Glass Shower Doors Add Style and Value to Home

When you walk into a bathroom with glass shower doors, they look great. But, did you know, they not only add style to your home, but also value? Many homeowners are ditching the traditional tub and shower with a curtain. They are opting for a fully enclosed walk-in shower with glass doors instead.

Glass shower doors continue to be a trend

An Ohio resident posed the following question to Angie’s List several years ago: We’re remodeling our bathroom. Which is better to help increase the resale value of our home: a tub, a shower and one sink; or a big shower and two sinks? Here is the reply:

All that said, top remodelers and real estate agents tell us that there’s a trend right now of homeowners replacing their garden tub or regular bathtubs with oversized showers, so you may want to start that trend in your neighborhood if it hasn’t yet arrived. Angie’s List

A similar question was posed to a New York Times columnist. One reader wanted to know how to give the bathroom a high-end look. An interior designer said, “Glass doors are almost always preferable.” Wooster Glass Co. Vice President Pat Neyhart said the trend of installing glass shower doors and enclosures continues today because they look good and they add value to your home. Wooster Glass works not only with the homeowner, but also with home builders and remodelers, in order to help determine what might be the best product and design for the available space in the bathroom.

Do you want a frame for your shower?

When a homeowner communicates to the builder or the remodeler a desire to have shower doors installed, the staff at Wooster Glass will work with the homeowner to see what vision they have for the project. There are basically two options: Go with a framed shower enclosure or a heavy glass one. The framed shower enclosures are made of a thinner glass, and they are less expensive. Though not as costly, they are very attractive, Neyhart said. Homeowners have a variety of options when choosing a framed shower door enclosure: What kind and what color hinges and handles to you want? Do you want a door that swings open or one that slides? These doors are manufactured by Basco Shower Enclosures. As mentioned already, someone from Wooster Glass will walk you through the process.

What you can expect with heavy glass shower doors?

Neyhart calls these the “Cadillac” of glass shower doors. They are “totally custom-built, and they are better,” Neyhart said. These shower doors have minimal framing. All of the edges of the glass are exposed, and the glass is highly polished. “They’re very good looking,” Neyhart said. Homeowners can choose to have their heavy glass shower doors protected against minerals and lime deposits in the water by adding the ShowerGuard option. ShowerGuard is a clear, “fired-on coating” that adds a protective layer to the shower doors. It is added to the glass during the tempering process. Tempering makes the glass stronger, and the ShowerGuard is an added layer of protection that becomes part of the glass. The heavy glass shower doors will last for a long time, but it is important to take care of the glass and clean it before the water dries. As the water dries, it can pit the glass because of the lime, Neyhart said. By choosing the ShowerGuard option, it keeps water from penetrating into the glass, so it stays looking nice longer.

Some things to think about when choosing glass shower doors

1. If you want heavy glass shower doors, then they will need to be reinforced. These doors need to be anchored to something, like wood, Neyhart said. If they are secured into drywall material, the weight of the doors will pull away from the wall. However, if the doors cannot be anchored in wood, a framed enclosure by Basco is an option.
2. Really think through where you have the doors. Neyhart says you don’t want to get in the shower all the way to turn on the water. If this is the case, then you are going to get hit by a blast of cold water, and who wants that. You need to make sure there is enough room to open the doors (if they are hinged and do not slide along a track).
3. Always make sure the sill is sloped back toward the shower drain. If not, then there is a strong possibility water will leak out.

Glass shower doors can be simple and elegant or complex and intricate. If you would like to explore the possibility of remodeling your bathroom to include glass shower doors, give us a call at (330) 264-8652 or send us a message here.