Thanks for the feedback. I talked to the people at Artistcraft and they thought it would be feasible to do a fixed panel on the left side with a 6" high transom that was hinged to the top of the frame. The door would be hinged on the right wall and seal against the fixed panel and transom. Talked to the local shop and they said they would not do this because of safety liability reasons, even though they were quoting me on a framed enclosure that would have a steam tight seal. Is this really a good idea? I asked them if there wouldn't be a bigger safety issue with an airtight room. That's when they got snotty. I was hoping to use them since I live in mid-Michigan and would like to steer business locally. In the end, I think we'll do something similar to what annkathryn suggests. I'm not that thrilled dealing with the rude people at the shop, but they seem to be the only game in town. Beautiful work as usual, Bill. Here is a kind of crappy photo of our project. Thanks again, mrs517

Thanks for your response. All the showers and/or tub enclosures in the townhouses here have fiberglass. I think that only one other person has changed theirs out and they stayed with fiberglass. I've gotten some estimates on tile as well as different info from each contractor. It has been a learning experience but also frustrating. They each use different methods for the shower pan and each one says theirs is the best way. The time for tile installation is anywhere from 3 days to a week depending on the contractor with one stating that he does flood testing. So have one using paper, wire,PVC and concrete and one who uses foam, etc. Did not know that they bring along their own plumber or may even do their own plumbing, if necessary, along the way. Work full time so would be difficult to be home right now if shower enclosure is to be tiled. As for the Swanstone, plumber gave me estimate for removal of current fiberglass unit and replacement with what he supplies and it seemed on the high side. Have separate estimate for plumbing repair of leaking pipes (from same plumber) but my homeowners association is covering that. I don't know what the "usual" cost would be for removing fiberglass one piece unit, fixing up what is behind the unit and then installing new enclosure. However, since I would prefer the Swanstone or another solid surface material over the basic fiberglass, I will most probably be providing the materials. Does anyone have an idea of what typical cost might be for removing fiberglass unit and installing solid surface materials provided by homeowner? I know that there are installation instructions that come with the Swanstone but is there anything that isn't mentioned in these directions? In addition, are there any type of chemical emissions or noxious odors that are produced during the installation of the units? I am very concerned about this because of my birds and their known sensitivity to many things. They would be in the home during installation. Although the bathroom has an overhead fan, there is no window. I do have air purifiers running throughout my house and can open windows in other rooms when this is being done. Thanks again. Appreciate any help with this.

I have a fixed panel attached to studs in the wall in two places and to the floor in one place and sealed with silicone at the wall and floor. The door is hinged to the fixed panel. The fixed panel is 1/2" glass 13"wide by 75" high. The door is 3/8" glass, 34" wide by 75" high. There is a 13" wide panel on the other side, also attached to the floor and to studs in the wall. We have had no problems in the three years that the shower enclosure was installed. However, unlike your setup, our door rests on the floor, since the shower is designed to be roll-in, should the need arise. Thus, the weight of the door rests on the floor when it is opened, not in the air.

Thank you again for all of the responses. I am glad this has generated some honest discussion and that people have been willing to share their experiences. Palimpset, thank you for your input. I know I haven't decided how much I want to spend and that's a problem. It would not be totally unreasonable to spend a lot on this kitchen, especially if I went with the 10-20% of home value 'guideline'. I can swing spending that much if I chose. The kitchen is old and ready to be torn out, and I have very specific tastes so I am ready to do it and not unwilling to spend the money. I do not want to 'waste' money on something either, so I struggle with spending the money on cabs, mostly because the countertops and range are the things that I really care about. :) I already chose a yellow berta. How sharp would that be against a lovely misty grey? I have to decide if I think it's worth another __k to get the pale grey that I :really: want or would I be just as happy to have gloss white and roll that money into the divine glass tiles in the bathroom. I am also going to look into getting custom doors for Ikea cabs, although from the sounds of it, a lot of the cost was in the hand painted laquer. I fully appreciate the work involved, and have no problem paying for work where it's deserved.....I guess I just have to decide if I think it's worth it for this project. . Oh, and as an aside, I have been very specific when I have gone to the shops. Exactly how many ft of cabinets, lowers only, all drawers, gloss finish, flat front doors, metal drawer boxes.... I haven't just said I have a kitchen that might be 10ft of cabinets and I'm not sure what type of finish I want. I am going to keep looking for local shops, unfortunately I live in a place that has had a VERY good economy until very recently, so most kitchens around here were 100k plus jobs that no one batted an eye at. I think everyone's a little slow to catch up that things aren't quite what they were. I am encouraged to beat the bushes. Thank you!! It seems like there are plenty of places that will do wood cabs, I wish I wanted those and not gloss!!!