Hinged vs. sliding glass shower enclosure: How to choose

Are you currently undertaking a bathroom renovation and considering some choice updates, like a custom glass shower shower enclosure?

Firstly, let us compliment you on your very fine taste! You will love the feeling of a bigger, brighter, more luxurious space in one of the most important rooms in your home for you and your family.

Secondly, let’s see if we can help. You’ve, no doubt, noticed the great number of choices available for glass shower enclosures. This one aspect makes them ideal for every bathroom no matter the size.

One of the principle decisions to be made regards the style of door: Hinged, vs. sliding glass. Each one has its own pros and cons. Let’s have a look.

Hinged

• Pros: a classic look, easy maintenance, long-lasting
• Cons: needs more space, can leak if water sprays at the hinges

Hinged glass shower doors are always a classic choice. They’re easy to keep clean with a simple wipe with a cloth, and they last a long time without needing repairs or maintenance. 

Since the door needs to open up into the bathroom, it’s a great choice for larger bathroom spaces. But it becomes more challenging the smaller the room. Additionally, since there are tiny spaces around the hinges to allow them to move, they may leak water if the shower spray hits them. However, this tends to be easily avoided.

Sliding glass

• Pros: A modern look, good for small rooms, can be more expensive.
• Cons: Less room for mobility devices to fit through, more maintenance due to tracks

Sliding glass shower doors instantly modernise a room. Sometimes called bypass doors, they consist of parallel panes of glass that slide beside each other in tracks. They work really well as bath enclosures too.

This style of door is ideal for small rooms as the doors won’t impede on the surrounding space.

They might present some challenges for those with mobility aids. The tracks require a bit more maintenance to keep clean, and they may require more maintenance over the long term to keep them working in tiptop shape.

More good news for these two styles of doors is they can be completely framed in, be partly framed in, or be frameless. Frameless options are very clean-looking, eye-line wise, but are more expensive because the hardware and glass need to be more robust to ensure safety.

We hope this information helps in your decision-making process.  As always, don’t hesitate to contact your favourite glass installation contractors in Surrey for more help and answers to your questions.

We can show you a number of options to make deciding easier. Panorama Glass designs and installs custom glass shower enclosures for discerning homeowners all over Metro Vancouver. Give us a call: 604-862-8955