entrance width for your shower enclosure. The entrance width also affects door width, so it’s important to keep this in mind, too.
Not Planning Your Shower Around the Plumbing
Also, as we talk about shower enclosures, let’s not forget about the plumbing. Showers need hot and cold water lines, drains, faucets, valves, and other plumbing components. Since plumbing is what ultimately makes your shower function, it’s important to consider it as you design your shower enclosure. For example, if you want to move your shower enclosure to the other side of the room, you should probably ask a plumber first about your options and the expense to do so. While our glass experts can install a shower enclosure practically anywhere, it’s also important to remember that your plumber may have other ideas about how practical it is.
Talk to Our Glass Experts at Apple Glass
When you need glass solutions for your home, car, or business, our team at Apple Glass is here for you. We offer a wide range of services to be your full-service glass company, from shower door installation and residential glass repair in Houston to auto glass repairs and commercial glass installation. Our team is committed to providing friendly, comprehensive services for all your needs. Get a free quote for your glass needs today!
