Shower Curtains vs. Glass Shower Doors: Which Is Right for You?

by Expert Contributors David Gura & Lew Gura, Owners of Bryn Mawr Glass

Renovating or adding a full bathroom to your home can be stressful, not to mention expensive. When it comes to choosing between a glass door shower enclosure or a shower curtain, price, aesthetics and functionality should be carefully considered along with the room’s design and layout.

Glass doors have many advantages to consider, especially if you’re installing a walk-in shower. Glass doors and panels will make your bathroom space brighter and appear larger. They can be used to highlight custom tile work, and will undoubtedly last longer than fabric curtains and vinyl liners. Today’s glass door trends offer many style options, such as sliding barn doors, frosted glass and etched patterns.

Glass shower doors and panels reduce clean-up time by eliminating the water that’s splashed onto the bathroom floor while you shower. Investing in a professional clear coating and using a squeegee after each use will extend the life and look of your glass as well.

A tub-and-shower combination involves other considerations. A glass shower door may create too tight a space or perhaps prevent desired ease of leaning over the tub to bathe a child or wash objects. In that case, a shower curtain offers a quick, space-saving answer while allowing it to still be part of your bathroom’s decor. Shower curtains can look elegant when made from fabric or plastic, and ideas for mounting shower curtains abound, with an array of fasteners matching any size budget.

A fabric shower curtain costs far less than a glass door shower enclosure. And a plastic shower curtain costs even less. But how many shower curtains will be purchased over 25 years? While shower curtains allow for more frequent decor change, they quickly build up mildew and must be taken down regularly for thorough cleaning. And vinyl liners need to be replaced several times each year.

When budget, bathroom space and decor preference align, glass shower enclosures usually become the easy choice. They offer many options, from framed to semi-frameless or frameless. And it’s generally accepted that glass shower doors always increase the value of a home, perhaps because they’re viewed as being more easily cleaned and more modern.

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