Shower Enclosures: Their Pros and Cons

Shower enclosures allow you to have a separate space for your shower inside your bathroom, while still keeping its spacious design. A shower enclosure can either make or break your bathroom experience. There are advantages to it but it also comes with some disadvantages that you can avoid if you know what your bathroom and shower needs are.

Pros

• A frameless shower door is easy to clean and maintain. As it doesn't have frames, you don't have to clean tight areas where mould and mildew can accumulate, eventually causing health issues. You only have to wipe dry the shower panels to prevent soap from drying.
• A frameless enclosure looks more elegant than metal frames.
• If you have an open shower, you don't have anything to wipe clean and dry. You can just come and go as you please.
• A framed wet room can trap heat inside the enclosure better than open or frameless enclosures. It is also more cost effective, budget-wise.
• Frameless shower doors are made from industrial strength glass, so you don't have to worry about breakage anytime soon. You also don't have to contend with shower curtains, which can become mouldy over time.
• Frameless wet room showers can be customised according to your preferences and bathroom requirements. You are not confined to ready-built glass panels in the market.
• Frameless wetroom shower screens are more sophisticated-looking, with only the hinges are made from metal, compared to framed ones that can take away the elegance of the enclosure and the whole bathroom.
• Walk-in wet rooms are most suitable for wheelchair access and those with limited mobility. You can place a seat inside the shower so the user does not get tired and possibly slip from standing too long in the shower. Wheelchair accessible showers have to be a bit bigger to accommodate the wheelchair. Wheelchair-bound people can take a shower independently without having to call for help every now and then.
• The level of privacy in an enclosed shower is also a lot better. Other people can do other things in the bathroom such as brush their teeth while you are in the shower. It will save you all time in getting ready if more than one person can have access to the bathroom at any one time.

Cons

• A frameless enclosure is not very useful in keeping heat in, which can be a bad thing if you live in a generally cold area.
• A frameless enclosure also has greater risks of leaking, as it doesn't have frames to ensure its ability to keep water in. Although it is also sealed, the sealant is not as durable as frames to keep water in.
• A framed enclosure may look outdated because of the metal frames attached to the shower wall panels.
• A walk-in shower may be more expensive than other types of shower enclosures. It may also require more floor space to install.
• A wetroom shower screen is not suitable for children and the elderly who may prefer bathtubs over showers. You may need additional space to install a bathtub than to install a show-tub combination for this purpose. Also, households with pets need a tub to bathe their pets.
• Frameless wet room shower panels, although very rarely, can break and shatter. They may be made from durable glass, but with excessive force, they can also shatter and may cause accidents.

Having an enclosure installed in your bathroom doesn't take long to complete. If you have a trusted contractor that can do the job in less time, the better. Otherwise you can purchase a ready-made shower...