Design
Over the past several years we have reviewed over a thousand different frameless shower door designs, from the basic single door unit to ten panel multi-angle enclosures. With the variety of hardware we offer, we have been able to accommodate almost every design we have encountered. Many of the units fall into what we call our "Ten Most Popular Designs". In this section of the book we show basic illustrations of these ten designs. The importance of design cannot be underestimated. For this reason we also show an area of this section called "Design Considerations". We encourage you to read those pages and use them as a reference guide whenever you do a frameless shower enclosure. With careful planning, you can design, select hardware, fabricate and install your enclosure without causing yourself a jobsite dilemma that could have been avoided. A beautiful frameless shower enclosure may be limited only by the imagination of the designer. This can be best illustrated by simply viewing the many different photos that have been shown in our last three "Frameless Shower Door Hardware & Supplies" Catalogs. Transforming your idea or vision into reality requires not only quality hardware, but a design or plan to integrate the new enclosure into the existing surroundings.
Hardware Selection
Appropriate hardware selection is extremely important to attain the desired result of an aesthetically pleasing and safe shower enclosure. Proper hardware cannot be determined until you decide what glass thickness you will be using. This will help you to make sure that the hardware you have selected will accommodate the glass thickness you wish to use. We also show another chart in this section with a suffix list of hardware finishes available.
Design Considerations
When you are in the initial stages of designing, it is important that you consider the issue of safety, along with potential problems that may arise. We have received phone calls from customers that say they have an "installation problem", when in reality, they had a design problem. The interesting thing to us is that many of these “installation problems” could have been avoided with better planning and design considerations We encourage you to spend a few minutes and review the list of design considerations we have assembled. We would also advise you not to make this a one time reading. The list below includes many basic issues that should be considered each and every time you begin to design a frameless shower enclosure. First and foremost, is the unit safe? This is a concern not only for the obvious protection of the end user, but a concern for the installer in this litigious society
Do not hinge a door off of a fixed panel using glass-to-glass hinges if the fixed panel is not supported at the top. If a door is to be hinged off of a fixed panel using glass-to-glass hinges, one of the following criteria must be met:
(A) The door must be hinged off a fixed panel that is secured at both the curb and the ceiling with either U-Channel or Glass Clamps.
(B) If the fixed panel does not go to the ceiling, the top of the panel must be secured with a header system or a support bar.
- If the design allows, using wall mount hinges, and not glass-to-glass hinges (to avoid swinging a door off of an unsupported fixed panel), is a good solution. A door swinging off of an unsupported panel can cause the panel to wobble or flex, and be unsafe.
Follow Manufacturer Specifications for Hinges
Always adhere to both the manufacturer’s specifications concerning weight and door width capacities when deciding the proper number of hinges to use on the door. It may be tempting to cut corners and save on hardware costs by stretching the manufacturer’s recommended hardware limitations—this is not a good business decision.
Also, under no circumstances should you ever install four C.R. Laurence hinges on a door. You will notice that all of our recommended specifications address the use of two or three hinges only.
Wall Mount Hinges and Wall Alignment
When using wall mount hinges, place a straight edge on the wall where the hinges will be mounted. The wall can be out of plumb, but it must be straight. Hinges operate on a pivot point, and pivot points must align with one another.
If the pivot points are not aligned and are clamped to a heavy piece of glass that does not flex, the glass can slip when the door swings. Identifying this issue during the measuring process allows you to avoid future problems by either:
Using top and bottom pivot hinges to bypass the wall completely, or
Installing a shim plate behind the back plate of the hinge closest to the wall, adjusting it outward so it aligns with the pivoting point of the other hinge(s).
Ensure Proper Wall Support for Wall Mount Hinges
When installing wall mount hinges, verify that the wall has a wood stud behind it or that the surface substrate is sufficiently strong, thick, and securely fastened to hold the appropriate screw anchors.
Proper structural support is essential to ensure the safe and long-lasting performance of the hinges and the door system.
Using a Combination of Wall Mount and Glass-to-Glass Hinges
Generally, hinging a door using a combination of wall mount and glass-to-glass hinges can be done, as long as precautions are taken and certain conditions are met. C.R. Laurence (CRL) offers hinges in their Geneva and Pinnacle series specifically for use on pony (step) walls.
The GEN280 (Geneva) and PIN280 (Pinnacle) hinges are designed for use with 180° pony walls.
The GEN245 (Geneva) and PIN245 (Pinnacle) are suited for 135° pony walls.
These hinges serve as alternatives to standard glass-to-glass wall hinges commonly used in these applications. They can be paired with the appropriate glass-to-glass hinge for the given angle.
Previously, this type of installation required cutting tile or marble to recess the wall mount hinge. This was necessary to align the pivot points of both hinges for a proper installation. To eliminate this time-consuming step, CRL developed modified wall mount hinges featuring:
A shortened center block (containing only one centering spring)
A small back plate (with only two mounting holes)
This design allows the hinge to be surface-mounted onto tile or marble while maintaining proper pivot alignment with the glass-to-glass hinge above.
Note: For 135° installations, the face of the pony wall must be at a 45° angle to the main wall, and at a 90° angle to the door plane.
Alternative Solution: Top and Bottom Pivot Hinges
An excellent alternative in this scenario is the use of top and bottom pivot hinges. These:
Do not require tile alterations
Can be mounted in various configurations (e.g., floor and ceiling, floor and header, floor and fixed transom)
Are generally easier to install
Reduce glass fabrication costs, as they only require cutouts at the top and bottom of the door glass, rather than multiple cutouts for both door and panel as required by glass-to-glass hinges.
Neo-Angle Enclosures with Knee Walls
For a neo-angle enclosure with a knee wall, if the knee wall is mitered at a 45-degree angle, you can use standard wall mount hinges. However, if the knee wall has a 90-degree square end mounting surface, this method will not work.
The only solution for addressing a square end mounting surface is to place at least a 6” (152mm) mitered fixed panel next to the wall, and hinge the door off of this panel using 180-degree glass-to-glass hinges. Note that your opening must be wide enough to accommodate both the fixed panel and a satisfactorily sized door.
If the knee wall is on the strike side of the door, there is no issue—simply miter the strike side of the door glass, and everything will align properly.
Towel Bar Clearance with Wall Mount Hinges
When using wall mount hinges in combination with a towel bar/pull combo, it’s important to consider whether the end of the towel bar closest to the hinges will contact the wall before the door fully opens to 90 degrees.
Solution:
Use top and bottom pivot hinges, and inset the hinges far enough from the edge of the glass so the pivot point is projected outward enough to allow the towel bar to clear the wall. (Refer to the diagram for spacing guidance.)
Wall Mount Hinges and Towel Bar Conflicts
When using wall mount hinges on a wall that also has a towel bar mounted, design considerations must be taken into account to ensure that the towel bar does not interfere with the door when it opens to its full 90 degrees.
This situation can cause two key problems:
Restricted access to the shower.
Risk of glass breakage or door explosion if the door makes contact with the towel bar.
Solution:
Use top and bottom pivot hinges and inset the hinges enough so the pivot point projects far enough from the wall to clear the towel bar.
Glass Installation with a Protruding Accent Strip
When installing a frameless shower unit in a tiled or marbled enclosure that has a protruding accent strip in the area where the glass will be placed, different approaches are required depending on whether the door or a fixed panel is affected.
If the Door is Mounted Off a Wall with an Accent Strip:
You have two options:
Notch the door to match the profile of the accent strip.
Remove the accent strip (both in front and behind the door) and replace it with a flat tile or marble insert that matches the enclosure.
If Installing a Fixed Panel with U-Channel:
Notch a groove into the accent strip wide enough to accept the U-channel. This can be done with a diamond blade in a 4" (102mm) hand grinder.
If the Fixed Panel Is Secured Only at Top and Bottom:
Option 1: Notch the accent strip to accept the glass.
Option 2: Use a contour gauge to copy the profile of the accent strip. Transfer this profile to the edge of the glass panel, then increase the traced outline by 3/16" (5mm) all the way around for clearance. After that, notch the glass accordingly.
Important: Never position glass clamps directly in the accent strip area.
Wall Mount Hinges on Non-Standard Angled Walls
When planning to use a wall mount hinge on a wall that is not at the standard 90-degree angle to the curb, this must be identified during the design phase, not during installation.
Solutions:
Use the Geneva Adjustable Series Hinge (see current Shower Door Catalog).
C.R. Laurence also offers several hinge series that:
Include reversible pivot pins.
Can accept custom angled pivot pins (see reference chart).
Note:
Standard glass size deductions on the hinge side are affected by angle changes.
You can alter the door’s closing position by ±5 degrees using the reversible pivot pin provided with some hinges.
Custom angled pins ranging from 1° to 45° are also available.
These hinges function based on a pivot point located approximately 1-1/32" (26mm) off the wall. As the hinge angle changes, the hinge side of the glass will move off center-line, proportional to the angle shift.
Glass-to-Glass Hinges: Pivot Pin Considerations
When using glass-to-glass hinges, it is strongly recommended not to use a pivot pin exceeding 5 degrees. The reason for this limitation lies in the mechanics of the hinge: it operates from a pivot point that is inset 7/8" (22mm) from the edge of the fixed glass panel. As the degree of the pivot pin increases, the portion of the door glass behind the pivot point begins to swing outward, misaligning the hinge side of the door with the fixed panel.
A 5-degree pin will project the hinge side of the door approximately 3/32" (2mm), which is typically acceptable. For applications requiring more than a 5-degree angle, it is advised to use top and bottom pivot hinges (such as the Prima, Cardiff, Rondo, Shell, Junior Prima, or Senior Cardiff/Prima Series). Due to their design, these hinges can be mounted at custom angles to ensure perfect alignment with adjacent fixed panels.
Top and Bottom Pivot Hinges in Design Planning
Consider using top and bottom pivot hinges as part of your shower enclosure design strategy. As referenced in other sections, we recommend pivot hinges (Prima, Rondo, Shell, Junior Prima, and Senior Prima Series) as a versatile solution for many potential installation challenges.
These hinges offer numerous advantages:
They enhance the “all-glass” aesthetic by avoiding visible mid-panel hinges.
They provide installation flexibility, allowing for mounting options such as:
Floor and ceiling
Floor and header
Floor and fixed transom
They often result in cost savings, not only in hardware but also by reducing the number of glass cut-outs required.
While not every customer may prefer top and bottom hinges, their sleek appearance, structural adaptability, and practical benefits make them a strong design consideration for frameless shower enclosures.
Use of Thresholds for Outsloping or Flat Curbs
An aluminum shower door threshold should be considered when the shower curb is flat or slopes outward. We offer stock-length thresholds that can be siliconed directly to the curb beneath the door. These thresholds have a rounded, low-profile design that is comfortable on bare feet.
Benefits include:
Acting as a dam to redirect water flow back into the shower.
Enhancing water containment when paired with a bottom wipe placed above the threshold.
Special attention should be paid to the slope of the floor, as it may create uneven clearance beneath the door. In such cases, we recommend using the Double Fin Vinyl Wipe (Cat. No. SDTDF), which has two fin lengths to accommodate varying gaps. The dual fins flex as needed and simply drag across the top of the threshold, helping to create a consistent and effective water seal.