Your Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Shower Door Hardware

Of course picking out the glass is a crucial part of designing your custom glass shower enclosure, but so is choosing the perfect hardware. Some glass showers have lots of metal while others have hardly any, but it’s always important to thoughtfully pick its style and finish. In fact, the perfect combination of glass and metal is what makes a shower enclosure design a success. We’ll take a look at hardware options, current trends, and popular glass and metal combinations.​

1. Does the shower hardware need to match the other metal in the bathroom?

These days you’ll see beautiful bathrooms with matching hardware as well as others with mixed metals. This is unsurprising because more eclectic styles like maximalism and grandmillenial are gaining popularity these days. When it comes to the color of your shower hardware, the choice is yours. Let’s take a closer look at a few different ways to handle this part of your glass shower design.

• If you’re just updating your shower, one approach is to order hardware of the same finish as the faucet, light fixtures, etc. This traditional approach gives your bathroom a coordinated and uniform look.
• Perhaps the shower is the only major fixture you’re updating, but you’d like to change the bathroom’s vibe. If there’s a stylish AND classic finish you love – matte black and gold are some possibilities – you could consider introducing this new metal by way of the shower. (If you mix metals, you want to combine contrasting shades. If they’re similar, it will just look like you did a bad job matching.) When using several finishes in the same room, be sure to include more than one instance of each finish. You could pair the shower with a wall hanging framed in the same metal or even swap out the vanity drawer knobs in the new finish.
• If you’re starting from scratch or remodeling the whole bathroom, you have more flexibility for the mixed metals approach. In this case, you might want to choose a very classic finish for more expensive installations like your glass shower and introduce trendier tones by way of items you could more cheaply replace, such as the towel bars or pull handles.

Still wondering about the best finish for YOUR shower hardware? You can schedule a free consultation with a glass specialist from ABC who can show you photos of shower enclosures with various hardware finishes.

2. What hardware finishes are in style?

In one sense, it is hard for certain finishes to truly go out of style. Gold and silver tones, for example, have been around for centuries. Such finishes may experience a time of lower demand, but they won’t make your room look dated the way a particular pattern or unusual paint color might. At the same time, certain metals are more popular than others in 2021. Considering some FAQs will give you a feel for today’s trends.

3. What hardware is most commonly used on glass shower doors?

Glass tends to be front and center on shower doors and enclosures, but metal is its necessary partner. The precise type of hardware will be determined by customer preference, shower design, door type, bathroom structure, and so forth. To give you a general idea of the metal components to be thinking about, here’s an overview of hardware commonly used on glass showers.

4. Will I need to choose metal components if I order a frameless shower?

Frameless glass showers do have very little metal. The glass edges remain free of framing, and clips and caulk joints are used for construction instead. The metal components that you’ll need to choose will depend on the type of enclosure you want. Even though the amount of metal is relatively low, it’s still crucial to be intentional in picking the design and hue.

Frameless Enclosure with Swinging Door(s)

• Hinges
• Handles

Working with ABC Glass & Mirror, you can choose from a variety of styles and finishes for these handles and hinges to make the shower area more contemporary, transitional, or traditional as you prefer.

Frameless Rolling “Barn Style” Enclosure

• Handles
• Header and rollers

ABC also offers a variety of handle options for these doors. You can choose from a specific selection of hardware finishes for each of our rolling shower enclosures – 60-Roller Series, 70-Roller Series, 80-Roller Series, and Dual Roller Series.

Even if there is very little metal on a shower – as in the case of a frameless unit – the style and finish you choose will have a big impact. For example, picture the difference between clear glass paired with chrome hardware and clear glass paired with matte black hardware.

5. What are my choices for a semi-frameless unit?

Semi-frameless glass shower enclosures have less metal than framed units but more than frameless designs. Semi-frameless enclosures are typically less expensive than comparable frameless enclosures because the inclusion of framing allows glaziers to use thinner glass while maintaining structural integrity. This cost-effectiveness is one reason for choosing a semi-frameless shower. Also, if you want bypass doors for your shower, semi-frameless construction is used. The door panels themselves are unframed, and the entire perimeter of the enclosure is framed in aluminum.

If you pick a semi-frameless design, you’ll need to make decisions about:

• Handle style
• Handle finish 
• Framing thickness
• Framing finish

6. How about an enclosure with black metal gridwork on the glass?

7. Can I use matte black metal on other types of shower enclosures?

Absolutely! Even if you don’t choose a Gridscape shower enclosure or glass adorned with black ceramic frit, you can still embrace the popular pairing of clear glass and matte black metal. For instance, this hardware finish is available for ABC Glass & Mirror’s popular rolling barn-style doors as well as other custom and standard shower enclosures, such as:

• A swinging door beside a fixed panel
• French doors
• A single swinging door
• Corner shower enclosures (90 degree or neo-angle)
• A fixed or swinging shower screen

If you want to amp up the clarity of the glass in this pairing, ABC Glass & Mirror offers ultra-clear glass. The iron that occurs in glass is what gives it greenish discoloration around the edges. The reduced iron content in ultra-clear glass minimizes this effect for optimal clarity. (Also nice if you’re looking to show off custom tile or another lovely shower interior!)

In some settings – such as a bathroom shared by siblings – a more private shower area is preferred. Besides our clear glass options, ABC Glass & Mirror offers acid-etched, patterned, tinted, and cast glass choices that also look beautiful alongside matte black, brushed nickel, gold and other hardware finishes.

8. What are my choices for handle and hinge styles?

Handles and hinges can be relatively small components of a large glass shower enclosure, but they should still be chosen with care. In general, hinges vary in their finish and in whether the edges are beveled or square. Square edge hinges look a bit more modern while beveled edges are more traditional. As mentioned earlier, you’ll also choose between wall mounted and pivot hinges depending on your desired look and functionality.

ABC Glass & Mirror offers handles in several general categories:

9. How should I clean my shower hardware?

Better Homes and Gardens offers tips for cleaning bathroom fixtures, and takeaways for shower hardware include:

• In some ways, caution is the watchword when cleaning shower hardware. For example, certain finishes such as oil-rubbed bronze and brass should not be washed with anything except a cloth and warm water. Using cleaning agents on these finishes leads to damage. 
• Whatever finish you’ve chosen, stay away from abrasive scrubbing pads and harsh cleansers which can scratch your hardware. In general, a mild solution of gentle dish soap and water and a soft cloth are suitable for cleaning shower hardware. 
• Regular cleaning of bathroom fixtures is vital because these rooms see so much use and can easily become “yucky.” It’s a good practice to institute a weekly cleaning day, but wiping some surfaces down daily can help the space stay consistently inviting.

Cleaning your shower hardware regularly and correctly helps you make the most of your investment in a new glass shower enclosure. The shower is often a bathroom’s focal point, and the metal partners with the glass to create your desired look and feel. It can only reach its full potential when not marred by soap scum, water spots, and the like.

If you’ve ordered a specialty finish or are unsure of what soap would be appropriate for your specific hardware, the manufacturer should be able to provide further care and cleaning details. Finally, another helpful practice is drying the shower hardware after each use to prevent water spots, mineral buildup, etc. Keep a basket of absorbent towels handy to make it easy to form this routine.

10. How can I order a shower enclosure with custom glass and metal?

ABC Glass & Mirror has been supplying and installing custom glass showers in the Northern Virginia region for nearly twenty years. Our veteran team partners with you throughout the project to bring it to completion with the shower of your dreams. 

• Call us at (703)257-7150 to discuss your project ideas and schedule a free consultation and estimate.
• Meet with one of our glaziers who will measure the shower area, record observations, show you product pictures and samples, and answer whatever questions you may have.
• Get an emailed price quote, make your decision, and order a shower enclosure with your chosen glass, metal, and design.
• Take it easy as our installers put the shower enclosure in place for you to enjoy for years to come!