Narrowing down options for a new shower enclosure can be overwhelming. Once you've decided on clear glass, there are a few more decisions to be made, such as whether to go with a semi-frameless or frameless design.

To Frame or Not to Frame

In short, a semi-frameless shower has metal framing everywhere but the door. This means that vertical seams at the corners of the enclosure will be held together by metal. A semi-frameless shower is often much the same as a framed one, except for the door. Frameless shower enclosures have very little metal framing. The only metal on the door is the hinge and possibly a small strip at the bottom to catch drips. A frameless unit may have a metal strip that runs all the way across the top for added stability, but the vertical seams are not held together with metal. Semi-frameless showers are typically less expensive than frameless ones.