Shower Curtain vs Glass Door: Tips for Planning Your Shower Remodel 

The cost of your remodel is probably a top consideration, and for good reason. At ZINTEX, our design consultants strive to help every customer meet their aesthetic and functional goals without going over their budget. The choice between a shower curtain vs. glass door is one that can have a significant impact on your total remodel cost.

Because there are so many different types of shower doors, it’s hard to nail down an exact cost difference between a shower with a curtain vs. a shower with a door. We do find that to stay in our standard tub or shower price range of $11,000-$16,000, it’s helpful to design a shower with a shower rod rather than a glass door. Showers in our intermediate price range of $16,000-$19,000, on the other hand, often have a glass door.

When you’re investing in any home upgrade, durability and longevity can help you make the most of your investment. As you’d probably expect, a glass shower door is going to have a significantly longer lifespan than a shower curtain. With proper care, a shower door will last as long as the shower itself, which is usually around 15-25 years.

How long your shower curtain lasts will depend on the type of shower curtain we’re talking about. A linen outer curtain can last for years with proper care, whereas a vinyl shower curtain or shower liner may require replacing in as little as six months to a year.

Given that you can buy a vinyl shower curtain for as little as $10-$20, you may not mind replacing it every six months or so. If you’d rather invest in something that you won’t need to replace for over a decade, a glass shower door is the way to go.

Next to cost, functionality just might be the most important consideration while designing your new tub or shower. Shower doors and shower curtains both impact your daily bathing experience, from how you enter and exit your tub or shower to how water is contained.

For example, you’ll need to hold open a hinged shower door while you step in and out of the shower. If you need a hands-free alternative because you need to hold onto a grab bar or hang on to a mobility aid, you may want to consider a sliding glass door or a shower curtain. Both of these can be opened before you enter and closed after you enter, leaving your hands free while you step in and out.

Depending on your overall shower design, a shower door may offer better water containment. For example, we typically recommend using a shower door with a low-threshold shower to get full top-to-bottom water containment. With a standard shower base or a tub-shower combo, you’ll likely find that a shower curtain does just fine.

How about the aesthetic differences between a shower curtain vs. a shower door? The good news is that you can probably find a shower door or a shower curtain to suit your style, so it all comes down to preferences in this category.

Shower curtains can be purchased online and in just about any store that sells home goods, from TJ Maxx to Home Depot. Whether you prefer a linen outer curtain or a simple vinyl curtain, you’ll be able to choose from nearly limitless patterns and designs. Plus, changing your shower curtain periodically gives you the chance to update your bathroom’s aesthetic with ease.

Once you commit to a shower door, you’re most likely committing to it for the long haul, which limits long-term versatility. That said, with choices like sliding barn doors, hinged doors, and fixed glass panels, you’ve got plenty of design versatility upfront. Plus, glass shower doors create an upscale, modern aesthetic that will instantly elevate your bathroom.

Shower doors and shower curtains aren’t just decorative. As we mentioned already, they’re functional components of your shower design, and they’re going to require cleaning and potential maintenance along the way.

Cleaning a shower door is a lot like cleaning your shower walls if you have an acrylic shower. A gentle, all-purpose cleaner and a soft-bristled scrub or sponge will do the trick. While well-installed shower doors should last with no problems for many years, problems with the glass, hardware, or moving mechanisms will likely require professional maintenance.

Fabric shower curtains are often machine-washable, but vinyl curtains and shower liners tend to need a hands-on approach. If you want to extend the lifespan of either of these products for more than a few months, you’ll need to periodically take them down, spray them with a vinegar mixture or cleanser, and wipe away any soap scum or mildew that has started to grow.

Designing a brand new tub or shower doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, at ZINTEX, our goal is to provide you with all the information you need for a stress-free bathroom remodel that leaves you excited for the future of your home!

Looking for more design tips from the experts at ZINTEX? Head to our Learning Center for everything from cost breakdowns to design guides to case studies.