What Is a Hinged Shower Door?
Hinged shower doors open and close using a hinge, like regular interior doors. The hinge is connected to a wall or a fixed glass panel. Some hinged shower doors are attached directly to the wall. They swing inward, outward, or both ways.
What Is a Sliding Shower Door?
A sliding shower door has two or more glass panels that slide on a track. The track movement looks similar to that of sliding patio doors. These doors are ideal for bathrooms with limited space because they don’t require extra room for opening or closing.
Sliding vs Hinged Shower Door: What’s the difference?
Here are a few things to think about when comparing sliding vs hinged shower doors.
Space
When picking shower doors, consider the space you have in your bathroom. Hinged doors swing open, so they need a lot of room to move. This makes them ideal for spacious bathrooms.
On the other hand, sliding doors move sideways on a track and don’t take up extra space. This makes sliding doors great for bathrooms where space is tight. They also let you put other bathroom fixtures and storage wherever you need them without getting in the way.
Hinged doors
- Hinged doors require a dedicated arc of clearance to swing open and close freely.
- This need for space can sometimes limit furniture placement or movement flow in tight spaces.
Sliding doors
- Sliding doors are your best pick in small spaces as they don’t need any room to swing open.
- They only need a gliding track to open and allow for the placement of other objects near them.
Ease of Access
Sliding doors move along a track, making them easy to open and close. But they often have a smaller entry space, which means you might have less room to step into the shower.
Hinged shower doors provide more space for stepping through. This wide opening is especially convenient for people with mobility issues.
Sliding doors
- Sliding doors eliminate the struggle of pushing a heavy door. A gentle nudge is all it takes to open them. This is a huge advantage for young children, the elderly, or anyone with limited mobility.
- Unlike hinged doors that require a dedicated swing space, sliding doors glide into their tracks. This translates to precious square footage saved, especially in tight spaces like hallways, closets, or bathrooms.
Hinged Shower Doors
- Hinged doors, when opened fully, offer a wide, unobstructed passage. This is particularly beneficial for people to move large objects and allow for easy passage of multiple people at once.
- Some hinged doors can be outfitted with hardware that allows them to swing wider than the standard 90 degrees. This additional flexibility can be crucial for people with limited mobility who might require a larger opening for easier passage with their assistive devices.
Think about who will be using the bathroom and how much space you have. This will help you move one step closer to making the right selection.
Maintenance and Cleaning
Hinged Doors
Hinged shower doors have fewer parts, which makes them easier to maintain. If the door doesn’t have a frame, it’s even easier to clean. They can also be coated with water repellant to reduce water spots.
Sliding Doors
Sliding shower doors have tracks and extra hardware to help them move. These tracks and parts can collect water and soap, so they must be cleaned regularly to prevent mold. Keeping the tracks clean helps the doors slide smoothly. Sliding doors also come with water-repellant coatings to make cleaning easier.
What to Consider Before Making Your Choice?
Bathroom Layout and Size
Hinged doors work well in square or rectangular bathrooms with lots of open floor space. If your shower is at the end of a long, narrow bathroom, hinged doors can still be easy to use.
Sliding doors are great for long, narrow bathrooms or small spaces. Sliding doors also work well with shower-tub combos, especially if there isn't much room around the tub. They save space and fit into layouts where every inch counts.
Measure your bathroom’s entrance to know the exact size for your door. Simply use a measuring tape and measure the width and length. This will help you pick the ideal door for your needs. Sliding doors are great for small bathrooms because they don’t need extra space to open. In a larger bathroom, a hinged door can enhance the overall look.
Look at where the sink, toilet, and shower are placed. A sliding door is better for a compact bathroom since it doesn't cause obstructions.
Design Variations
Both hinged and sliding shower doors have ample design options to explore.
Framed Door
Framed doors give a classic look with a sturdy metal frame around the glass. This provides extra support and makes them a good choice for busy bathrooms. The frame helps keep water inside the shower, which is useful if you have concerns about leaks. They can also be more budget-friendly and easier to install.
Frameless Door
Frameless doors offer a sleek and modern look without a metal frame around the glass. Frameless doors are made from thicker, sturdy glass to maintain their structure. Their soft-closing mechanism provides a premium experience and ensures better protection against water leakage.
Semi-Frameless Doors
Semi-frameless doors have a minimal frame, often just around the edges or hinges, for a blend of both styles. They offer some of the support of framed doors while still giving a more open look than fully framed options.
It’s important to explore all options so as to make an informed decision.
Hinged shower doors come in different styles. For a simple look, you can install a framed door. For a stylish look, you can choose a frameless or semi-framed glass door.
Sliding shower doors are flexible and easy to customize. Choose from different frame finishes and glass types to match your bathroom style.
Types of glass options include:
- Frosted glass
- Tinted
- Clear glass
- Textured glass
- Tempered
- Laminated
- Smoke gray glass
- Chrome hardware
- Oil-rubbed hardware
- Polished hardware
- Satin hardware
- Brushed nickel hardware
- Matte black hardware
- Bronze hardware
- Brushed brass or gold
- Gray hardware
- Aluminium hardware
- Stainless steel hardware
Budget
Depending on brand and quality, hinged shower doors are an affordable option. This makes them a budget-friendly choice for many homeowners.
Sliding doors tend to be more expensive than hinged doors because of several reasons. The cost can vary based on style and configuration, including options such as straight or round designs, alcove or corner installations, right or left door openings, and a variety of frame finish colors. Alternatively, frameless sliding doors are sleek and more expensive than framed options. But they also have more options to choose from.
While hinged doors might win on initial cost, sliding doors have simpler mechanisms with fewer moving parts. This means lower maintenance needs in the long run.
Finding the Budget Sweet Spot
- Framed options: Hinged and sliding doors come in framed, semi-frameless and frameless varieties. Framed options are generally less expensive for both styles.
- Prioritize size: It's essential to measure your shower space correctly and select a door that fits perfectly. For those on a tight budget, consider opting for a half shower door. Half shower doors are typically smaller and therefore, more affordable while still providing adequate coverage and functionality.
- Material: Clear glass is the standard for shower doors, but pricier options like frosted or patterned glass are also available. Opt for basic tempered glass for an affordable choice.
- Features of the door: When choosing shower doors, various features can influence the overall cost. Some of the features include neo angle door, water-repellant door, adjustable width door, curved door, bypass door, corner, grid style, hardware included, soft close door, towel bar included door, and trackless door.
- Installation type: Standard, alcove, buttress, glue up and corner are some of the installations types available for hinged and sliding shower doors.
- Standard installations are generally the most budget-friendly as they require less customization.
- Alcove installations can be slightly more expensive than standard ones, depending on the size and shape of the recess.
- Buttress installations involve fitting the doors over walls of different heights. It can make the installation more complicated and can increase the overall cost.
- Glue up doors are often more affordable upfront compared to their framed or heavy-duty counterparts. However, glue-up installations might be less durable for heavy doors but are excellent for lighter doors.
- Corner installation require custom-sized doors and tracks to fit the unique angles and dimensions of the corner space. The need for precision and possible extra materials to seal the corners effectively can drive up costs.