A Guide To Choosing Shower Doors
Choosing the correct type of shower door all depends on the size and layout of your bathroom, and where your shower is positioned. That's why we've created this handy guide to discuss each type of shower door available, covering both positive and negative points to help you decide
Keep reading to find out more.
Different Types of Shower Doors Available
While there are a wide variety of shower doors available, your bathroom shape and your personal needs are likely to dictate the type of shower door you will need in your bathroom. Keep reading to find out about each style of shower door available.
Sliding Shower Door
Sliding shower doors are ideal for bathrooms on the smaller side, allowing a wide opening space to get into the shower without having to compromise on space in the rest of the bathroom.
You’ll find sliding doors in single and double options, allowing you to choose the best option for your bathroom.
Sliding doors are also ideal for bathrooms with a built-in shower alcove, where no additional shower walls are needed, just the door.
Bifold Shower Door
Bifold shower doors are ideal if you need maximum space to get in and out of your shower enclosure, as they can provide a wide entranceway compared to other shower doors.
However, due to their folding mechanism, the door will jut out from your enclosure slightly when the doors are open. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure the door can open fully without any other items, such as a vanity unit, or basin getting in the way.
Pivot Shower Door
Pivot shower doors are a slight variation to the classic hinged shower door. The pivot mechanism means part of the shower door will open into the enclosure itself, while the rest will open outwards like a standard hinged shower door.
Therefore, with this type of door, you need to ensure there is plenty of space for it to swing open without hitting other bathroom fixtures and fittings. As a result, this type of door is better suited to larger bathrooms.
Hinged Shower Door
A classic hinged shower door opens the same way as any other standard internal door in your home. They provide a wide opening for easy access to your shower and make it more comfortable to get in and out of your enclosure.
However, the wide opening of a hinged shower door makes them particularly difficult to fit in small bathrooms, as there is always a chance of other bathroom fixtures and fittings getting in the way of the door opening. Therefore, hinged shower doors are best suited to larger bathrooms.
Quadrant Shower Door
Quadrant shower doors are fitted on a sliding mechanism and come in two opening types: single and double door, allowing you to choose the best option for your bathroom. However, due to the workings of quadrant doors, they tend to provide quite a small opening for access into the shower enclosure.
Frameless Shower Door
If you’re looking for a smart and minimalist shower door, a frameless option might be the perfect fit. Available in a wide range of styles, from quadrant and hinged to sliding shower doors, there’s a frameless option for every shower enclosure.
Frameless shower doors are just as robust as a standard framed shower door, without the potentially unattractive grey frame.
For more information on the different types of shower doors and shower enclosures take a look at the following video.
Does the Shower Enclosure Type Affect the Choice of Door
The first thing to do when looking for a new shower enclosure is to measure the space available. This will help you make an informed decision on the style and size of shower enclosure that will work best for your bathroom, and in turn the type of shower door best suited to the space.
For example, if you were to find a quadrant shower enclosure was the best fit for your bathroom, you would be limited to the choice of a single or double sliding door. As mentioned above the style of door on a quadrant enclosure does provide a small space to get in and out of the enclosure. Therefore, these aspects should all be taken into consideration.
Advice For Choosing a Shower Door Before Purchasing
Before purchasing a new shower door one of the best bits of advice we can give you is to measure, measure and measure again. Not only the size of the door itself but its opening distance too and how it is likely to impact the rest of your bathroom.
If you follow this small piece of advice, we guarantee you’ll find the perfect shower door for your bathroom.
Explore Plumbworlds Shower Door Range
At Plumbworld, we stock a wide range of shower doors, perfect for all bathrooms, no matter their size or shape. What’s more, we’ve got something to suit every budget and design preference. From classic chrome shower doors to bold brushed brass, and even frameless options, we’ve got you covered. Visit our website today, to browse our full range of shower doors.
If you found this post useful, you might also like - 5 Shower Enclosures for Small Bathrooms - The Ultimate Shower Waste and Shower Trap Buying Guide - Shower Enclosures Buying Guide.
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