Shower Door Installation Service
To provide you with the highest quality shower enclosure or bathtub surround, we trust only the top bathroom glass and hardware manufacturers. Our network of top product vendors enables BL Auto Glass & Projects to install and deliver you high-quality results every time.
BL Auto Glass & Projects Shower Door Options
Before choosing a product line, a specific door or any additional shower accessories, it’s time to select the shower door or bathtub enclosure style that suits your needs and your individual design aesthetic. Shower doors and tub enclosures come in three main types: frameless, semi-frameless and framed. Within these categories, there are two main sub-categories: sliding door enclosures and swinging door enclosures.
Shower Door Frame Options
Frameless Enclosures
Frameless shower doors are great if you want a sleek, modern look, and they can help to make a small bathroom feel larger. Typically constructed of between 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch tempered glass, a frameless shower or bathtub enclosure is defined by the lack of a rigid metal frame surrounding the glass. Frameless shower enclosures may use headers, U-channels and clips to keep the frame safe and in place.
Semi-Frameless Enclosures
A semi-frameless shower door has more metal around the edge of the glass panels than a frameless enclosure, but there will be minimal metal frame on the interior of the shower door or lining the top of the bathtub or shower enclosure. Semi-frameless shower or bathtub enclosures are a fantastic choice for homeowners seeking a modern or clean aesthetic, but who prefer the look of a frame. Semi-frameless shower and bathtub enclosures are typically constructed with 3/8 – ¼-inch thick tempered glass.
Framed Enclosures
Framed enclosures will have a metal frame around the entirety of the enclosure and are usually constructed with thinner glass than their semi-frameless and frameless counterparts – typically just 5/32 – 3/16-inch tempered glass.
Sliding vs. Swinging Shower Door Enclosures
Sliding Door Enclosures
Sliding glass shower or bathtub doors, sometimes referred to as bypass shower doors, are shower doors installed using a track system. These doors require some type of track along the top and bottom of the door so that the door can slide using a series of wheels or rollers. Sliding door enclosures are available for frameless, semi-frameless and framed enclosures.
Swinging Door Enclosures
Swinging door enclosures open by swinging on a fixed point, and typically open outward. Swinging shower doors are available in two types: hinged doors and pivot doors. Hinged and pivot shower doors are usually attached to a stationary glass panel, bathroom wall, bathroom floor, bathroom ceiling or shower surround. Both door types may be designed to open both outward or inward.