Forget the whole no spotting glass finish for sure just use a squeegee after every shower and clean well once a week. As for the rest go to a glass shop and get some prices . The height needs to be where the water does not leave the shower space so a bit higher than the shower head.As for the tracks which I don’t like there are lots of filthy people that don’t clean properly. I never had an issue with the old track glass doors.

do you have room for a walk-in (no glass)? that's my dream. I can't stand the idea of squeegee every day, plus I worry I couldn't convince other people in the house to do it correctly. having to redo their work every day would drive me nuts. also, we have a barely used glass shower in the guest bath, and cleaning the tracks is a pain in the butt. there are so many nooks and crannies.

a nylon shower curtain is a million times easier to keep clean compared to maintaining shower glass, the tracks, etc. just throw it in the laundry every other week, and occasionally spray the hem with bleach. a curved rod prevents it from billowing in.

BF--I really am fine with shower curtains (never had anything else). Now I am thinking with the fancy new shower perhaps I should instead do the glass door thing that every new bath seems to have. Maybe I should just save my money and do a curtain. I can't do a no-glass walk-in.

Patricia--I am trying to find something with no or minimal tracks because I have no desire at all to get a brush out and try to clean tracks.

Thanks to you both.

How do these 30" panels work? We have the typical wall shower head (rather than the ceiling rain shower shown above). I assume this stationary panel is installed at the end opposite the shower head. With this the concern would only be keeping the glass clean, right?

I believe they're usually installed on the same end as the shower head. It's nice to put the controls at the open end so you can turn on the water before you step into the shower. Only the glass needs to be kept clean, which makes it much easier.

For $800? Get a shower curtain. Frameless is the only way to go, and you’re not getting that for $800. Start at twice that. And skip anything but custom with frameless. Unless you want frustration and tears.

I also thought about getting glass just because it looks so beautiful -- but like I said above: I know our habits and I'm sure we'll find glass to be a major annoyance. when we get our shower redone, I'll probably just leave the curtain open all the time to admire the new tile. this means I'll probably have to wash it more often but that would still be less work than glass.

oh by the way- one other thing about frameless: I've experienced some in hotels where water runs down the glass and outside of the enclosure -- soaking the bath rug. so watch out for bad installation!

Tips for avoiding the dreaded "soap scum"; use only liquid / gel soap and treat the glass with Rain-X. A quick wipe-down with a microfiber cloth takes less than one minute.

After four years with a glass door i will never look back. No more yucky shower curtains to have to rehang weekly after laundering. It takes seconds to either wipe with a micro cloth or to squeegee after a shower where as to keep a shower curtain truly clean it took me more than ten minutes to un hook and re hook to launder weekly. My set up if frameless panel with a door. I found it cold with just a panel so we added a door to capture the heat when showering.

This said your budget seems way to low. My glass and install four years ago was $2200.

Does it feel cold not having a shower door?

I am not looking for a fancy, custom made frameless door. Our opening is 57", and there are some special order (but not custom made) doors in that $800 price range.

Now I am wondering if I would be better off with a hinged or pivot door.

Yes it's cold with no shower door. It gets drafty. We had no shower door in our previous master bath shower and come winter time I would go to the guest bath to shower. Our current shower has a hinged shower door. No icky track. We just squeegee and wipe it with microfiber towel each time. It has not spots.

I am in Oklahoma, so $800 will buy me a custom glass shower panel, plus installation costs. People forget that some states have a lower cost of living.

I have noticed that some of the glass screens (panels) have a small fixed panel by the shower head side, and the rest of the panel will open outward so you can turn the water on. Seems to me you could still get wet that way, and there would be a small space between the fixed panel and the swing open panel so water could potentially splash out there.

I am undecided about glass doors too, so I would be interested in what you decide. I am thinking about a fixed glass panel on the 48" side and leaving the 36" side open, but I have not decided. The other 2 sides will be tiled. In my bathroom with a shower/tub combo, I am getting a bi-fold glass screen that folds either in or out.

Feeling cold in the shower is IMO dependent on the size of the room. My current bath has the shower located in separate small room...as opposed to being contained within a single large room. In large rooms, the addition of a wet-rated heat lamp (in the shower ceiling) solves the problem.

Agree. It can get cold if you live in a place that gets cold in winter. You would need a good heat/vent to heat up the room. If living in Florida? Not so much!

I live in Florida