FAQ

• Can I measure and install a frameless shower enclosure or do I need a professional to do it?
  With the proper guidance and support from us, there is no reason why you should have any problem measuring or installing. We do insist that the installation must be a two person affair. All of our installation crews have two people per truck to install every frameless shower door enclosure. If measured properly, (our technical support team will make sure you do!) your custom frameless shower enclosure will require no fabrication on your part making the installation process a breeze. Always keep in mind you are working with glass. It is safety tempered but still glass. Go slow, be safe and watch our measuring and installation video’s that were made just for you, the do it-yourselfers who want a custom made American frameless shower enclosure at a whole sale price.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Is there such a thing as a standard size frameless shower door?
  The Chinese glass industry has imported standard size, square cut thick glass frameless shower doors that are 28” X 72” or 28” X 78”. We're here to tell you that they don't work because they are mass produced, cut square, and they do not conform to your wall or sill. Why would you buy a square cut standard size Chinese door that will leave you with large gaps or hinge binding when you can buy a custom American made shower door for the same price or less! All of our raw glass sheets are made by PPG Industries, an American manufacturer of raw float glass. It is shipped from Pennsylvania to our manufacturing facility here in South Florida where each piece is cut to your own individual specifications for your bathroom. It’s like a custom tailored suit that was hand made by us to fit only you.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Why do most shower door companies insist on using u-channel framing and you don’t?
  The myth of u-channel. Are your frameless shower doors and enclosures really frameless?

  U CHANNEL, CLIPS OR HEADERS, OH MY!

  "THE MYTH OF "U" CHANNEL."

  Let’s get right to it. Please do not let anyone or any company tell you that you need “u” channel, because you don’t! The whole purpose of a frameless shower enclosure is to NOT have a frame, and by cutting, mitering, screwing and gluing an aluminum metal frame (U channel) around the entire perimeter of your custom “frameless” shower enclosure, you have just created a framed shower enclosure. Makes no sense, does it?

  Let me tell you why some or most on-line or retail shower door and glass companies insist you use these “U” channels (frames) around your beautiful, thick glass.

  1. They do not have the skill, patience or confidence in themselves to measure or their heavy glass manufacturing suppliers (none of these companies buy their glass from a facility or company that only builds and fabricates just custom frameless shower doors because we are the only ones, and we won’t sell to them!) that attempt to fabricate an “out-of-square”, custom piece of glass just don’t know how to do it. This is because mostly all heavy glass manufacturers are trained and used too cutting just square cut glass for things like table tops or thick window panes or wait! Frameless shower doors that have a “u” channel frame around it.
  2. They themselves do not fabricate and temper the glass so how can they guarantee it is going to fit. That is unless they tell you that you need an ugly, ¾” thick “u”channel frame around it that allows them to have ¾” of an inch adjustment to hide any and all mistakes. Are you getting the picture yet…?
  3. They will also tell you that it looks cleaner than clips and it’s easier to install when in fact nothing could be further than the truth. Fact is it takes a lot more time and effort to measure, cut, miter, glue and piece together this frame (u channel) and then anchor and screw it(be sure you don’t place the glass on top of the screw heads sticking up or you are going to have a big nightmare on your hands, and head) around your entire shower opening then installing a couple of clips that were specifically engineered to secure a frameless shower enclosure thru the glass (not rest in it) and into the tile. Hmmmm
  4. They will also tell you it performs the same function as clips (clamps) when it fact it does not even come close. U channel is a frame that YOU MUST FABRICATE AND INSTALL. Once you are done spending your entire day performing this useless task, you then slip your thick, heavy custom made glass into this frame (U channel) and glue the glass to the frame and the frame to the tile. Clips on the other hand were designed (less than 2” square) not only to provide you with a frameless look, but for safety and health reasons. Every clip (clamp) that we sell or install or teach you how to install requires a notch in the glass so the clip can bolt through the glass panel and then anchored to the tile becoming one true fixed structure, not just glued to a thick piece of metal. No frame means no soap scum and bacteria build up that always grows around a frame. You will know what I mean if you happen to be one of our do-it-yourselfers when you remove your old shower doors .That smell and “stuff” you will see is not candy.
  5. Price. Other companies claim it costs much more to do a clip system then a U channel (framed) system. Not so, that is unless in fact you have to have another middleman (heavy glass fabricator) manufacture your (theirs) shower enclosure. We are the manufacturer of the original frameless shower enclosure system and we urge you to get a price from them and a price from us using a real frameless clip system. We are not only the lowest price; we are the innovators, manufacturers, distributors, and master designers and installers. The all important Headers…
     Everyone from contractors to designers and even some homeowners have this notion that the term ‘Frameless’ means no clips or headers or any fastener what so ever. This also can be no further then the truth. Each fastener has a purpose predicated on the design at hand. We will never build a frameless shower enclosure that YOU feel is safe. We have been doing this since day one. We are licensed glaziers with hundreds of combined years experience in structural design, fabrication and installation of heavy glass. You just can’t get what you want sometimes but I will promise you that if you choose us to design and install (or teach you how to do it yourself), you will be more than satisfied with our design we came up with just for you. Now let’s talk about headers. Header systems were the first and only frameless system we had all those years ago, and the truth is they are still the most secure way of enclosing a multi panel frameless enclosure with a door that is not bolted to the wall. Example being a large neo-angle or an enclosure where the door is centered between two knee walls. They also provide unmatched rigidity and in most cases eliminate flex all together. They are only 1 ¼” wide and only go across the top edges when absolutely needed. Please try and remember, we are the professionals and we really do know when you need one. They actually look really good when you don’t put u channel all over the place (see our neo-angle and 90 degree photo gallery). Notice you see no vertical wall U channel?
     The absolute only way we would sell you a U channel system (we never use them on our installs on the walls ever) is if your wall is a total disaster meaning you might have tried to be a tile guy and failed terribly…(see example).It is rarely the case but we have seen it all by now. Remember we are here to help, so let us.
     The original frameless shower doors are not only SGCC certified (see logo and certificate) manufacturers ,we are one of the nation’s oldest and largest fully licensed frameless shower door companies, designing and installing nearly 5000 custom frameless shower door and enclosures a year and growing( show vans and employees).With that being said, we know a thing or two about safely designing and installing frameless enclosures, as well as what frameless enclosure requires clips or a header and which do not. We hope and trust you will listen to our advice when it comes down to design choices and options available.
     We are so sure you will be happy you decided to work with us that we give all of our clients a free lifetime warranty on hardware and service if you choose to have us design, make and install your custom frameless enclosure at no charge. (see warranty).Nothing looks and functions better than an enclosure made, sold and or installed by "The Original Frameless Shower Doors"TM

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Are your frameless shower doors and enclosures truly frameless?
  Yes! Contrary to what you have been told or have read, you do not need u-channel anywhere. The absolute ONLY reason some shower door and glass companies push these ugly “U” channels is because they are not the manufacturers and most of them cannot teach you how to measure properly or they do not trust their glass manufacturer to cut the glass correctly, hence the “U” channel. We are the true manufacturers and innovators of the frameless shower door system. Each glass door has our name etched into it, as well as yours, proving it was custom made just for you by us. (Show Stamp) As well as inspected and SGCC certified and approved.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What makes your sliding frameless doors so rigid?
  Our entire line of sliding frameless tub and shower doors are made with 3/8” thick glass. All of the hangers are drilled threw the glass, not just clamped on. All (except our standard line) are custom made by us using only the finest hardware made by the C.R. Laurence Company in Los Angeles, California.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Should I use clear glass, frosted (acid mist) or a textured glass?
  Nothing opens up a bathroom like a clear glass frameless enclosure, especially if you have a small bathroom. For those of you that want or need privacy or you happen to have old tile you want to hide, than acid etch or a textured glass such as rain glass would be the way to go.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Does a frameless shower enclosure leak?
  Simply put, a frameless shower door has no frame! All frameless doors and enclosures are designed to deflect water, no retain it. We not only are the manufacturers, we are one of the largest (if not the largest) installation companies in the nation. If our shower doors all leaked we would be out of business. As we stated, if you measure using our simple instructions and watch our videos you will have little to no leakage. Some common sense applies here. Do not use a hand held body spray to rinse off your frameless door. Make sure your sill, curb and/or ledge is pitched approximately 3/16” in towards the shower as well as all the other design tips we have provided for you. The only vulnerable (potential water leakage) area should be the door. All fixed panels are silicone inside and out and should never leak.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What is safety tempered shower glass?
  All shower doors and enclosures must be safety tempered by law. Regular raw glass breaks into large, sharp chunks, where as safety tempered shower glass breaks into very small pieces. All of our fabrication is done by us, in house as well as safety tempering your frameless shower doors. We are SGCC certified (show stamp) and regularly send our glass out for testing to ensure you receive the highest quality obtainable. Always ask who tempers your glass and ask for a photo of their tempering logo that must be applied to each and every piece of glass by law. Look for the SGCC logo in small writing. This will ensure that you are getting the finest tempered (tested) glass available. Note: Once the glass goes through the tempered process, absolutely nothing can be done to it as far as fabrication applies. Any drilling, cutting or grinding of any sort will result in the glass shattering.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What is the tempered glass fabrication and raw glass mean? How do you make a frameless shower doors?
  Glass fabrication or fabrication itself means to make something from raw materials, in our case glass. Our raw glass comes in large sheets that are cut by computer to your exact specifications. After the cutting process, the glass is then high polished by machine and mitered if need be. Next, your glass is marked, specifying where all the notches for all the hinges and clip placements will be attached. Your glass is then drilled on our dual sided diamond hydraulic drill press and custom notches can be made by hand at this point. All edges are polished smooth. Your glass then gets stamped with our tempered logo on it as well as engraving your name into the bottom edge of each piece and sent threw a high tech glass washing machine. The glass is then inspected for any flaws and then sent threw the tempering furnace. The final inspection is done and if approved, your glass is ready for the crating department or set up for installation.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What is the difference between a framed and frameless shower enclosure?
  Everything! We invite you to view our before and after photo’s. Twenty years ago we had nothing but framed shower doors and enclosures. Now, with the help of our founder, all the ugly aluminum metal framing is a thing of the past. Our frameless designs are clean, safe, simple and elegant allowing a more open feel to the room as well as a more pleasurable showering experience. The old metal framed units have a simply become a thing of the past. They took way too much time and energy to install and the end result always looked like an industrial nightmare. The Original Frameless Shower Doors has over 200 combined years of glass fabrication and installation experience as well as the latest glass fabrication manufacturing specifically designed for the production of custom, one of a kind frameless shower doors. The end result is nothing short of a thing of beauty -- custom made by real artisans, factory direct to you, the end user, at wholesale prices. Why would you want a framed enclosure!

  COLLAPSE [-]
• How thick is the glass used in a frameless shower door and/or enclosure?
  The thinnest glass we use for all of our frameless shower doors and enclosures is 3/8” thick. Some of our textured glass we offer only comes 3/8” thick. We also use ½” thick glass. We usually recommend this heavier glass on larger enclosures for the mere reason of rigidity. We always will lead you in the right direction and will advise every client to use the thickness we recommend predicated on the enclosure design.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What hardware style should I use when designing my frameless shower door and/or enclosure?
  Typically there are two styles to choose from without getting crazy. Square edge or rounded edge hardware and hinges. Square tends to flow better with a more contemporary flair which as the rounded is a more softer feel to the look. We highly recommend dressing your frameless enclosure up simply by choosing one of our beautiful sculptured handles made by the C.R. Laurence Company. We stock just about every style and finish available. This simple upgrade can change the entire look of the enclosure as well as adding a decorative towel bar.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Why choose The Original Frameless Shower Doors to design, fabricate, install or ship you your frameless shower door and/or enclosure?
  We are the first and only custom frameless shower door company that has the experience, facility and technicians that can bring you a totally custom frameless shower enclosure factory direct from us, the true manufacturer, to you. We will help you from design to install ensuring you an experience you will not find anywhere else. Our installation department currently installs 5,000 custom frameless shower enclosures per year and growing [show photo]. Some of our master installers were moved from outside installations to in house customer service reps that solely work with you from the design stage all the way through and during the installation process. It’s like having a master frameless technician right there next to you in your bathroom helping you every step of the way.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• Does my price include hardware?
  Yes, all pricing includes all hardware needed for installation.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What is the widest door I can have?
  The widest door is 36” inches. Anything wider than 28” will require heavy duty hinges and will have additional costs.

  EXPAND [+]
• Do I need to sign for the delivery?
  For all residential deliveries the carrier will contact you to set up an appointment. You must confirm the delivery date and time with the carrier. Our carrier requires all shipments to have a signature at time of delivery.

  EXPAND [+]
• Can I combine shipping?
  If you would like to order multiple enclosures we will combine shipping and crating costs. We will only combine costs if all units are purchased and shipped at the same time. Please contact our office for additional information on combining shipments.

  COLLAPSE [-]
• What will happen if my shipment is damaged?
  Please make note of any damage to the boxed item upon delivery. This is very important. If refusing delivery due to visible damage, please note “refused due to visible damage” on the receipt presented. The Original Frameless Shower Doors will replace any or all hardware as well as glass damaged at no cost to purchaser, only by providing proof of damage in the box in which it was sent/packaged in (photo’s required). All photos of damaged property must be emailed directly to the V.P. of Operations at Christi@fsdae.com or one of her assistants upon these findings. Please see our shipping policy for more information.