Shower doors and their differences
Frameless shower doors are, as the name suggests, frameless. They don’t have the aluminum and big frames that framed showers do, which means they are easier to clean. Without a frame, the light can spread out easily, so the build-up of mold and mildew is slower than with that of a framed shower. The glass is often 10mm to 12mm in size to accommodate for the lack of a frame. This glass, and its hardware, is customizable allowing you to make your shower feel and look uniquely yours.
Semi-Frameless shower doors are often referred to as a “cheaper” or a “budget cut” for those looking to choose a cheaper shower, but that is not true. They are often similar in price to both completely frameless showers. Semi-Frameless showers are unique though as they only have frames around a part of their glass, such as the name suggests. This is to provide additional support to the door, depending on the configuration. As with the frameless shower, this is also often easier to clean and can likely be cleaned less often.
Finally Framed shower doors. They were the first solution to shower curtains. The glass used in a framed shower is thinner because it has a frame to support and protect it. It does not need to be as thick as a frameless shower because it does not need to stand on its own. One of the bigger drawbacks of a framed shower is that, to the aluminum surrounding the shower, it can create a build-up of hard water, as well as other corrosion over time on the frame. The frame also makes it harder to clean mold and mildew when it starts to build-up. Though they are great for people who are willing to put in more work to keep the build-up on the frame and glass.