Shower Curtain or Glass Door: Pros & Cons

You are renovating your bathroom and are running into a very common dilemma: do you choose a shower curtain or splurge on glass doors? The choice can be based on a number of considerations besides your budget. You will want to consider overall aesthetics, style, room size, ease of cleaning, and a variety of other options.

Aesthetics

Shower curtains can soften the room and instantly infuse an otherwise bland room with color and personality. If you like to redecorate often, shower curtains offer a fast and easy way to change a bathroom’s whole look. Just be aware that a shower curtain around a claw foot tub is nearly always going to be messy. Installing a heavy-duty ceiling-mounted rail and along with a waterproof shower curtain that sits inside the tub is your best bet but spills and splashes are almost a certainty.

On the other hand, glass shower doors look great in just about any type of bathroom. If you want to change the colors the bathroom, you just need to paint or add new towels and you are done. They also allow beautiful tile work to show through and can make a small bathroom appear larger.

Cleaning

Showers are prone to mold, mildew, and hard water stains so ease of cleaning is a priority. Cloth shower curtains can usually be washed in a washing machine and vinyl curtains can be wiped down but since curtains are permeable, stains and germs may not completely disappear. It will be more hygienic to replace them often.

Since glass doors offer a hard, non-permanable surface, they are easier to sanitize. Frameless shower doors do not have the old nooks and crannies of older framed doors so mold and mildew is less apt to multiply.

Functionality

No matter how well fitted your shower curtain is, water is going to escape. This can cause eventual mildew or even rot outside of your shower possibly resulting in costly repairs.

A glass shower door forms a solid barrier that seals in stray water drops much better. Frameless enclosure offer dual-direction door opening so it is easier to get in or out.

Budget

If you are working with a very tight budget, shower curtains may be the way to go. While you will have to replace them fairly often, the overall cost will still be less than a glass enclosure.

However, you need to look at the other long term costs as well. Water damage, mildew, or rot is more apt to occur potentially incurring costly repairs. A glass enclosed shower adds value to your home so if you ever sell, you have a much better chance at attracting a higher paying buyer.

See Why Southington Glass is your Glass Shower Door Expert

For over 60 years, Southington Glass Company has provide a variety of glass products to enhance your home and business. Call us at 860-628-2438, visit our website at www.southingtonglass.com or come see us at our showroom at 416 North Main St. Southington, CT to view a quality selection and advice on shower and tub enclosures, custom glass and mirror products, windows and more.