It is not that big of a challenge to choose the right shower door. It is helpful, however, to know what types of doors are available before you head out to buy one so that you are armed with the knowledge you need to make the best decision. When determining which shower door meets you needs, easy access and keeping the water in the shower area are your top two concerns.

For various reasons, including saving space and money, the bi-fold door is a great option that is oftentimes overlooked. You can find the bi-fold shower door in a range of sizes, materials, and frame options. This door is designed to both swing and slide.

Types of Doors
The sliding door for the shower, which is also called the bypass door, has multiple sections. These sections slide on rollers within the frame. They do not open to the inside or outside, which gives them high marks for taking up a minimum of space. The individual door sections are easy to clean, but homeowners often complain that the frame or track is difficult to reach and sometimes becomes backed up due to dirt and debris. The pivot or swinging shower door is a pivoted or hinged door that closes shut, usually with a magnetic catch. This door opens to the outside, which is handy when the area of the shower is small. The swinging door does require space enough in the bathroom so that the door doesn’t hit other fixtures when it is opened.

Bi-Fold Door Options
The bi-fold shower door is designed using a center fold with panels that can be pushed together accordion-style. The actual door slides on a track that is usually found on the door’s bottom. This type of door is ideal for smaller shower because the door may be pushed to the side which allows a wide opening for getting into and out of the shower, and it does not open outwards into the bathroom, which saves space in a smaller room. After you have showered, the bi-fold door allows any remaining water to drip inside the shower area.

A pitfall of the bi-fold shower is that the track tends to accumulate with debris and dirt, which makes it hard to clean. This may also affect the sliding mechanism of the panels and they can often become limited in their movement, or even stuck. When this occurs, clearing the track and inspecting the rollers is a simple fix.

A bi-fold shower door is relatively cheap, and they are a practical solution for many showers. There are an abundant number of sizes and styles on the market that can be customized for your particular shower. You will find glass doors that are frosted, tinted, and of course, clear, and which one you choose is based on your preferences for privacy and the style of your shower. These doors can be frameless or framed; the most popular colors for frames are silver, chrome, and white.

In sum, the bi-fold door is a viable option that should be considered when choosing the right shower door due to its functionality in a small space and its moderate price tag.

Author Bio: Professional designer Jessica Ackerman, writes for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, and specializes in decorating with animals metal wall art and music metal wall art.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: home, decor, design, wall art, improvement, remodel, budget, repair, organize, feng shui, clean