Frame vs. Frameless Shower Doors & Tub Enclosures

Framed

• A shower or tub is considered framed if it is enclosed in glass that is mounted into a framing structure. The framing creates privacy and contains the warmth generated by the hot water in the shower or bathtub. In most cases, the frame is made of aluminum. The frame houses panels of solid glass or plexiglass. The framing can be used to seal off a bath, a shower or a combination bath and shower. Framing for bathtubs is most commonly used for a combination bath and shower unit. The two main types of framing for stand-alone showers (showers not attached to a bathtub) are called alcove and corner stand-alone showers. An alcove shower frame is shaped like a window, with framing on all sides. A corner stand-alone frame has an L-shape, with framing on two sides. The glass or plexiglass door is also framed for alcove and corner shower stalls.

Frameless

• Frameless showers and tubs were first introduced during the 1990s as homeowners and builders started gravitating toward sleek and sophisticated interior design choices. Frameless enlosures for showers feature minimal metal attachments. Short metal hinges to attach corners and doors are the most metal you see in a frameless unit, if you see any metal at all. In fact, a bathtub can technically be categorized as frameless if it is not enclosed with glass, which is usually the case for a stand-alone tub (a tub with no shower). Frameless showers feature thick, architectural-quality glass to create a surrounding for showers and tubs that provides structural integrity.

Similarities

• Glass is the medium of choice for framed and frameless shower and tub enclosures. Compared to plexiglass, glass is sturdier, easy to clean and gives bathrooms a high-end look. Whether thin or thick, glass can also be custom-ordered in formats such as clear, frosted and with or without graphic and visual embellishments. A glass-enclosed or plexiglass-enclosed shower and tub will also capture and hold heat better than a shower or tub that does not have a framed or frameless enclosure, so the user can take a steam bath or shower.

Differences

• You can save money with a framed shower tub, shower or combination because you can use a thinner weight of glass or plexiglass. Many standardized framed units also exist that work with tub and shower combinations, and there are also prefabricated framed units with sliding doors, corner shapes and even semicircular shaped units. The downside of framed units is that they can look somewhat dated because frameless tub and shower enclosures are more fashionable and give a bathroom a high-end look. Frameless units make tubs and showers stand out as features in a bathroom and draw attention to its knobs, shower heads and hardware. You can opt to fully enclose a shower or abandon the use of doors for a step-in style and frame only the shower with glass on one side. However, there’s a price to pay for the stylish, frameless look. The glass has to be custom-sized, the installation has to be done by a professional, and the costs will vary, based on your design choices.