Tub Shower Doors in Cincinnati, OH

A tub enclosure is glass mounted on the rim of the tub, running from wall to wall across the open side. It can be a pair of sliding panels, a single slider, a hinged panel or one fixed panel that covers part of the tub.

The glass sits on the tub deck, so the tub edge has to be flat and fairly level for a good seal. Framed units sit in a bottom track caulked to the tub. Frameless units use clear seals and a small guide instead.

A shower door over tub openings makes sense when:

• The curtain lets water onto the floor, or the liner keeps growing mildew.
• You want the bathroom to look more finished without a full remodel.
• The tub is used mostly as a shower.

It may not be the right call when:

• Someone bathes small children in the tub often. A full enclosure makes reaching in harder, so a single fixed panel or a curtain may suit better.
• The tub has a curved or sloped rim. Bob Vila notes some door models cannot be installed on a curved bathtub. A local installer can tell you what will fit.

Framed bypass doors. Two panels that slide past each other. The lowest-cost choice, and the most common in older homes. See sliding and bypass doors.

Frameless sliders. Heavier glass on exposed rollers with a small bottom guide. Easier to clean than a framed track.

Fixed panel (splash panel). One panel covering the shower end of the tub, open at the other end. Simple and easy to reach past. See glass shower panels.

Hinged tub screen. A panel that swings, used where a slider will not fit.

All tub glass has to be safety glass. Under the model building code, glass in enclosures containing or next to bathtubs with a bottom edge under 60 inches above the standing surface is a hazardous location.

Cincinnati has a lot of older tub baths. Census data puts the median year built at 1978 for the middle zip code in the metro, 1938 in 45208 (Hyde Park) and 1949 in 45209 (Oakley). Tubs and tile walls in homes that age are often a little out of level or plumb, which is why measured, custom-fit glass usually beats a stock kit.

Hard water is the other issue. Greater Cincinnati Water Works reports plant averages of roughly 7 to 8 grains per gallon (approximate, per Culligan). On a tub, water sits on the deck and in the bottom track, so scale builds up fast. A coated glass panel and a track you can wipe out make daily care much easier.

The installer removes the curtain rod or old door, scrapes off old caulk and checks the tub rim for level. Framed units get a bottom track and wall jambs, then the panels are hung and adjusted. Frameless sliders and fixed panels get clips or a roller bar, a small guide and clear seals.

This Old House notes most standard shower door installations take two to four hours, with labor typically $50 to $100 per hour. Custom glass for an older, out-of-square tub adds a second visit, since the glass is made to the measurements.

• A photo of the whole tub, plus a close-up of the tub rim where the glass will sit.
• Rough width of the tub opening, wall to wall.
• What is there now (curtain, framed slider) and whether it needs removing.
• Your style choice: bypass, frameless slider, fixed panel or hinged screen.
• Hardware finish and whether you want a coating.

The installer will measure exactly and check the tub rim before ordering.