4 Sliding Shower Doors to Make Your Bathroom Pop

Though your current shower door or shower curtain might not bring the design umph that you see on Pinterest or HGTV, a simple, affordable update can truly bring your bathroom from drab to chic. This update is, of course, replacing hinged shower doors and fabric curtains with sleek, modern sliding glass shower doors. BarnDoorHardware.com has some of the best sliding shower doors to make your bathroom pop!

4 Sliding Shower Doors

1. Single Panel Glass Barn Door
2. Minimalist Barn Door
3. Traditional Glass Barn Door
4. French Panel Barn Door

Sliding glass doors can be placed in front of showers and tubs alike, and they are compatible with a variety of door systems including bypass, biparting, and standard. Additionally, BarnDoorHardware.com offers so many customization options for dimensions, design, frame materials, and glass types that you’ll soon run out of reasons to not update your shower or tub’s enclosure! Before you begin to consider your options for sliding glass doors, excited with the opportunity to transform your shower, it’s important for you to understand the many practical benefits that this type of door can bring to your bathroom.

Why Choose Sliding Shower Doors?

There are several reasons to choose a sliding shower door, especially in comparison to a conventional hinged shower door or shower curtain. Some of the reasons are obvious: shower curtains can give a bathroom an outdated look and can also become grimy after a few years. Hinged shower doors, on the other hand, aren’t practical when it comes to cleaning. This should be enough to convince you to choose a sliding glass door—but wait! There are a few more innovative reasons, some of which might surprise you:

Space Saving

A sliding shower door is a perfect choice for smaller square footage or for bathrooms with non-ideal shower placement. Installing a hinged, glass shower door for your shower or shower and bathtub combo will only take up more precious space that you might not be willing (or able) to sacrifice.

While some homeowners try to solve this issue by installing a pivot shower door that opens in either direction, not many have the shower space to allow a pivot door to open inwards. More often than not, you’ll find that there really isn’t space for both you and the door. Sliding doors, on the other hand, only require space to slide left or right, either in front of another door panel or in front of wall space.

Easy to Use

This might seem counterintuitive at first—shouldn’t a shower curtain or hinged door be easy enough to use already? Well, actually not for everyone. Traditional hinged doors with doorknobs or handles can actually be difficult for older homeowners, like those with arthritis, to maneuver, while shower curtains can likewise be more difficult to grip and pull to one side. Additionally, shower curtains lack stability. Sliding glass shower doors, however, are easier to push to the side and don’t require the same fine motor skill participation that a curtain or doorknob would. They’re also very stable and can be fitted with extra bars for needed support.

Easy to Clean

Sliding shower doors are extremely easy to clean in comparison to curtains or hinged doors. To start, you don’t need to take fabric down from a series of individual shower rings, only to have to painstakingly re-ring the curtain hours later after a wash and dry cycle. Since curtains really need to be washed, either spot cleaned or placed in the washing machine, at least once a month, this will save you a lot of time when cleaning your shower.  

Did you know that shower curtains actually need to be thrown out and replaced every six months? Installing a sliding glass door will also save you the time of having to reorder curtains for your bathroom (or bathrooms) twice a year. Secondly, you don’t need to worry about getting in the hard-to-reach areas of hinged hardware that tend to attract soap scum when it comes in contact with water and bath products. Sliding shower door hardware is generally installed out of reach of accidental water and product splashes, making it much easier to care for. There are also fewer nooks and crannies in comparison to hinged hardware, meaning soap scum won’t find its home where you can’t reach. 

Modern Design

Let’s face it: though shower curtains are sold in thousands upon thousands of patterns, textures, and colors, you’re really not going to find anything that complements a true modern design.

Glass doors are the way to go when trying to achieve this design approach, and obviously sleek sliding door hardware (as opposed to hinged hardware) is the ultimate touch of modern chic. The stainless steel track will look simple and contemporary, complementing the rest of your modern bathroom decor. 

Upscale Feel

Sometimes it’s not the tangible design choice that makes the difference (like choosing between traditional and modern decor), but the feeling that the features create. Sliding glass doors create a feeling of luxury, like what you feel when you shower at a five-star hotel. Imagine having an upscale experience daily every time you step into your bathroom!

Open Aesthetic

A sliding shower door’s glass panel lets the eye track into the shower or bath itself, creating the feeling of a larger space. The clear glass creates a great opportunity to let your shower tile be a true accent piece on display within your bathroom.

Whether you’ve created a delicate mosaic or a neat, straight-lined minimalist tiled wall, the sliding shower enclosure will allow you and your guests to enjoy the intentional design of your bathroom at all times and not just when taking showers. This opens up a whole new world of fun shower tile design for you to explore, just like you would a backsplash in a kitchen. 

Prevents Leaks

We’re all too familiar with the occasional puddle left behind on the bathroom floor after a shower. Sometimes water leaks or splashes outside of the tub or shower curtain if it isn’t closed fully, or sometimes water simply drips down the hinged side of a traditional shower or tub door because of design flaws.
 
Shower doors that slide can either be framed or unframed, but each type of enclosure does a much better job preventing water from leaking out. Generally, doors are also lined with sweeps along with shower bases, which likewise prevent water leakage. Framed doors, in particular, are lined with caulk that provides an extra layer of protection against leaking water.

Increase Home Value

Updating a bathroom can add thousands of dollars to your home’s value. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to update the entire space, since a complete renovation can cost upwards of $20k. If that isn’t a viable option for you, don’t worry, there are other options!

Sometimes a new coat of paint can you decide whether to replace old sink hardware or lighting fixtures. Another quick fix is replacing shower curtains with sliding glass shower doors. Installing a glass door is an extremely affordable way to add a chic touch of modernity without breaking the bank. Instead of five digits, you’re looking at barely four. 

Customization

Maybe you have the space to install doors for a bypass shower system, or maybe you need to cover a much smaller enclosure. Perhaps you want to purchase frameless shower doors for a true infinity, see-through look, or you might want to match your stainless steel or brushed nickel hardware to a sleek, framed shower door. The point is that a sliding door for a shower or tub can easily be customized to your bathroom’s needs and your design preferences. This is true for sizing, as well as aesthetics.

Durability

Yes, the sliding glass door panels are made of, well, glass—but that doesn’t mean they are easily broken or damaged. Sliding glass shower doors have an extremely long life, and when these doors are framed rather than frameless, they do an even greater job of resisting cracking and breaking.

For these reasons, many homeowners make the switch to update their shower space with a sliding door system. These glass shower doors are as versatile as they are stunning in design, and they’re also practical. A sliding glass door can be manufactured with the type of handle you need/want, as well as bathroom accessories, like a towel bar or robe hook.  In the case of a bypass shower door, the bar or hook will be installed on the door that passes in front. Either glass door in a biparting door system could be fitted with the bar or hook. 

4 Sliding Shower Doors to Make Your Bathroom Pop

 Now that the practical benefits of a sliding glass shower door are clear, let’s take a look at the fun part: design! The following four sliding shower door examples from BarnDoorHardware.com are available in a number of finishes, including black, raw steel, or bronze.

The doors can be purchased in varying dimensions starting at two feet in width and five feet in height, all the way up to 4’11” in width and 7’11” height. The doors’ glass panels can be purchased in eleven glass options, like vintage, spectrum, or frosted glass, as well as a single-sided mirror or double-sided mirror. Including mirror options as a part of the customization process makes these doors even more of a multi-purpose, space-saving option for those who have homes or apartments with smaller bathroom spaces.

Instead of hanging a mirror on wall space (that you may not have), your sliding glass shower doors provide exactly what you need throughout your morning and nightly routine. 

Single Panel Glass Barn Door

The single panel glass barn door starts at $1,275 and increases with larger dimensions and other customizable features. This door features a single glass panel made of tempered glass that looks tidy and minimalistic in a modern bathroom. This single panel option is also the perfect example of a sliding shower door that allows homeowners or guests to see a pop of color from shower tile—there’s absolutely nothing blocking the eye from taking in the awe of your beautiful shower or tub interior! The exterior framing is crafted from bold steel that attracts the eye to the shower door itself. The singular, pane-free glass panel could not be easier to clean, and the metal grid finish is a no-fuss option that carries a big design impact.

Minimalist Barn Door

The minimalist barn door’s base price is $1,275 and increases with larger dimensions and other customizable features. A true minimalist option, this barn door features three identical, horizontal glass panels separated by straight-lined, horizontal metal bars. This particular design feature (geometrical, horizontal, and symmetrical) is also closely connected to mid-century modern as well, making this door fairly versatile in the design world. Though this door is sectioned by three panels, all glass type options work, including mirrors.

Traditional Glass Barn Door

The traditional glass barn door begins at $1,275 and increases with larger dimensions and other customizable features. What makes this door “traditional” is its metal bottom, which mimics the style of a wooden paneled barn door. Still, the steel framing on this piece maintains a contemporary or modern feel. The addition of a unique glass type, like deep freeze or crested, makes this door panel even more of an attention-grabbing focal point in front of your shower or tub.

French Panel Barn Door

The French panel barn door begins at $1,275 and increases with larger dimensions and other customizable features. French doors are known for their groupings of smaller, symmetrical panels that allow light to shine through into a space. Originally, these doors were cherished for their ability to brighten a room during both day and night by relying on both the sunshine and moonlight instead of just candlelight, oil lamps, or fireplaces. This particular example of French panels showcases eight total panels, each equal in size. Though the steel frame speaks of modernity, the French style softens the design a bit, making it another versatile option for a bathroom that finds itself somewhere in the middle of traditional and contemporary.

As you may have noticed, these doors are all examples of framed sliding shower doors. Although the frameless design is as stunning, contemporary, and unique as the options above, frameless glass shower doors also have their downsides. To begin, a frameless shower door allows more water to leak from inside of the shower enclosure, though frameless options are still better than curtains and hinged panels.

Framed shower doors, on the other hand, have the additional lip of the frame itself, as well as caulk and a track to stop water. A frameless door is also less stable, obviously because it doesn’t have a metal frame to provide more structure as a framed door does. Finally, frameless glass is generally more expensive. If you have the cash to spend and you love the look, this isn’t a problem, but if you are trying to save where possible in a bathroom renovation, then it makes sense to pay less for equally impressive sliding shower doors for tubs or showers that include steel framing.

Though these doors are presented as options for shower enclosures, they can ultimately be placed throughout the home. Framed doors with glass or mirrored panels are great for office spaces, bedroom closets, as well as a way of sectioning off a dining area from a living room. The options are truly endless, and the result is beautiful every time. 

Sliding Shower Door Hardware

After you’ve chosen your shower door style, it’s time to pick your sliding shower door hardware to complete your sliding shower door system. BarnDoorHardware.com currently offers four different systems, each of which can be used with single or double glass shower panels that are either frameless sliding shower doors or framed sliding shower doors. Each door system is suggested to be fitted with a glass thickness of up to ½” thick or as thin as ⅜” in thickness.

Loki Top Mount

The Loki top mount system starts at $749 and functions with standard, biparting, and bypass shower door panels. In particular, a top mount hardware system is perfect for sliding shower doors, as the system can attach to the top of the glass instead of the face itself. This is especially helpful if you want to maintain the panel’s design integrity without interference from hardware, or if you truly want to maintain that see-through appeal. Though the Loki top mount’s price is affordable, the system offers homeowners high-performance standards and remarkable style. The two-part track works in tandem with a trolley and wheel system that supports up to 200 lbs. The anodized aluminum can be finished in satin silver and black satin.

Miami Sliding Shower Door System

The Miami sliding shower door system is known for its compatibility with most shower door panels and door openings. The system can be purchased to fit door openings up to 6’6” in width, fitting conveniently with shower systems that need to be larger than normal, such as for wheeled entry. Installing sliding shower doors along with the Miami sliding shower door system is extremely easy and intuitive, and the design is durable and stable. The Miami system is a great option for those who are choosing to install their glass sliding shower doors DIY. To learn about pricing, you can reach out to the BarnDoorHardware.com designers.

Luna Sliding Shower Door System

The Luna sliding shower door system is another option that fits openings up to 6’6” in width, making it compatible with handicap entry. This particular system is extremely versatile, as it can be fitted to corner and U-shaped configurations, as well as both shower and tile pans. Like the Miami sliding shower door system, you’ll need to call to speak with the BarnDoorHardware.com designers to discuss pricing and dimensions.

Rorik Sliding Shower Door System

The Rorik sliding shower door system is a one-of-a-kind option. In addition to meeting the dimensional needs of a wide range of door openings, this particular system also works well with alcoves, which is an arched opening of a recessed section of a room. This architectural feature is fairly traditional in design but can be matched with the ingenuity of the Rorik door system. In addition, the Rorik door system is compatible with shower and tile pans, like the Luna system, and is ADA compliant because of its versatility in width as well as height. This system can be installed in an opening as wide as 6’6” and in enclosures that are 6’5” or higher, making it a perfect option for roll-in and transitional needs. Similar to some of the other systems, you’ll need to reach out to the BarnDoorHardware.com designers for quote and customization information.  

Install Sliding Shower Doors in Your Bathroom Today!

And there you have it! The complete guide to the benefits of sliding shower glass doors and the current options offered through BarnDoorHardware.com. It’s true—these doors will make your bathroom pop, but they really do so much more.

Sliding glass shower doors create a feeling of luxury while also providing efficiency and practicality. If you install sliding shower doors in your bathroom, you’ll find that you spend less time cleaning the panels, absolutely no time replacing doors, and so much more time enjoying the many benefits of your sliding glass doors. With this small bathroom renovation, you’ll completely transform the look of your shower enclosure and the feeling of your bathroom space as a whole. You won’t be envious of five-star hotel bathrooms anymore, because you’ll be too busy standing in awe of your own oasis.  

If you want to install sliding glass shower doors in your space, consider the many beautiful panels and sliding door systems that are expertly crafted by BarnDoorHardware.com’s partners. Only we can find you options that bring both the craftsmanship and the ingenuity that your home deserves!