Frameless and Framed in Frederick

Shower Door of the Week: Frameless Swing Door with Knee Wall Panel in Frederick, Maryland

This week we’re going back to basics: what is a frameless shower door? We’re fluent in showerdoor-ese, of course, but we don’t expect our clients to know all the industry jargon. So let’s start with this frameless swing door we installed in Frederick, Maryland last week. Within the shower industry, “frameless” refers to any shower enclosure that doesn’t have metal adhered to the edge of the glass. That’s pretty “clear” (hah hah) in the photo below. The only metal in sight is the hardware. It’s a design that’s increasingly popular but not the only way to go…

fraframeless swing glass shower door

You might think that “frameless” = no metal at all. But not so! A door can be frameless even if it has a metallic header on top and a channel on the bottom. In that case the metal still isn’t adhered to the edge of the glass.

For contrast, here’s another installation we did in Frederick last week. It is a fully framed bypass unit in matte black. You can see that the glass has metal on every side. In general, framed shower doors are less expensive than fully frameless doors. (That said, a non-standard layout could cost more, so definitely check with us or start a free quote to get all your options.) It’s a traditional – even retro! – layout. In this case, trendy matte black modernizes the look.

We are always happy to nerd out about design and lingo! Get in touch if you have any questions at all. You can also pick up more ideas over on our Facebook and Instagram. Or stop by our showroom in Jefferson, Maryland!

Serenity & Privacy in Middletown

Shower Door of the Week: Serenity Unit with Sandblasting in Middletown, Maryland

The Serenity shower door is a single slider with a low-profile design. It’s a smooth and sturdy door with anti-derailing fittings on the bottom rail to ensure stability. It’s minimal hardware makes the glass appear as if it’s almost floating. What we’re saying is that it’s already kind of a magical shower door. But the custom touches on this shower door of the week go past serenity straight to nirvana:

Sandblasting

Our friends at Rowland Glass Studios never disappoint! This is another great example of custom sandblasting in the middle section of the door for style and privacy. As we’ve said before: an entirely textured door limits the amount of light that gets into your shower space. When you opt for sandblasting you can enjoy both privacy and light. Genius!

Serenity shower door with sandblasted section for privacy

Low Iron Glass

Low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass, which has a slight greenish tint. For these Middletown clients, we recommended low iron against that lovely white tile and paint. It gives the shower space a kind of brilliance that goes perfectly with the lightness of the Serenity unit.

Custom Design

It’s happens in every blog post: now we get to the shower door geekery! For this custom unit we installed a notched return panel to accomodate that partial knee wall beside the vanity. Sounds a bit technical, but the takeaway is that we always measure carefully and create custom solutions for every single shower space. No angle too acute for us!

In other shower news, last Wednesday was National Rubber Ducky Day! There’s still time to name this ducky for a chance to win a rubber ducky and one of our collectable tee shirts! Just head on over to our Facebook page and let the creativity flow.

Custom Walkthrough Shower in Fayetteville, PA

Shower Door of the Week:  Custom Walkthrough in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania

We had actually had two unusual custom shower installations this week and couldn’t decide which to share. So we took it to our Facebook followers! Which do you think they preferred?

Two custom showers for a poll

They chose A! – but only by one vote. It’s tough because they are both really cool custom showers. So it comes down to personal preference. The first shower (A) uses angles to leave an open walkthrough. It feels airy and spacious for its actual size. The second shower (B) uses glass on two sides with a sliding door to enclose a sunken tub. One Facebook friend commented that B has a lot of unusable space on those stairs. We suggested a mini bar! What would you do with the extra space?

It’s always fun interacting with you all on social media. We’re on Instagram too, where we post silly behind-the-scenes pics. And shower doors, of course! We highly recommend browsing through photos before you start on your own custom project. One benefit of having been in the business for 30 years is that we’ve seen it all! And we genuinely love to chat about design. So get in touch, follow along, and start planning your dream shower!

Custom walkthrough shower door enclosure

Essence Shower Door Herndon

Essence Shower
This elegant unit features 1/2″ glass with no header across the top giving it that extremely frameless look you’ve been desiring. A great alternative for a bypass sliding unit for a tight spaced bathroom. Using its sleek square or circular rollers for smooth sliding, the Essence is the perfect fit for a wider opening for your next shower unit!

Essence Shower Door Herndon

Essence Shower
This elegant unit features 1/2″ glass with no header across the top giving it that extremely frameless look you’ve been desiring. Great alternative for a bypass sliding unit for a tight spaced bathroom. Using it’s sleek square or circular rollers for smooth sliding, the Essence is the perfect fit for a wider opening for your next shower unit!

What our Clients Say

"Professional and Attentive"

“After much research we decided to use Shower Door Experts, and we are extremely happy about our experience. They are very professional and attentive to your needs!”

"I LOVE It!"

“Would greatly recommend Shower Door Experts. Very professional. Had my shower door installed yesterday and I LOVE it!!”

"You Can Have the Best"

“Sometimes you can have the best. The folks at Shower Door Experts know how to install a quality shower door and the end result is well worth the money.”