At Glass & Shower Experts, we have a wide variety of shower doors for customers to choose from, including sliding shower doors and swinging shower doors. Both kinds of shower doors work extremely well and customers are typically thrilled with their choice, whichever one they choose. Nevertheless, there are various circumstances that make one style of shower door preferable over another. Here are some of the reasons you might want to choose a sliding shower door from Glass & Shower Experts
Size or shape of your shower
Sliding shower doors are very popular for bathtub and shower combos. This setup gives you enough room to be able to slide the shower door back and get out of the bathtub easily. You need to have a shower area that is long enough to accommodate a sliding shower door. Basically, what that means is that you need twice as much space in the place where you would exit the shower as would actually be comfortable to step through to get in and out of the shower. We do not particularly recommend putting sliding shower doors on anything that is less than a standard bathtub length. You need to take into account not only how much room you need to go through the shower entrance, but also the fact that the floor is going to be slippery after your shower and you may be clumsier. Give yourself plenty of room and don’t shortchange yourself! You are going to be getting in and out of this shower every single day for a very long time.
Size, shape, and setup of your bathroom
The size of your bathtub or shower area determines whether you have room for a sliding glass door. The size, shape, and setup of the rest of your bathroom determines whether you need a sliding glass door. The main question to ask here is, “is there room for a swinging door to swing open?” A lot of people have bathrooms that are set up with a toilet right next to the bathtub. The answer there would be a definite “no.” There is not room for a swinging door to swing open. Therefore a sliding shower door is an absolute must. Also, if a swinging door would get in the way of the main bathroom door being open, or if you would have to awkwardly maneuver around to get the door open, then your particular bathroom setup is not conducive to having a swinging door. If this is the case, you definitely need a sliding shower door.
Your own personal preference
Of course, the most important question is not so much whether a sliding shower door would fit or whether you need a sliding shower door, but what kind of shower door you prefer. There are pros and cons to both kinds of shower doors. For example, sliding shower doors don’t drip water onto your bathroom floor. Swinging shower doors can leave a trail of water drops on your floor when you open the door. Sliding shower doors keep the water all inside the shower. On the other hand, with sliding shower doors, you have to be careful not to leave the door open. This will enclose a space between the two panes of glass, and any water stuck there could grow mildew or even corrode the metal on your shower door frame. There are also different aesthetics for sliding shower doors and swinging shower doors. In the end, it all comes down to which you prefer and what will make your bathroom look the best. If you are stuck deciding between swinging shower doors and sliding shower doors, talk to our design and installation experts! We will be happy to give you other insights to help you make a decision.