The Key Differences Between Framed And Frameless Showers

Some sources indicate that the average person spends just over a year and a half in their bathroom, with about six months of that time being spent in the shower. This huge amount of time cannot be lowered either, as hygiene is one of the most important parts of a person’s routine. But there is one very easy thing that you can do to make this time a more enjoyable experience: make your shower - and by extension, your bathroom - into an elegant, refined centrepiece.

What Are Framed & Frameless Shower Enclosures?

A framed shower enclosure includes framing around the door opening and each panel around the shower, often made of heavy-duty aluminium intended to secure and reinforce the glass. If upgrading from a shower curtain, a framed shower enclosure is a great choice, as the framed glass looks much cleaner and more refined than a simple plastic curtain. Framed enclosures most often also have a frame along the bottom, lined with caulk to ensure that there is no chance of leaking. Frameless, on the other hand, are a lot airier as they have no frame around the door nor the panels of the enclosure. This clean, modern and open appearance is what makes a shower feel like a true luxury, giving the shower more space to express itself to the room without a frame limiting or grounding the glass. But what are the pros and cons of both, and which should you pick?

The Pros and Cons of Frameless Enclosures

So what are the best parts of frameless enclosures, and what are the parts that you should seriously consider? Let’s start with the highest rated reason as to why you need to purchase a frameless shower enclosure. They are beautiful. There is an unearthly aspect to a frameless shower enclosure that is entirely thanks to it being constructed from nothing but cut glass. As any designer knows, something made only from glass tends to gain a prismatic effect from light reflecting off of it, shifting a viewer's focus to be held entirely on what is directing the light. It is this effect that makes a frameless shower the perfect focal point for your bathroom. Anyone who has showered in an enclosure that is entirely transparent will be familiar with the sensation of freedom, as though there is nothing between you and the outside beyond, a freedom that doesn’t come alongside any other kind of shower. There’s a strong reason as to why these kinds of enclosures are found in the most modern and open of homes. Not only are frameless shower enclosures easy on the eyes, they are also easy on the designer, as there are so many different designs that can be selected from. Frameless showers are also impressively easy to clean. Thanks to the lack of the frame, moisture can’t get stuck between metal and cause build-ups of moisture and soap scum. The individual parts of frameless showers are even fantastically easy to replace, as there is no need to get parts that fit into the frame.

But what should you be wary of? The first can be the price. Though there are some fantastic retailers that have more accessible enclosures at lower prices, frameless shower enclosures are often very expensive due to the need for thick, well-shaped glass, which often makes the price increase by quite a lot. The fact there is no frame holding the glass also means that it can be more unstable, and whilst your frameless shower door is safe, the thick and unprotected glass will inevitably be more unstable than a framed glass door. Finally, the installation can take a decently long time due to the complicated process involved. Professionals will have to be involved in order to set up the correct holes and hinges and make sure that the glass is all fitted together correctly, as a single flaw could cause major issues down the road. Thankfully, there are a number of professionals that are able to properly fit your shower.

The Pros and Cons of Framed Enclosures

So, on the other hand, we have framed shower enclosures. A fantastic upgrade from the common shower curtain as stated earlier, but sadly not quite as elegant as the frameless shower enclosure. Still, this shouldn’t entirely discourage you from considering them. The first and likely most important reason to think about using framed enclosures is that they are cheaper, around 10-15% cheaper than a frameless shower enclosure. This is thanks to the thinner glass used throughout the structure. They also tend to be easier to install, as the frame only needs to be simply hung up, fitting over any type of shower material. The door then simply needs to be inserted into the frame, meaning it is cheap to have a professional install it and even means it’s possible for you to install your own. They also come in a large number of designs. Shiny aluminium frames don’t always fit your bathroom aesthetic, but a matte black, carbon, or marble frame definitely could. This means that, if frameless shower enclosures are not a possibility for you, a framed shower could be a perfect answer.

Framed enclosures do also have downsides, cons that could move you away from choosing a framed shower. The first is that the framed design can be somewhat out of date, especially in modern builds. Frames are moving out of what is considered in style, meaning that a framed shower will look out of place in some bathrooms, especially those that focus on capitalising on space and lighting. Another con is that they are much harder to maintain, as moisture can build up between the glass and metal frame. This makes it possible for mildew to build up and grow in places that are incredibly hard to reach without taking the glass away. The metal of the frames can even be susceptible to corrosion due to excess moisture, which could lead to you having to replace the frame, or even perhaps the entire enclosure, much sooner than you may have wanted to.

As seen above, both frameless shower enclosures and framed shower enclosures are good choices to have in your bathroom, and the choice you should make depends on a number of factors. Aesthetics, maintainability and style all need to be taken into account when picking a frame.