How To Find Shower Enclosures
Monday, 04 January 2010 08:24 | 
Written by Manuel Vintagoli |
Not long ago, if we wanted to change the look of a bathroom it didn't take much more than a new shower curtain, a new rug, and maybe if we wanted to go all out, a new coat of paint. Voila! A beautiful new bathroom. However, things have dramatically changed and our bathrooms are no longer just rooms of necessity hidden from public view, but areas that have interior designers designing for us, and accoutrements that were unheard of and totally unnecessary only a decade ago. We are now in the era of designer shower enclosures!
Not long ago, if we wanted to change the look of a bathroom it didn't take much more than a new shower curtain, a new rug, and maybe if we wanted to go all out, a new coat of paint. Voila! A beautiful new bathroom. However, things have dramatically changed and our bathrooms are no longer just rooms of necessity hidden from public view, but areas that have interior designers designing for us, and accoutrements that were unheard of and totally unnecessary only a decade ago. We are now in the era of designer shower enclosures!
Showers now need their own accents, their own style, and their own personality. Usually at a pretty hefty price tag. How on earth do we even begin to decide which one to buy? What might look best? Should we decide based on the price, or do we try to buy something that others might like because we want to sell our home?
With nothing else planned, we tend to just drive on over to the local hardware store or home improvement center and see what's on display. And what do we see? Styles, colors, sizes, and ideas that even our parents probably have never seen - probably because they are still very happy with their green and white shower curtain with ruffles. Or if they do have a shower enclosure, it's probably just an ordinary low end piece of glass, rimmed in aluminum, and nothing more fancy than something that keeps the water off the bathroom floor.
However, for those of us who strive to be different, or like to have many choices, this is certainly an area to get lost in. Things like how tall should it be, should it have a rim or should we buy rimless? Do we want clear glass, stained glass, frosted glass, tinted or colored glass, or even Plexiglas?
Budgets are important and what we spend will have an impact on how the bathroom ultimately looks after we install the new shower enclosure. A small average bathroom won't matter much one way or the other as long as long as it looks better than what you had before.
Custom sizes might needed in many cases. There are only a certain number of "standard" sizes, but nowadays it seems every builder has his own signature bathroom, thereby requiring custom showers and just about everything else. These can be quite expensive - even in the low end product lines. Everything that is rimmed or outlined in aluminum tends to be less expensive, but for high end brass, nickel or rimless, custom enclosures can become so expensive as to make buyers rethink the old fashioned shower curtain strategy!
Cleaning should also be taken into consideration. Not all glass and rims can be cleaned the same way. Many of us like to use harsh cleaners like bleach that help kill germs and mold, but in reality, these high end shower doors just can't handle these strong chemicals. Particularly the rimless enclosures! Why? Because they are rimless! There is no metal to anchor them to anything. They are nothing more than glass attached to glass, with hinges. Start scrubbing these panels and ... You could be sorry. They will separate, shatter, or just fall off.
However, if you are trying to upgrade your upgrade your bathroom because you want to sell your home, you'll need to take into consideration what home buyers are looking for nowadays, and it's not Plexiglas with aluminum. You may need to spend much more than you planned in order to get your bathroom into the 21st century!
Not long ago, if we wanted to change the look of a bathroom it didn't take much more than a new shower curtain, a new rug, and maybe if we wanted to go all out, a new coat of paint. Voila! A beautiful new bathroom. However, things have dramatically changed and our bathrooms are no longer just rooms of necessity hidden from public view, but areas that have interior designers designing for us, and accoutrements that were unheard of and totally unnecessary only a decade ago. We are now in the era of designer shower enclosures!
Showers now need their own accents, their own style, and their own personality. Usually at a pretty hefty price tag. How on earth do we even begin to decide which one to buy? What might look best? Should we decide based on the price, or do we try to buy something that others might like because we want to sell our home?
With nothing else planned, we tend to just drive on over to the local hardware store or home improvement center and see what's on display. And what do we see? Styles, colors, sizes, and ideas that even our parents probably have never seen - probably because they are still very happy with their green and white shower curtain with ruffles. Or if they do have a shower enclosure, it's probably just an ordinary low end piece of glass, rimmed in aluminum, and nothing more fancy than something that keeps the water off the bathroom floor.
However, for those of us who strive to be different, or like to have many choices, this is certainly an area to get lost in. Things like how tall should it be, should it have a rim or should we buy rimless? Do we want clear glass, stained glass, frosted glass, tinted or colored glass, or even Plexiglas?
Budgets are important and what we spend will have an impact on how the bathroom ultimately looks after we install the new shower enclosure. A small average bathroom won't matter much one way or the other as long as long as it looks better than what you had before.
Custom sizes might needed in many cases. There are only a certain number of "standard" sizes, but nowadays it seems every builder has his own signature bathroom, thereby requiring custom showers and just about everything else. These can be quite expensive - even in the low end product lines. Everything that is rimmed or outlined in aluminum tends to be less expensive, but for high end brass, nickel or rimless, custom enclosures can become so expensive as to make buyers rethink the old fashioned shower curtain strategy!
Cleaning should also be taken into consideration. Not all glass and rims can be cleaned the same way. Many of us like to use harsh cleaners like bleach that help kill germs and mold, but in reality, these high end shower doors just can't handle these strong chemicals. Particularly the rimless enclosures! Why? Because they are rimless! There is no metal to anchor them to anything. They are nothing more than glass attached to glass, with hinges. Start scrubbing these panels and ... You could be sorry. They will separate, shatter, or just fall off.
However, if you are trying to upgrade your upgrade your bathroom because you want to sell your home, you'll need to take into consideration what home buyers are looking for nowadays, and it's not Plexiglas with aluminum. You may need to spend much more than you planned in order to get your bathroom into the 21st century!
About the Author:
Trying to decide what the best shower enclosure to have? Why not look at the different shower enclosures online and decide that way. Building one that will look great in your room!