Whether you are moving into a brand new house, or remodeling your current home, making changes to the bathroom is an important thing to think about. The bathroom can be a quick place to brush your teeth or a refuge from life depending on how you use it. One easy way to make big changes and personalize your bathroom is to decide if you want a shower curtain or shower doors.
Some people have beautiful spacious bathrooms with giant bathtubs that act as focal points for the bathroom. But most bathrooms have some kind of bathtub/shower combo that saves a lot of space and allows you to choose how you want to bathe.
Whenever you have a tub/shower combo you have to decide if you want a shower curtain, or glass shower doors. Both have their pros and con, you have to decide what is best for your bathroom needs. Here are some quick pros and cons to help you make your shower decision.
Shower Curtains
Curtains for showers are usually sheets of vinyl or plastic hanging from some kind of rod. Some will consist of an outer curtain for looks and an inner curtain to control the water.
Curtain Pros:
-If you like the softer warm earthy colors and textures throughout your home then the bathrooms can seem sterile and cold by comparison. A soft shower curtain can help balance out cold harsh look of the mirrors, porcelain, and flooring.
-Many bathrooms have mostly solid colors. If you want to add color and life to your bathroom a curtain is an easy way to do so.
-Shower curtains are cheap and easy to change. If you like to keep things fresh and new it is not hard or expensive to change up the look and feel of your bathroom.
-If you hate to clean your shower curtain you can get thin cheap vinyl curtains from the 99 cent store and then you can just throw them away as they get dirty.
Curtain Cons:
-As the curtain begins to get dirty it can be frustrating to clean them rather than replacing them.
-Not all stores are consistent with their merchandise. When you replace a shower curtain the store might not have the same curtain you bought before or they may only have options that cause you to compromise the look you want for your bathroom.
-Gusts of air can cause your curtain to blow into your legs as you shower. This infuriating problem is caused by a difference in air pressure.
-Cool air will flow into the bottom of the tub. This can be very irritating.
-There are a number of ways that water can drip from the curtain onto your floor even if you are careful.
To sum things up, I am not a fan of shower curtains. Most of the negative aspects that I listed above are enough to make me not want a curtain. (Especially the cold air coming in and blowing the curtain into you) However, most of the places I have lived have had showers with curtains. Sometimes it is the better way to go.
Shower Doors
Glass doors on showers can be clear providing a clean open feel or they can be frosted or opaque to give some privacy. Most doors either slide left or right on rails or are mounted on hinges to swing open.
Shower Door Pros:
-Shower doors force you to keep your shower area neat and clean. Keeping clear glass shower doors clean will leave you with a very attractive bathroom.
-If you prefer a clean modern feel to your bathroom a glass shower door will go a long way in providing that feel.
-Compared to a curtain, there is virtually no way to drip water onto the floor during or after the shower.
-Depending on the design and quality of materials, the doors and frame can provide a welcome hand support as you are climbing in or out of the shower. Even if not designed to be load bearing, the impromptu support of the doors can be helpful for crowded coed showering or anyone who is less than fully capable like senior citizens.
-The doors of a shower will trap all the warm air and water inside.
Shower Door Cons:
-Shower doors force you to keep your shower area neat and clean.
Clear glass shower doors will be a source of embarrassment to you if you don’t keep them clean. This is by far the most frustrating part of having shower doors.
-Shower doors cost significantly more to install and replace.
The shower curtain vs shower doors debate is an odd one; it can be very polarizing. Nearly everyone should have an opinion on it and most people do. The strange part is that most people you talk to seem to be surprised that you don’t agree with them. I believe this is because people do not talk about this enough. People do not realize that half the people out there feel the opposite way that they do. That’s one more reason to decide what works best for you and your bathroom and to talk about it and spread the word.
For what it is worth, I am very fond of shower doors. I find it comforting that shower doors trap all the heat into the shower. When I am in a shower with a curtain, I find the small drafts of cold air that invade the tub and attack my feet to be unacceptable. But I am also fond of cool modern designs so that might also contribute to my preference. There are a lot of reasons why the curtain might be right for you. It is all a matter of priorities.
