If you’ve been thinking about installing custom glass shower doors in your Seatle home, you’ll quickly realize there are more options than you thought. You probably have questions like what styles are available and your hardware choices.
3 styles of shower doors & enclosures
To help you with your selection, we’re going to explain the various styles of doors and enclosures available along with the options for hardware and glass.
- Frameless shower doors & enclosures
- Semi-framed or semi-frameless (different name-same thing)
- Framed doors (swing or swing & pivot)
Our goal is to address the questions we typically get asked by customers when making inquiries about shower doors.
Frameless shower door or enclosure
Frameless shower doors and enclosures use 3/8” or ½” thick tempered glass making it strong enough to stand on its own without a metal frame around the edges. The glass for each door or enclosure is custom cut and fabricated to fit your exact opening. This gives a clean, precise installation that fits your space perfectly.
Why choose a frameless enclosure?
- Sleek & contemporary look with minimal hardware.
- Easier to clean because there’s no metal frame to collect water and soap residue.
- Makes your bathroom feel larger, which is good since many are small.
- Customized to fit your exact space so works for unique layouts, angles or any-sized opening.
Semi-framed glass door
Semi-framed is also called semi-frameless and is the middle option between fully frameless and fully framed. It has a supporting frame around the perimeter of the enclosure, but not around the actual glass.
Since the glass edges are exposed, it has the appearance of a lighter, more open look than fully framed doors.
Why choose semi-frameless?
- More affordable than a frameless structure
- Offers cleaner, more comtemporary look than fully framed option
- Works exceptionally well for sliding or bypass doors
Framed shower doors
Framed shower doors have a frame around every edge of the glass, including the door itself. Metal surrounding all the glass edges adds stability and allows for the use of thinner glass (¼ “ instead of 3/8”) when possible.
Why choose framed doors?
- Cost less making it a more budget-friendly option.
- Delivers durable performance because it has a strong structural support.
- Ideal for rental properties or secondary bathrooms where cost is an issue.
- Works with swing, pivot, bypass and sliding configurations.
Specialty options and choices
The three options discussed above cover the broad types of doors and enclosures. The following are specialty configurations and/or explanations for options available within the three main styles which you might consider depending on your existing space and unique needs.
Sliding Glass Doors
These operate on a track and are ideal for bathrooms where a swinging door isn’t practical. Available in framed, semi-framed, and frameless variations.
Sliding Barn-Style Doors
This is the most expensive option but it’s popular because people like the bold, modern look. Like the name suggest, these have exposed rollers at the top and a single sliding panel that glides smoothly across a stationary panel just like a barn door.
Steam Enclosures
These are usually built using frameless glass with special gaskets and transoms because they contain steam, they are designed to fully seal the space from floor to ceiling.
Stationary Glass Panels & Partitions
Most popular with people who want a minimalist look, these use fixed panels to create a walk-in shower design without a swinging door. They’re often referred to as a European-style bathroom.
Swing, Pivot, and Bypass Doors
- Swing or hinged opens like a traditional door.
- Pivot door has a pivot hinge at the top and bottom.
- Bypass are two sliding panels that overlap
- Sliding glass doors
Shower door glass options
The most common glass thickness for custom shower doors and enclosures is 3/8” though you can request ½ “ glass. No matter the thickness you get, it’s all tempered glass. FYI: We only use ¼” glass on some semi-frameless tub sliders because the glass is so thin it can warp during tempering process.
Cascade Glass offers a frosted obscure glass called satin etch for shower doors. Most of the shower doors we do are some sort of standard clear glass which has a green edge or many like low iron glass which has a clear edge.
Choosing the right style for your bathroom
It really comes down to what style you prefer most, what you can afford and what works with your existing space. Glass shower doors are a beautiful way to showcase tile work in your bathroom and can even increase the value of your home.
- Your budget
- Existing bathroom layout
- Personal style preference
- Amount of maintenance involved
- If you prefer swinging or sliding operation
Cascade Glass Co. has been installing custom glass shower doors since 1965 and will offer our best professional recommendation.
Shower door maintenance
As for keeping the glass clean once it’s installed, we recommend a surface coating called Invisible Shield and offer a 10-year warranty on it. Invisible Shield is an amazing product because it keeps all the elements like soap scum, water spots and cleaning to a minimum.
Shower door hardware
For frameless enclosures and doors, Cascade gives customers two options for hardware (hinges and clips): Maxum Series & Majestic series. Both series have many colors from black to pewter to brushed nickel to antique copper and come in many finishes.Hinges come in two mounting types: glass to wall and glass to glass.
The main difference between the Maxum and Majestic Series is that the Maxum has square corners and edges while the Majestic has rounds corners and edges.
Maxum Series Hinges
Heavy-duty solid forged brass shower door hinges with square corners and edges come in these styles.
- Full back
- Short back
- Offset back
- Glass to glass
Adjustable Maxum & Majestic Series Hinges
Adjustable heavy-duty solid forged brass shower door hinges with square corners and edges (Maxum Series) or rounded corners and beveled edges (Majestic Series) allow for the door closing position to be adjusted after installation.
Majestic series
Heavy-duty solid forged brass shower door hinges with rounded corners and beveled edges are available in the following types.
- ‘H’ back
- Short back
- Offset back
- Glass to glass
Maxum & Majestic Series have 17 finishes
Cascade Glass customers have plenty of choices since all Maxum and Majestic Series hinges are available in the 17 finishes listed here. Choose the finish that best matches the other fixtures in your bathroom.
- Antique Brass
- Antique Copper
- Brushed Bronze
- Brushed Nickel
- Brushed Pewter
- Custom Plated
- Gun Metal
- Lifetime Brass
- Matte Black
- Oil Rubbed Bronze
- Polished Brass
- Polished Chrome
- Polished Nickel
- Satin Brass
- Satin Chrome
- Satine
- WhiteBottom of Form
Many handle options
There are many more options for handles, and you can pick whatever style you want. In fact, many Cascade customers buy their own handles and our staff install them.
Free estimates on shower door installs
Contact us today for your free estimate. As with all our services, all work is done by Cascade Glass employees to ensure the highest quality. We guarantee you’ll be happy with your new shower door or enclosure.
