Framed Shower Doors
In the shower door industry, framing refers to the presence of metal on individual panels of glass, not whether or not there is metal on the outer perimeter of the shower enclosure as a whole. This, understandably, causes confusion among customers who aren’t familiar with the industry jargon.
In short, framed shower doors consist of glass panels that are individually framed in metal, sliding or swinging within additional metal wall jambs and channel to create a finished shower enclosure. In the first picture above, for instance, the glass door has metal attached to the glass, and this metal is hinged to a metal corner post that divides the door from the adjacent stationary panel.
The same is true of the bypass sliding shower door in the second picture above: two panels – each individually framed with anodized aluminum – slide between two metal wall jambs on roller wheels that lock into the metal header.
Framed shower doors are perfectly good products. If you purchase one from a reputable company and have it professionally installed, it should hold up for 10+ years. That being said, the glass is very thin, which makes framed shower doors feel a little flimsy in comparison to heavier glass shower doors, particularly frameless ones. Also, if individual parts need to be replaced, you need to source them from the original manufacturer, which makes repairing them more difficult compared to frameless shower door systems.
Frameless Shower Doors
Frameless shower doors are at the top of the pyramid in the good/better/best comparison between framed, semi-frameless, and frameless shower doors. Frameless shower enclosures use heavy 3/8″ or 1/2″ glass to make the units more sturdy, even without considerable metal support in the form of channel or header systems. That being said, frameless shower doors can have metal header support atop the units (as in the fourth picture above), which is why the terminology can be confusing. Even with a metal header, these systems are still “frameless” because there is no metal between the panels or doors to keep them secure. It is very low-profile metal channel at the base of the glass that performs this function.
Frameless shower doors are easier to repair than framed or semi-frameless shower doors, simply because individual components are easy to source and switch out. The parts for framed and semi-frameless shower doors are usually proprietary, making it difficult to source replacement parts without knowing the original manufacturer. Tracking this information down can be difficult for homeowners, especially if these shower enclosures were installed by a previous owner.
Also, frameless shower doors are easy to customize in terms of glass types and hardware options. Framed and semi-frameless systems usually limit customers to just two glass types: clear or opaque. But there are many shower door glass options in the frameless market segment. It can almost be overwhelming! The same goes with shower door handle options, as well as knobs, towel bars, and robe hooks. Matching shower door hardware to existing bathroom fixtures is simply much easier with frameless shower door systems. The hardware can be used to customize and personalize your frameless shower door.
