Whether you have a smaller bathroom and don’t have enough space for installing a bathtub or you simply aren’t a fan of them, you can always consider the idea of installing a shower panel. Shower panels are a practical and convenient shower solution that allows for being installed in any type of bathroom. Nowadays, some of the most common types of shower glasses are the semi-frameless and frameless types. Even though both of them are a common choice, still they have their own pros and cons that could help you make the right choice for you.
What Are Semi-Frameless Shower Screens?
As the name implies, these shower glass screens are something between the traditional framed screen and the frameless screen. Usually, these screens consist of glasses of different thickness, and a metal frame that is secured to the walls. A shower screen of this kind allows for being installed in different arrangements mainly because of the frame.
What Are Frameless Shower Screens?
As the name implies, these screens for showers have no frames. That being said, this kind of shower screen is a sleek, convenient and stylish bathroom screen solution that can be easily fixed to the wall and floor even though there’s no frame around them. Having no frame can also add to the bathroom’s spaciousness, especially if the glass is completely transparent and colourless.
Being so popular and common, what makes one better than the other?
Appearance
As you may assume by now, the first difference between these two screens is their appearance, the one has a frame and the other doesn’t. Considering the fact that frameless screens have no frame, this means that their glass is thicker, hence safer, and they use metal clamps and joints to create a structure. Semi-frameless screens have both frameless and framed edges on the glass which is something that not everybody loves.
Installation
When comparing both of these screens, it seems that installing a frameless screen is way easier than installing a semi-frameless one. Practice shows that the latter types of panels tend to have more parts that need to be fitted together and installed, while frameless screens have no frame parts that need to be fitted first. Instead, they only need clamps and some other smaller pieces that need to be fitted together. According to plumbers and screen installers, semi-frameless screens are mainly preferred for bathrooms with uneven walls.
Durability
Even though both of these screen shower types are considered durable and safe to use, it seems that the frameless types use thicker glass because they don’t have a frame. This feature makes them look more durable and safe to use which is the reason for their greater popularity.
Cleaning
When compared to traditional framed screens, both semi-frameless and frameless screens are easier to clean. However, when comparing both of them, cleaning frameless screens is way easier since they have no frames at all so you won’t have to put much effort into cleaning them, especially the corners.
Price
Given the fact that frameless shower screens have thicker glass, this makes them more expensive. However, they are sleeker and offer visual cleanliness which is something that you cannot obtain with semi-framed and traditional framed shower glasses.
Style
Both of these frames allow for being customised in order for you to choose the right choice. However, practice shows that in some cases, installing one can be better than installing the other. For instance, some bathrooms might be in need of installing semi-frameless screens with doors because of uneven walls and small space areas, while other bathrooms might look great with installing a larger frameless screen. As you can see, the style of screens can mainly depend on your personal preferences.
Regardless of the type of screen you plan to choose, what matters the most is opting for the right glass. The chosen one should meet the Australian safety standards like the AS 1288:1994 and the AS/NZS 2208: 1996. In other words, in Australia, you’re obliged to use Grade A safety glass due to safety precautions. This means that even if the glass breaks, it won’t pose a risk of breaking off into large jagged pieces that can literally cut you. The most commonly used types of glasses for this purpose are laminated and tempered glass. The main difference is that laminated glass consists of two or more glass sheets bonded between to resist shattering, while tempered glass is a single piece of glass.
In order to choose a safe screen for your shower, you should look for one in reliable Australian stores that specialise in selling bathroom appliances. Such stores strive to meet their client’s needs without compromising their safety and the products’ quality. In other words, stores of these kinds stock products that meet Australian safety standards and nothing else.
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