Story at a glance:
- A Basco professional can help anyone designing or upgrading a bathroom to choose the perfect shower door.
- A high-quality shower door will last for decades. One should consider who will use the product for years to come before purchasing.
- Basco has a wide range of designs to offer clients, including unique custom made options, and they can assist you through the selection process.
Installing a new shower door can be just the finishing touch you need to upgrade an old bathroom. With so many styles and elements to consider, it is not always an easy decision. Basco, a leading manufacturer of glass shower doors, creates high-quality doors in a broad range of designs and price points to fit any style or budget. The company also offers customized products—including precision fit shower doors designed uniquely for clients.
We recently spoke with Brad Michaelson, Basco’s director of customer service, to discover what architects and designers need to consider before their next bathroom project.
1. Wall Material
It’s important to identify what support you have on which to hang your shower door—whether the shower wall is acrylic, fiberglass, tile, or any other material. Often you will need to install additional backing to support a heavy door style. Michaelson suggests having studs in the wall so choices are not limited and you can ensure your door has proper stability.
If a client prefers the luxury and sturdy feel a heavier door provides, Basco offers a beautiful selection through its RODA Collection, where the doors are manufactured with 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch glass.
2. Entry
Photo courtesy of Basco
How do you want the shower door to open? To start, consider the bathroom’s layout before you think about overall aesthetic. For instance, if you prefer a door that swings open over one that slides, you want to make sure the door won’t come in contact with anything in the room.
“It is important that you think about how you want the shower door to interact with the rest of the bathroom,” Michaelson says. “Consider the size of the door you want in relation to where your toilet or vanity is.”
Sliding or rolling doors are a stylish way to save space in a room. A stationary shower screen is another option that allows easy entry and a simplistic look.
The Celesta Series, part of the aforementioned RODA Collection, is available as a swing, door and panel, or sliding tub or shower configuration.
3. Tub or No Tub
For those who love to soak, including a tub in the bathroom design is an easy decision. If you’re not sure, Michaelson recommends considering who will be using the shower over the years. Families with small children might prefer a tub, while some people with limited mobility consider it a hassle to get in and out of.
4. Frame Options
Photo courtesy of Basco
Choosing between the options of frameless, semi-frameless, or framed for a shower door frame, one should consider style, budget, and intended usage. While the heavy frameless glass door is a popular design, it does come with a heftier price tag. However, Basco offers doors for every budget, and you can find something in a comparable style at your price point. For instance, if you are upgrading a hallway or basement shower that isn’t used often, you could spend less on a thinner glass and semi-frameless design that will still look similar.
5. Glass and Finishes
Photo courtesy of Basco
After you choose the overall feel and style of your shower door, you can decide on the finishing touches. Anyone looking for an extra layer of privacy might want to consider a patterned glass option. Michaelson says clear glass is the most popular choice.
“If you are putting in a decorative tile or pattern, a clear glass will show that off best,” he says. “It also gives the illusion that the bathroom is bigger than it is.”
Basco offers a diverse palette of metal finishes to complement any bathroom’s hardware, too.
6. Preserve with Coatings
Clients looking to maintain their shower door for the long haul while keeping maintenance and upkeep to a minimum may consider adding a special coating to the glass.
Basco’s AquaGlideXP and Guardian ShowerGuard are some of the options for protecting shower doors. These protective coatings eliminate the need for harsh cleaning chemicals; remove soap scum and hard water spots as easily as towel drying when wet.
These also prevent minerals from getting into microscopic cracks and crevices of the glass itself, so the shower door will still be beautiful decades later. The AquaGlideXP coatings can be applied to any glass option at the factory. ShowerGuard is available in Clear and Pure Clear glass options. Basco also offers an AquaGlide XP at-home kit if decided on after installation.
7. Critical Measurements
Photo courtesy of Basco
“The rule of thumb is always measure twice, cut once,” says Michaelson, stressing the importance of getting accurate measurements for your shower door.
Basco’s custom doors are made to be a perfect match, so accurate measurements are crucial. Michaelson recommends measuring your shower opening lengthwise in three spots—across the bottom, center, and top.
Measure your shower opening lengthwise in three spots—across the bottom, center, and top.
You should also make sure your walls and surfaces are level. If you do find your walls are out of plumb or your threshold is not level, Basco can customize a door to fit those unique needs.
Finally, measure for height. You can check for the maximum height available—from the top of your tub or threshold, or measure for your preferred door height.
8. DIY Possibilities
For the novice DIY-er, we’ll also note that it is possible to install a Basco shower door yourself, though Michaelson recommends enlisting a friend, as even a smaller door installation can be a two-person job. For Basco’s line of heavy custom doors, he recommends hiring a professional.
