Shower Screens

Measure the finished tiled opening, not the unfinished wall or frame. For a wall-to-wall screen, measure the width near the bottom, middle and top because walls are not always perfectly straight. For a corner shower, measure both the front and return sides. Also check the shower height, door-opening space, shower base or hob and nearby fixtures such as the vanity or toilet. Compare your measurements with the product’s stated adjustment range rather than ordering by a nominal size alone.

A frameless shower screen uses minimal hardware for a clean, open appearance and is often made with thicker glass. A semi-frameless screen combines slim framing with exposed glass edges, offering a balance of contemporary styling and adjustability. A fully framed screen has more aluminium support and can be practical where good adjustment and water containment are priorities. The best choice depends on your budget, wall condition, preferred look and bathroom layout — there is no single style that is best for every bathroom.

A sliding shower screen is often a good choice for compact bathrooms because the door does not swing into the room. Hinged or pivot doors can provide a generous opening but require enough clearance from nearby toilets, vanities and doors. A walk-in shower screen creates a simple, open look without a door, but the shower needs enough depth to control splash. Choose the door style around the space outside the shower as well as the opening itself.

A wall-to-wall shower screen is designed for a shower located between two opposing walls, so only the front enclosure is required. A front-and-return screen is normally used when the shower sits in a corner and needs glass across the front and one side. Before ordering, confirm the finished layout and measure each required side separately. For corner installations, also check whether the door position and entry direction work with the vanity, toilet and other bathroom fixtures.

This is common, particularly in older bathrooms. Many framed and semi-frameless screens provide an adjustment range within the wall channels, allowing for a limited amount of variation. Frameless glass generally requires more accurate measurements because there is less framing available to hide an uneven wall. If the opening changes significantly from bottom to top or falls outside a standard screen’s adjustment range, a custom shower screen may be more suitable. Measure the opening at several points before ordering rather than relying on one width measurement.

Glass thickness should suit the complete shower-screen design, rather than being judged on thickness alone. Framed and some semi-frameless systems can use thinner toughened glass because the frame provides additional support. Frameless screens generally use thicker glass together with suitable brackets, channels and hinges. Melbourne Bathroom Shop’s current frameless range predominantly uses 10mm toughened safety glass, while other screen systems may use 6–10mm depending on the design. Always follow the individual product specification rather than assuming thicker glass automatically means a better screen.

Not necessarily. Shower screens are designed to manage normal shower splash, but frameless doors and walk-in screens have functional gaps or open entry areas. Water containment also depends on the shower-head position, spray direction, shower depth, floor fall, drainage and installation. A larger walk-in panel may improve splash protection, while a fully enclosed framed or semi-frameless screen can sometimes provide better containment where keeping water inside the shower is the main priority. Plan the complete shower layout rather than choosing the screen only by appearance.