Solving Biggest Bathroom Renovation Dilemmas Part 3: Shower Doors vs. Shower Curtains

This blog post is the final part of our three-blog posts series about solving the biggest dilemmas in bathroom renovation projects. The point of these posts is to help you not make rushed decisions that can cause a waste of your money, time, effort, and nerves.

After you finish with your bathroom renovation, you should enjoy its new functionalities, comfort, and aesthetics, without blaming and teasing yourself about making wrong decisions that could have easily been avoided if you did a little research beforehand.

In the previous parts of this series, we talked about whether it would be better if you install a bathtub vs. shower, or single sink vs. double sink, considering your space, budget, maintenance costs, and other relevant variables.

You can check the two parts here:

• Solving Biggest Bathroom Renovation Dilemmas Part 1: Bathtub vs. Shower.
• Solving Biggest Bathroom Renovation Dilemmas Part 2: Single Sink vs. Double Sink

And today, we’ll try to help you solve another dilemma and go into more details about whether it’s best to install a shower door vs. shower curtain, again, taking into consideration your space, budget, and maintenance costs.

Shower Door vs. Shower Curtain: Pros and Cons

Whether you have a bathtub or a shower in your bathroom, you’ll need something to put between them and the rest of the bathroom, and the choice usually comes down to shower curtains or shower doors.

The choice is not an easy one since it can make a great impact on the look of your new bathroom. There are so many factors involved in the dilemma, from the bathroom layout and style to personal habits and budget conditions – almost everything affects the choice you have to make before you start with your bathroom renovation.

So let’s overview all the pros and cons that can lead you to the right decision and long-lasting enjoyment in your renovated bathroom.

Pros of Installing a Shower Door:

1. Shower doors have a luxurious, modern, and simple appearance. They can add a very sleek and classy atmosphere to your bathroom and complement its aesthetics. Also, they allow all kinds of shower decors to be part of the bathroom look.
2. A transparent glass door expands the bathroom space by giving more depth to your bathroom. You can see through the glass and have a visual impression that the shower is an integral bathroom part. It’s great for the tiny bathrooms because they look bigger, lowering the possibility of feeling claustrophobic inside your bathroom.
3. Doors can make a perfect enclosure of the space, keeping the steam and the water drops inside the shower so they can’t get on the mirrors and wall tiles. They will reduce or even eliminate the water splashed on the floor while you are showering. Also, shower doors eliminate a possible cold draft while you are showering that can ruin your enjoyment and relaxation.
4. Using a glass door, you can transform any tricky bathroom space into a shower/bathtub. Тhat will help you to use every inch of the bathroom surface. You can place the shower/tub in any nook, close the other elements, asymmetrical ceilings, etc.
5. If you include glass doors in your bathroom renovation project, your bathroom will have additional value on the market. Real estate agents say that potential buyers like glass enclosure shower/tub, and they will be ready to pay more for a house with that solution. It is a durable, stylish, and long-lasting element in their eyes, and they love to see it in the house they are buying.
6. The maintenance of the glass door is pretty easy. The glass has an impermeable surface that can be easily sanitized. It is a similar situation for metal, plastic, and rubber parts that can be found on the door. All the materials are water moisture, and chemicals-resistant and will not accumulate layers of dirt, mold, mildew, or soap scum over some period of use. Also, some glasses may have a special coating that makes them repellent for water and resistant to bacteria growth.

Cons of Installing Shower Door:

1. Glass can be broken. And people can be hurt by the sharp edges of broken glass pieces. Usually, safety glasses like tempered or laminated glass are used to prevent possible injuries in case of accidents, But still, some people are not comfortable to be trapped in a glass box that can eventually break.
2. When they are closed, glass cabins represent glass boxes, and many people can feel weird in them. People don’t have to be claustrophobic to feel discomfort. It is just a feeling they can’t ignore.
3. Shower doors are far from cheap. The prices depend on the size, shape, glass thickness, frame and hardware material, and craftsmanship quality. But, for example, it is about 10 times higher than curtains of similar size and shape.
4. Glass doors and glass shower cabins, in general, are not kids friendly solutions. Opening and closing the door, passing by them, or being inside – shower doors are uncomfortable in all situations when kids are close to the glass surface.
5. Shower doors can hardly follow the curvy lines of some bathtub solutions. Maybe some simple radial solutions are not problematic, but their price will still be significantly higher than a straight lines solution.
6. Installing a glass door can be tricky and problematic in a tiny bathroom, especially if the shower/bathtub has an out-of-the-corner position.

Now that we went through the pros and cons of installing a shower door in your bathroom, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of installing a shower curtain.

Pros of Installing Shower Curtains:

1. Curtains are highly affordable. They cost $50 or less, which is about 10 times cheaper than any shower door. That makes them a budget-friendly solution for your bathroom renovation. With such a low price range, you can change them anytime you like and refresh your bathroom look.
2. Shower curtains are a kid-friendly solution. It is much easier and safer to post curtains aside than to manipulate with glass doors. Also, being inside and being surrounded by textile-like material is much more convenient than a half or full glass box. That makes shower curtains a great option for families with little children. And the same goes for pet owners, for the same reasons.
3. They are such a versatile solution for your bathroom renovation. You can find them in almost endless designs, colors, sizes, shapes, and material combinations. You can customize them with a personalized print of your favorite movie character or whatever you can imagine.
4. Curtains can transform a bathtub into a shower tub. The doors cannot follow the bathtub curves and lines. The transformation is so easy and affordable, and you’ll not have to make a complete bathroom renovation for that.
5. Shower curtains can add a fresh vibe to your old-fashioned bathroom. With only one eye-catching curtain, your old neutral color bathroom can be fully transformed in the blink of an eye.
6. Curtains are a great choice for tiny bathroom places. They can improve accessibility into the bathtub/shower, especially if it has a central bathroom position.

Cons of Installing Shower Curtains:

1. Shower curtains are making the bathroom look smaller. They can completely cover the view through the shower/bathtub and make them invisible. That is especially a problem with smaller bathrooms.
2. Curtains can’t make a perfect enclosure. They can’t eliminate a possible cold draft while you are showering, and the stem will also be all over your bathroom. Water drops will be kept inside, but there is still a possibility of failing to close them properly.
3. At first glance, you may think that the cleaning and maintenance of the curtains is an easy job. And yes, most of them can be easily taken off and washed. However, stains can easily occur. They are sensitive to mold and mildew, and if they were not washed regularly, they could also accumulate layers of dir. So after a couple of months, you will have to buy a new one.
4. If your curtains are made from PVC, it can harm your health. It’s proven that these materials can cause respiratory illness. So, when buying shower curtains, make sure you avoid this material.

As you can see, both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. But, if you still don’t know what to choose, you can always implement both solutions. Even this case is very rare, if you feel comfortable having a shower door and curtains in your bathroom, that’s all that really matters.

Which One Should You Choose

There is no universal solution that fits all. To make the best choice, you should carefully review at least the following 3 important criteria before you start with your bathroom renovation:

• Personal preferences of all family members
• Style and aesthetics
• Your budget

Having these things in mind, you will certainly make the right choice.

This was our last post of the three-part series on bathroom renovation dilemmas. We hope that we somehow helped you to make the right decision before starting your bathroom renovation process.

AT Hand Renovations is here to provide any help you may need on your bathroom renovation journey. With over a hundred successful bathroom renovation projects, we know how to find the perfect balance between comfort, aesthetics, and functionality. We are here to make your bathroom renovation – as it should be!

Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions about your bathroom renovation project.