As the name suggests, framed shower screens are shower screens where the interior glass panels are enclosed by a frame. With the modern designs and colours available today, framed shower screens can be a suitable addition to any bathroom; whether brand new, renovated or existing.
What parts make up a framed shower screens?
Framed shower screens are made up of a combination of the following; aluminium frames, hinges, rollers, and glass.
Glass in framed shower screens
The glass in framed shower screens typically is 6.38mm Laminated Safety Glass. Although, 6mm toughened glass can also be used as an option. 6.38mm Laminated safety glass consists of 2 pieces of 3mm float glass bonded together with a plastic inner layer (polyvinyl butyral).
If anyone was to fall/slip in the bathroom and land on the glass itself, or if someone was to close the door too hard and crack/break the glass; it is designed in such a way that the whole panel of glass will remain intact (in one piece) within the frame and purely have breakage lines that may give off a spiderweb like pattern, much like the windscreen of your car.
This glass will need to be replaced if this does occur. But the best part is that it will hold together which limits serious cut injuries to a person. Due to this reason, we believe this design is suitable to every customer. However it’s a great feature for elderly people and people young families/children where slips/trips/falls/door slams may occur more frequently.
Additionally, clear glass is not the only option for your shower screen, although it tends to be the most common. You can essentially choose glass colours such as translucent, grey or bronze provided that it meets the safety glass standards required to be installed in framed shower screens. If this is an option that you would be interested in, samples can be provided during the measure and quote consultation.
Frame colours
Frame colours can vary between different suppliers. Danmac shower screens are the suppliers who we use and colour options include, but are not limited to;
- White; which is a traditional colour option that looks elegant, clean and crisp, especially in a bathroom where the fittings are white and match nicely
- Silver; which is modern, sophisticated and bright, very suitable in a bathroom with silver fittings and fixtures
- Black; which is super modern and fast becoming one of the more popular colours recently
- The vast variety of colours can be explored through the Danmac Shower Screen pamphlet available from our website
Pros & Cons of Framed Shower Screens
PROS
- Functionally framed shower screens are a good option as they do not leak and all components fit together without any spaces
- Made with stainless steel
- Mitred corners that come to a nice finish and have no need for plastic caps which often fall off during cleaning and deteriorate over time
- They are incredibly sturdy and strong; internal corner blocks add further strength
- Laminated glass is the glass type used. It’s Grade A safety glass.
- This type of glass will crack with enough force applied but hold in one piece and remain in the frame (if in the case you were to slip, trip or fall onto it)
- Captive magnet used on door for sturdy closure
- Polished aluminium means they match fixtures in your bathroom
- They have a 3mm clearance under the door
- Low maintenance and easy to clean
- Colour options; pearl white & bright silver (in stock), black, matt natural, barley, white birch and gold (ordered in)
- Cheaper than semi-frameless and frameless options
CONS
- Having the frame makes them look bulky compared to semi-frameless and frameless shower screens
- Configurations of the shower screen are limited by the size and shape of the bathroom
- Glass cancer may occur in the glass over a long period of time
- No harsh chemicals are to be used on the shower screens or glass – recommended to just use vinegar and water
Knowing this information can certainly help when deciding on which shower screen you would like to choose. Which shower screen is going to be best to meet your needs? To ensure you are well informed, please read up the other blog posts on the various types of shower screens. And if you want to look at our range have a look at our Facebook page here.
Contact us if you’d like to install of fix your next shower screen!
