Pivot Vs. Side Mount Hinge Shower Doors

Shower doors offer more options than they did in previous years and it is because of this that you need to spend a bit more time deciding on what type of installation you want. There are advantages and disadvantages to each that you should know before making your final decision. Here are the pros and cons of some of the most popular installations available. 

Pivot Shower Doors 

Pivot shower doors have pivots at the bottom and top of the door that supports their weight while opening and closing. The doors are considered to be one of the higher end options that provide a modern feel to any bathroom. 

The hardware that is required to install the doors is minimal, which means you spend less time with the actual cleaning of the doors. Another perk to pivot doors is that the hinges are usually placed at the corners of the door. As a result, the doors have a frameless view. 

However, there are some disadvantages to having pivot doors. The doors cannot be sealed to prevent water from leaking out of the shower. You also run into the problem of needing a metal header if you are not planning on doing a floor-to-ceiling install of the doors. 

Side Mount Hinge Shower Doors

With a side mount hinge door, the doors are connected to a glass panel or the wall with a hinge on the sides. It is because of this that you do not have to worry about installing a header to support the doors. This is especially important if you want frameless doors. Unlike pivot doors, you can seal side mount hinge doors to prevent water from leaking out of the shower. 

On the downside, side mount hinge doors are a bit more expensive than some other types of install. If you are using a glass panel to mount the doors to, the panel requires precision cuts so that it is able to support the weight of the doors and hold the hinges. This can drive up the cost of the doors. You can potentially keep the price lower if there are walls to connect the doors to.

The choice between side mount and pivot is yours, but it is worth exploring both options and the many other types of installation types available. Work with a contractor to help assess what would work best in your bathroom and to get the most from your shower door installation.

For professional shower door installation, contact a company such as B & R Glass & Mirror LLC.