WHAT IS A SLIDING DOOR?

Instead of swinging open on hinges, a sliding glass shower door slides along tracking. These are referred to as bypass shower doors. Each unit includes two operable glass panels that can move past one another in parallel tracks. This offers a nice level of versatility by allowing you to enter or exit the shower on either side. At a glance, the characteristics of a bypass shower door system are:

• Two moving door panels.
• Sliding door operation.
• Tempered (or laminated) glass.
• 90 degree return panels added to either or both ends of the shower if needed.

There is also a Crittall style sliding door system that is comprised of a single door panel which slides past a fixed panel beside it. This product brings together an in-vogue glass and metal combo as well as space-saving door operation.

1. On What Types Of Glass Enclosures Are Sliding Shower Doors Used?

Many sliding shower doors come in pairs – two bypass doors in parallel tracks. Therefore, these are not used on shower stalls that call for a single door. You will see bypass doors on:

Bathtub enclosures – An ordinary bathtub with a shower head can be dressed up with sliding glass doors. If the tub is already enclosed on three sides, you can close off the remaining wall with a set of bypass doors.

Shower enclosures – Likewise, bypass doors can enclose a shower stall that is already closed off except for a wide entrance that is best served by double doors.

Sliding doors plus 90 degree return(s) – If a tub or shower stall is open on two or three sides, additional panels can be installed at right angles to the doors to finish off the enclosure.

Custom – Homeowners can also use bypass doors on custom glass showers with unique dimensions, angles, numbers of panels, etc.

2. What Are The Framing Options For Sliding Doors?

Sliding glass shower doors cannot be frameless because of the metal tracking necessary for their operation. Let’s take a closer look at the framing options that are available.

Semi-frameless – The bypass doors discussed earlier are typically semi-framless – the door panels themselves are unframed while the rest of the enclosure is bordered by metal framing and tracking.

Framed – Bypass door systems can also be fully framed if desired.

These three diverse options allow you to choose the sliding shower door most in line with your bathroom style. For instance, semi-frameless bypass doors fit in well with streamlined modern décor. Crittall style glass works with many of today’s hottest home decorating modes, such as Japandi, Scandinavian, maximalism, and granny chic.

1. What If I Want Frameless Construction And The Space Efficiency Of Sliding Glass Doors?

For some home decorators, none of the three options discussed above quite hits the mark. However, what option is available if limitations of space require sliding door operation but your design goals require frameless shower door construction? The answer is rolling shower doors. These are frameless shower doors that do not slide in metal tracks but roll along a header spanning the top of enclosure. This gives you the same space-efficiency as a sliding door but allows for the use of frameless glass. Let’s explore rolling “barn style” shower door options.

Single door units have one rolling door beside a fixed glass panel.

ABC Glass & Mirror offers three single door “barn style” options known as the 60-Roller, 70-Roller, and 80-Roller series.

The Dual Roller unit has two doors that roll past one another for a highly versatile enclosure. This product is available with a metal header or with an innovative glass header for even less metal.

Like bypass doors, rolling doors can be used on bathtubs, showers, or custom glass enclosures.