The Types Of Shower Doors And How They Work ?

There are several types of shower door that you will have to consider when thinking about your new shower unit. Whatever your project, there is a perfect choice for you. First and foremost you need to consider how much space you have to spare in your room.

Pivot Doors

For a small alcove shower or stand-alone unit for example, you can choose a simple pivot opening or hinged door. These simply open outwards into the room from one side, just like a conventional door.

If you don’t have enough width for a sliding door, pivot doors are ideal. Pivot doors can be adjusted to hang either from the left or right hand side and there is a range of designs available. For example, you might want to opt for an offset pivot, a centre pivot, or an intermediate pivot. Try the shower unit out in the showroom to get an idea of what would be best for you. A pivot shower door is most often used in a bathroom with ample space available for the door to swing out, so make sure you and your bathroom fitter measure carefully to ensure a swing outdoor won’t knock a sink or toilet unit when you open it.

Sliding Doors

Sliding shower doors are sometimes referred to as ‘bypass’ shower doors in the bathroom trade. They are simply two sheets of toughened safety glass, which overlap and ‘bypass’ each other by sliding or rolling along a metal track, allowing you to get in and out of the shower. One glass panel is fixed, the other rolls. Sliding shower doors take up the least space in a bathroom, which makes them a good choice for smaller modern houses. They are also ideal for wide openings and can commonly be found

in alcove and corner stand-alone shower units. They can have a luxurious feel when they are well- built, with a smooth sliding mechanism. Again, sliding doors can be fitted to open either to the left or right, depending on your bathroom design. Better bathrooms enclosed showers have sliding door options.

Bi-Fold Doors

Bi-fold shower doors are also ideal for smaller bathrooms, because the design gives them the capacity to fold back on themselves, rather than into your bathroom. They are very easy to operate and have a simple sliding mechanism to help you manoeuvre the doors to the desired position. Some people prefer doors that open inwards because it keeps their bathroom floor drier. There can be two or four door options with bi-fold doors and again only toughened safety glass should be used. Bi-fold door can be hung from either the left or right hand side of your unit, which gives you plenty of flexibility and greater choice when designing your bathroom. Quality built bi-fold doors should last extremely well and are a first choice for many people due to their ease of operation. They can be used with a shower side panel or as part of an alcove shower enclosure. Some people like to fold their shower doors away when not in use, to give an illusion of space.