Real Estate Investor · NJ · Member since 2011 · 32 posts · 2 votes
Happy holidays to all,
I’m renovating at bathroom and plan to put in a standing shower (no tub) but do not want to install a glass door or a glass partition. The Object is to keep it as maintenance free a possible. I use shower curtains w my tubs but that would look silly here.
Steve, one option that works well in rentals when you want to avoid glass doors is a curbless walk-in design with a fixed half wall (also called a pony wall).
You tile the entire shower area plus about 12–18 inches outside of it, slope the pan correctly, and the half wall keeps most of the water in without needing glass. It looks clean, modern, and is very low-maintenance.
Another option is a frameless fixed panel (just one stationary piece of glass, no door). It doesn’t swing, doesn’t get handled, and has almost no moving parts to maintain.
If you really want zero glass at all, a full wet room style works too, but it requires waterproofing the entire bathroom, which drives cost up.
For rentals, the half-wall has been the best mix of:
• low maintenance
• no moving parts
• more durable than curtains
• still looks intentional instead of improvised
Keeps the water in, keeps the repairs down, and tenants don’t complain about it looking cheap.