A frameless screen has no visible framing at all — thick toughened glass, usually 10mm, held by wall brackets and hinges. A semi-frameless screen keeps a slim frame around the outer perimeter but leaves the door panel unframed, and typically uses 6mm glass. Framed screens have framing on every edge.

The frame is not decoration. It carries load. That is why frameless screens need thicker glass and heavier fixings — without a perimeter frame, the glass itself has to do the structural work.

All three types use toughened safety glass. That is not optional in Australia, and it is one of the things worth confirming before you buy any screen, particularly an imported flat-pack kit.

Frameless looks better and is easier to clean. Semi-frameless contains water better, costs less, and is far more forgiving of walls that are not perfectly square. In an older Sydney home with out-of-square walls, semi-frameless is often the more sensible choice rather than the compromise choice.

The deciding factor is usually the bathroom, not the budget. A frameless screen needs walls that are plumb and a floor that falls correctly to the waste, because there is no frame to absorb variation. Semi-frameless systems use adjustable channels that can take up roughly 10mm to 20mm of wall variation.

If your bathroom is a new build or a full renovation where the walls are being rebuilt square, frameless is straightforward. If you are replacing a screen in an existing bathroom without touching the walls, ask the installer to check the walls before you commit to frameless.

Frameless screens cost more, need square walls, and are less watertight at the edges because there is no channel to catch splashes. They also rely on the floor falling correctly to the waste. Where the bathroom is not level and square, a frameless screen will let water escape and no amount of silicone fixes it properly.

The other downside is repairs. Frameless glass is cut and toughened to exact dimensions, so it cannot be trimmed afterwards. If a panel is damaged it is replaced, not adjusted, and it has to be remade to the original measurements.

None of this makes frameless a bad choice. It makes it a choice that depends on the room. Anyone who recommends frameless without looking at your walls and floor first is selling, not advising.

Semi-frameless screens are generally the better performer on water containment, because the perimeter channels and overlapping panels catch splashes that a frameless screen lets past. Where any screen leaks, the cause is almost always the floor fall, the waterproofing or the seals — not the screen type itself.

If an existing screen leaks, check three things before replacing it. Whether the floor actually falls toward the waste, whether the door seals and sweeps are worn, and whether the silicone has failed. Those account for most leaks we are called to look at.

No screen is leak-proof on its own — containment comes from the whole installation. The most reliable setups are semi-frameless screens with full perimeter channels, a return panel rather than a single open panel, and a floor that falls correctly to the waste. Door seals and sweeps matter more than the frame style.

Walk-in screens with a single fixed panel and no door are the most common source of complaints, because there is nothing to stop water travelling past the open end. They look excellent and suit large bathrooms with a well-set floor fall, but they are unforgiving in a small or older bathroom.

[VERIFY WITH CLIENT] Shower screens are normally supplied and installed by glaziers or shower screen specialists, not plumbers. A plumber handles the water services and waste. Some bathroom renovators and handypeople install screens too, but the measuring and glass work is a glazing job.

The reason it matters is measurement. A screen is measured, cut and toughened before it arrives, so an error at measuring stage cannot be corrected on site — the glass has to be remade. Whoever measures should be the party responsible if it does not fit.

When comparing quotes, check whether the price includes measuring, removal and disposal of the old screen, and who carries responsibility if the glass does not fit.

[VERIFY WITH CLIENT] As a general guide, semi-frameless screens run around $650 to $1,300 supplied and installed, and frameless around $900 to $1,800 and up. Framed screens sit below both. Price depends on the configuration, glass thickness, hardware finish and whether the old screen needs removing.

Installation-only quotes are much lower, often a few hundred dollars, because they exclude the glass. Compare like with like — a quote that looks cheap is often labour only, with the screen supplied separately.

The variables that move the price most are the number of panels, whether a return panel is needed, and hardware finish. Matt black and brushed brass hardware carry a premium over chrome.

Get a measure and quote for a firm figure on your bathroom.

[VERIFY WITH CLIENT] Fitting alone typically runs a few hundred dollars for a standard screen, separate from the cost of the glass. Removing and disposing of an old screen usually adds to that. Most Sydney suppliers quote supply and install as one figure, which is generally better value than sourcing glass and labour separately.

Buying a screen yourself and hiring someone to fit it can work out cheaper, but it splits responsibility. If the kit does not suit the opening, the installer did not measure it and the retailer did not fit it, and you are left in between.

Hotels squeegee the glass after every use and the screens are usually protected with a glass sealer or coating. Water left on glass is what leaves the marks — Sydney's water carries minerals that dry as a film and gradually etch the surface. Removing the water is what keeps it clear, not stronger cleaning products.

A squeegee kept in the shower does more than any cleaner. Beyond that, a glass protective coating makes water bead and run off instead of sitting on the surface, and it needs reapplying periodically.

Avoid abrasive pads and acidic cleaners on shower glass. They can scratch or dull the surface permanently, and once glass is etched the marks cannot be polished out by normal cleaning.

Half or walk-in panels are used because they are cheaper to install, need no door hardware to maintain, are quicker to clean between guests, and feel more open in a small hotel bathroom. They rely on a generous floor fall and a well-positioned shower head to control water, which hotels can design in from the start.

They work in a bathroom built around them. Retrofitting a walk-in panel to an existing Sydney bathroom often does not work as well, because the floor fall was set for a different screen and the shower head may be aimed at the open end.