The Growing Appeal of Shower Screens
Jun 13th, 2011 by Jane R.
Showers are traditionally enclosed in curtains and translucent doors, but a third option that’s been gaining traction in the United States is the shower screen. A shower screen often looks like little more than a tall sheet of glass that’s magically balanced on the ledge of a bathtub or shower enclosure, or suspended from the wall at only one edge, ostensibly defying gravity. This “floating glass” look gives the the whole bathroom the appearance of a fully open space, which accounts for the increasing popularity of shower screens among remodelers.
Shower screens can be frameless or semi-framed. A frameless screen is only attached at one edge vis-a-vis a pair of hinges screwed into the tiled wall. A semi-frameless screen gets extra support from its bottom edge, using a continuous hinge the runs long the ledge of the shower or tub. So there is no metal outline along at least two edges.
Choosing between frameless and semi-frameless shower screens is a matter of aesthetics, standards for water containment, and hardware requirements. Since screens weigh up to 72 lbs., it’s ideal if the wall that support a frameless shower screen has a stud behind the area where the hinges are to be mounted. This is less of an issue with semi-framed screens. Semi-framed versions are also better at containing shower spray due to the bottom edge support, but even frameless screens to a reasonable job at containing spray if they’re far enough away from the shower head.
Aside from visual appeal, shower screens have other advantages. They’re completely quiet to enter and exit, unlike sliding doors that roll unlike sliding doors that roll along railings, curtain hooks that scrap along rods, and swinging doors that thud against ledges. Since most versions only run along half the length of tub ledges and walk in shower enclosures, users can enter the tub or shower without having to move anything aside. Shower screens are also much easier to clean, since they don’t have railings rust, breed mold, or collect soap scum. Cleaning is just a matter of wiping down the glass, making shower screens a low maintenance alternative to conventional shower doors.
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