Steam Shower Door - an essential component of a steam shower

A steam shower door is specially designed to trap steam inside the enclosure.

To do this, the door (or a panel above it) must extend to the ceiling, and it must seal to the frame with the indoor equivalent of weather stripping.

Need some assistance? Businesses that sell steam proof doors will help you buy the right one for your needs...



Steam needs to be contained because if it escapes the enclosure, you're looking at some ugly damage.

Ready-made home steam shower units already include vapor-tight doors, but...

If you're building your own steam shower, you'll need to buy one.

If you're using a contractor for your shower construction, he has to know that he needs to supply a door for a steam shower.

Terms and tidbits

There are two primary terms used to describe the configuration of a steam shower door: style and layout.

For example, one style may include just a door, and another may include a door and a fixed panel.

Manufacturers sell shower doors in a variety of colors and designs, and you also have a choice of different kinds of finishes.

To name a few, there are…

• gold finishes,
• silver brite-anodized, and
• white powder coat finishes.

Doors can also be custom built to fit any size, and they can be hinged off the wall or the panel.

Steam shower doors often include attractive clear vinyl seals that keep the steam in and the cold out.




Unless you're a handyman, you'll need to hire one to handle the installation.

There are some things that need to be done right. For example…

1. You need to know the right positioning because hinges are typically reversible, so the door can be installed hinge-left or hinge-right.

2. For maximum waterproofing, the hinge jamb should always be opposite the shower head.

3. For safety reasons, the door should always open outward.

You may want to look into doors with continuous hinges. Continuous hinges have the strength and durability of a piano-hinge without the bulky rivets and color mismatches that are common with traditional hinges.