Converting an ordinary bathroom into a wet room gives it the feel of an upscale hotel, so it’s no wonder House Beautiful includes wet rooms in its discussion of “Bathroom Trends That Will Dominate in 2022”. In a wet room, the shower is not enclosed behind glass or a curtain, and the whole room is waterproofed. Typically the walls as well as the floor are tiled, but panels of back painted glass can also be used to cover walls in a wet room. In this type of space, the shower and the rest of the bathroom form one contiguous whole. However, the addition of a shower screen can enhance the look AND convenience of a wet room.
A shower screen is unlike your typical glass enclosure because it consists of a single piece of glass. This glass screen can be either stationary or hinged to swing out into the bathroom. Shower screens may be further customized:
As you can see a shower screen is, by definition, sleek and simple. However, its ability to positively impact a room is significant.
Including a shower screen in your wet room means the opportunity to enhance your chosen mood or theme for the room. For example, clear glass with a black grille is very in-vogue these days, and ABC Glass & Mirror can create this look by surrounding clear glass with U-channel and having ceramic frit printed onto the surface of the glass in the form of gridwork. A “Crittall style” screen like this has a classic look but brings the space up to speed with today’s hottest décor fashions. Frameless glass is also very popular. A frameless screen gives the room sparkle, freshness, and clean lines. It’s an excellent choice if you want to maintain a clear view of your shower tiles. Falling between these two choices, we have glass screens with black framing. These bring to your bathroom the fashionable combination of clear glass and black metal but mostly preserve visual continuity between the shower area and the rest of the room.
On the practical side, a shower screen helps with water containment. A wet room should be waterproof, but this doesn’t mean you want water everywhere. In an open-concept shower situation, water containment is realized through a combination of multiple factors.
The addition of a shower screen is one more weapon in your arsenal when it comes to keeping water in the shower area. If you don’t want to sacrifice the appearance of a completely open concept wet room, opt for a clear frameless glass screen.
If you’d like to learn more about shower screen options, give ABC Glass & Mirror a call at (703)257-7150. We can discuss possibilities over the phone and set up a free in-home consultation and estimate.