Frameless Hardware
Though the hardware needed for a frameless shower door is fairly minimal it is an essential design element. You will need wall mounts, hinges for swinging doors, metal clips to connect two panels of glass, and possibly u-channels for fixed panels. The hardware can be chosen to match and blend with the tint of the glass and the tile work or it can stand out and add a color accent. The hardware required for a frameless shower door comes in many color variations and finishes. A variety of metallic hues are available; brass, chrome, nickel, bronze, copper, gunmetal, and gold. Most metals come in a variety of finishes as well; brushed, polished, satin, ultra-bright, oil-rubbed, and antique. For those who prefer a bolder look there are painted fixtures in red, white, and black. Custom colors and finishes are also available.
The handle to open a swinging door is usually a knob or a pull, and these are normally double-sided. They are lined up back to back and secured together through holes drilled in the glass.
A towel bar and robe hook can also be affixed through the glass. These can be single-sided or double-sided depending on what works best for you. A double-sided towel bar would be placed on the outside and then have a twin on the inside of the shower to hang washcloths. A double-sided fixture basically gives you two fixtures yet they virtually take up the same amount of visual space. Fixtures should be chosen with an eye for minimalism. Too many fixtures or oversized ones will defeat the purpose of a frameless enclosure by detracting from the glass walls.
Semi-Frameless Hardware
For those homeowners who love the high-end look of a frameless enclosure but find it too pricey, semi-frameless can be the ideal compromise. Though the stall is supported by metal framework on the top and along the sides, it does not have the more obvious metal trim of the standard framed shower. Instead, all framing, including the channel that secures the glass, has a narrower, cleaner look. The minimal amount of hardware will put emphasis on the glass and not the frame. The metal finish of the hardware can really make a difference. For instance, a slim and sleek gunmetal frame paired with a blue-gray tinted glass or a bronze tinted glass with matching brushed bronze fixtures would make for elegant enclosures.
With a semi-frameless enclosure only parts of the shower will require framing. For instance, you could have a metal channel header, supporting the top of the shower, and a metal clip holding the glass at the base. The door can be connected by hinges to the stationary panels of glass like a frameless shower, and the edge of the door does not require metal trim. So there is basically a wall of glass secured by unobtrusive framework.
Visit our Dallas showroom to find the perfect glass for your frameless or semi-frameless enclosure.