If you’re thinking about a bathroom remodel for your Houston home, oftentimes, the most important piece of the design puzzle is your shower glass. Shower glass offers much more than just functionality; it completely defines your bathroom space’s design and feel. Oftentimes, the biggest, most vital decision you’ll need to make is choosing a framed versus frameless shower glass for your Houston home’s remodel. At Action Glass, our team of experts in all things glass can help you achieve your dream bathroom remodel.
Your shower enclosure does a whole lot more than just keep your bathroom from flooding; it sets the tone for your bathroom’s overall aesthetic. By understanding the value and feel that your Houston shower glass options can offer, you can feel more empowered when making informed design decisions for your bathroom.
Framed Shower Glass: The Classic Choice for Your Traditional Houston Home
While many homes in new neighborhoods are opting for more modern, sleek frameless options, in many more traditional neighborhoods in Houston, framed shower glass cannot be replaced. A framed shower consists of glass panels that are edged in metal frames. Typically, the frames are constructed from the following materials:
- Aluminum
- Chrome
- Brushed Nickel
- Brass
Along with these common finishes, there is a vast array of finishes available. You have the ability to mix and match metals with your hardware, or opt for a cohesive look by going all brass or chrome throughout the whole space.
The advantages of a framed shower are vast. First, framed shower glass installations are typically much more affordable than frameless options. This makes them popular for Houston homeowners looking to refresh their bathroom without breaking the bank. They are normally slightly less expensive because they require a more standard, thin pane of glass, use simpler hardware, and have a less intensive installation process.
Additionally, framed showers can also offer superior water containment in your bathroom due to having a much more secure seal from the framing. This reduces your chance of costly leak repairs, as well as hazardous slipping from puddles on wet tile. If you’re looking for the most stable and long-lasting shower glass design, framed is the way to go. Because the frame offers the glass additional support from impacts, jostling, or excess stress, your shower glass is much less likely to crack or shatter.
The Downsides of Framed Showers
While in most cases, framed showers offer a myriad of benefits to your Houston bathroom redesign, in some cases, they can negatively impact your remodel. One example of this is for tighter, more cramped bathrooms. While frameless shower glass can help spread natural light throughout the entire space, opening it up and creating an illusion of space, framed showers can sometimes do the opposite. The frames can create distinct lines visually that break the space into boxes, overall making it seem more cramped and less open. In some cases, a framed shower can also present some challenges for cleaning purposes. Frames have more nooks and gaps for bacteria to build up in, making adequate tools and effective products essential for keeping them flawlessly clean.
Framed showers can offer your bathroom a classic feel while offering incomparable leak protection and durability standards. Our team at Action Glass can help you understand what kind of shower would best suit your space and not clash with the rest of your home’s aesthetic.
What is a Frameless Shower and Why Choose It For Your Houston Remodel?
You may be asking yourself, What does a frameless shower even look like? A frameless shower is a shower that doesn’t require an enclosure. This is largely due to the use of a thick tempered glass instead of regular, much thinner annealed glass. The manufacturing process creates tempered glass by rapidly heating and cooling the glass. This process creates significant amounts of internal stress within the pane, making it harder to break. What truly makes tempered glass unique is the fact that even if it does shatter, the glass falls in blunt, pebble-shaped pieces of glass, as opposed to dangerous, invisible glass shards.
This type of shower looks seamless and modern, giving your bathroom a sleek aesthetic that truly creates a sanctuary of light and steam through the glass during a shower. For tiny or poorly designed bathroom spaces, frameless glass showers can prevent the room from feeling cramped. You can also customize frameless showers with a variety of edge shapes, including:
- Polished: Manufacturers grind and cut this most common edge flat to create a smooth, blunt edge for a sleek look.
- Beveled: A beveled edge is cut at an angle along the flat edge. It adds a crisp design element that gives your space a modern feel.
- Seamed: Seamed edges are cut flat, but are less refined than a polished edge.
- Pencil Polished: It is called this because it resembles the rounded, smooth edge of a pencil.
- Ogee edge: This design is a unique, S-curve shape.
Along with creating the illusion of a larger space, frameless glass is easy to clean. Depending on your design preferences, for the most part, all they require is a periodic wipe down. The lack of grooves makes them low-maintenance and simple to keep looking clear.
The Trade-Offs of Frameless Glass Shower Designs
While they do offer the sleekest, most refined option for many modern homes in Houston, frameless shower glass is certainly not for everyone. First and most importantly, frameless showers typically are more expensive than framed options, both upfront and in the long run. The lack of support from a frame makes them more delicate during installation, taking more time, care, and skill. Even though tempered glass is stronger and more durable, the minimal, light hardware hinges on frameless showers, especially on sliding doors, can still jam or stick
Even with properly installed seals, frameless showers don’t offer the exemplary seal that framed showers do. Proper installation from professionals like our team at Action Glass will ensure the best seal possible, but over time, it may require maintenance.
If you prioritize modern, open spaces or clean lines, frameless shower glass is certainly perfect for your Houston home.
The Non-Negotiable: Why a Glass Professional is Crucial for Your Shower Installation
Once you’ve chosen your shower design, the next step is reaching out to a dependable, reliable, local glass expert like Action Glass. Since 1973, our team has worked on shower glass in Houston. We can design your dream bathroom oasis, regardless of whether you prefer a framed or frameless design.
Shower glass is expensive, so working with experts who are able to handle your material with care is vital. Along with the handling of the glass itself, installation technique is critical for ensuring the tightest seal that can deliver the best, long-lasting results.
Contact Action Glass Houston today for a free shower glass quote and take the next step toward your dream bathroom remodel!