Shower screens can transform any bathroom into a stylish, sophisticated area, just like the rest of your home. The entry of shower screens into the residential construction industry has seen a large number of homeowners forget about traditional bathroom curtains, and for a good reason.

Once you decide that a shower screen is right for your residential bathroom, here are a few things you should know before you set out in search of shower screen suppliers.

The Types of Shower Screens

There are numerous types of shower screens available on the market. Examples of these include pivot door shower screens, quadrant screens, sliding door shower screens, fixed panel screens and several others.

Pivot door screens are commonly used in large bathrooms because they feature a door that extends inwards and outwards to allow entry and exit into the shower area. Sliding door screens are more common for smaller bathrooms because the door to the shower area slides to one side rather than extending inwards or outwards.

There is, therefore, no need for additional door clearance. Quadrant screens are also referred to as corner shower screens because they are specially designed for installation in one corner of the bathroom.

Your choice of shower screen will depend largely on functionality and personal preference.

Frame or No Frame

The different types of shower screens can further be divided into three categories, depending on the type of frame that the door has.

Shower screens that feature a full frame have their glass panels fully surrounded by a metallic frame (usually aluminium).

The second category is made up of semi-frameless shower screens. These use an external frame that extends neither to the shower screen door nor to the sides of the glass panels from which the screen is made.

The third category consists of shower screens that are frameless. These are usually the most expensive of the three categories, thanks to the higher visual appeal they have.

Waterproofing

As you make plans to purchase and install a shower screen, remember to factor in the cost of waterproofing the bathroom floor as well. If you end up choosing a frameless shower screen, you're required to have a waterproofing system on the bathroom floor.

While this might not be a legal requirement with the other types of shower screens, waterproofing will save your bathroom floors from premature damage, seeing as the floor is constantly exposed to water.