Frameless shower doors are an increasingly popular option in residential bathrooms because of their sleek look and open aesthetic. But are they really a better option than a more traditional framed door? If you're trying to make the choice, here are a few advantages and disadvantages you should consider.

PROS

Easy Cleaning

One of the major benefits of choosing frameless over framed is the ease of cleaning. When there are no frames to collect water deposits or bio-slime, you reduce the time and energy it takes to clean your shower. Rather than ferociously scrubbing with harmful chemicals, all you have to do is wipe down or even squeegee the pane of glass. It makes the shower cleaning process much less tedious.

Open Aesthetic

Bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in the house, so anything that can be done to make the room feel more spacious and airy is a win for your design aesthetic. Frameless shower doors allow for more light to enter the shower because there are fewer metal pieces to block it. It creates an overall more spacious feeling.

Hinge Options

A frameless shower door offers you more options for openings than a framed door. That's because most framed doors typically only open one way. If your shower is in a unique space, that may not work for you. With a frameless door, you can have the option to pull the door outward or push it inward.

CONS

Higher Costs

At first glance, it might seem that an option with fewer parts, a frameless door, is less expensive than a door with frames but the opposite is true because frameless doors require more glass and also a thicker tempered glass for proper support without frames. Additionally, the installation process is costlier. That means the average frameless shower door will end up costing around $400-$2300 compared to $190-$500 for a framed door.

Trickier Installation

With a framed shower door, installation is a much simpler process because the glass isn't as thick and therefore isn't as heavy. Additionally, the frame is much easier to level and attach. Frameless doors, on the other hand, require some tricky leveling and special drills to attach hinges to the tile.

More Prone to Leaks

Because the frame of a framed door allows for tighter seals around openings, they are usually less prone to leaks than a frameless door. Because of this, frameless doors may require more extensive prep-work during the shower build so that the shower floor has the correct slope to effectively channel water away from the door and toward the drain.

Contact a local glass shower door supplier to learn more.