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corky1_2008

Shower curtain vs glass doors

15 years ago

I am in a quandry. I am redoing my full bath between my study and the guest bedroom. It has a cabinet with a sink, toilet, and shower (no tub) with a sliding class door. The door is in sad shape with rust in the corners. This shower will be used infrequently when my remodel is done. I am thinking that rather than replace the shower door, it would save money to use a shower curtain. I will be using left over marble basketweave tile with a greenish accent piece on the floor the shower. I do not have enough for the entire bathroom floor and am thinking of some type of white tile with marble accent pieces. My designer thinks that the marble basket weave should be on the entire floor (I hope that she can pay for it) and that the shower curtain (I am thinking of some sort of white fabric with a plastic curtain behind it.) would look tacky. What is your opinion?

Comments (9)

  • 15 years ago

    IMHO, I'd take out the old shower sliding door and use a shower curtain for the time being. Just a heavy clear shiny vinyl curtain would look fine and not get mildewed quickly.

    Do you have enough of the basketweave tile for only the shower floor? How much more would you need to do the entire bath floor in the same tile? Opt for the tile instead of the shower door, if you have money for only one. Floors are forever, and shower curtains/doors are secondary.

    Down the road when you have more cash on hand you can decide whether you want to use another glass door.

  • 15 years ago

    I prefer shower curtain and I do not think it would look tacky. As you said, a nice fabric and just get a clear liner to hang behind it, inside the shower.

  • 15 years ago

    I think a door would prevent water from getting on the floor, but a nice fabric shower curtain with a clear liner would be nice for now.

  • 15 years ago

    While I prefer glass doors on full sized showers (without the tub) I think it's more important to stick with what you can afford regardless of what your designer is recommending. It's not like it has to be a permanent solution and a curtain can be a great way to add color to the room. If in the end you really hate the curtain, you can always add doors at a later.

  • 15 years ago

    I agree with moccasinlanding that you should prioritize the floor over the shower door. IMO it's fine to use different tiles for the shower floor and the rest of the floor, as long as the tiles coordinate well. However, if they don't, the floors will end up being an eyesore that would be difficult and expensive to re-do.

    As for the shower door/curtain choice, if money were no object, I'd prefer a glass door any day. Shower curtains are a nuisance and an on-going expense. I use a pair of clear liners around my clawfoot tub. I try to get extra heavy, mildew-resistance ones, but even so, they don't last long -- I'm lucky to get a year out of them. I can wash them in my washer once or twice before they either tear or the grommets rust out. (You'd think that someone would make shower curtains with water-resistant grommets, but no.) Finding decent shower curtain liners at a reasonable price (If I had a regular show/tub combo, I'd use a glass shower screen instead of a curtain or full-width glass doors. They're available in fixed (non-moving), pivoting, and folding styles. They look like they'd be easier to keep clean than shower doors, and you wouldn't feel so boxed in when you take a bath.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pivoting Glass Shower Screens

  • 15 years ago

    I don't know how big the shower is, but I'd save the left over tile to use where you originally used the tile, just in case you need to replace damaged tile at a later date, and get new tile for this bathroom.
    I'd also use a shower curtain now. If, at some later date, you decide that you want a glass door, you can get one installed. Reputable glass places know how to do that, and you won't have to pay the contractor markup.

  • 15 years ago

    I'm able to find "heavy duty" clear shower curtain liners at Bed Bath and Beyond for about $6. I haven't been attacked by one yet! :)

    I prefer a curtain to a glass door for two reasons: 1. Easier to keep clean -- I just throw the liner in the washer with some towels and hang it to dry and it's good to go for another few months. And 2. I can change the look of the bathroom pretty quickly just by changing the curtain. I also think it softens an otherwise "hard" room.

    I had a 44" wide fiberglass shower with a small lip on the bottom of the pan and never had a problem using a shower curtain with it.

  • 15 years ago

    What xine said. I've had both. MUCH prefer the curtain. SO much easier in the maintenance dept. I bought the last one at Amazon but now I see they are in stock at my local Pamida store. I don't remember the price but it can't be too much or I wouldn't have one. My carpenter says I won't need one for the walk in but I have these really cool shower hooks so.......maybe I'll hang one for decoration;-)

  • 15 years ago

    We love our Hookless "Double H with It's a Snap Liner." It's all fabric including the liner and you can wash both parts in the washer. We keep meaning to buy an extra liner so that when one is washing we still have one, but we never have gotten around to it yet. It's not cheap nor is it cheap looking.

    Here is a link that might be useful: shower curtain with liner