One of the most awesome things about our Retro Renovation community is how readers pull together to help each other find resources to get the job done. We constantly get tips from readers sharing their discoveries — like Carol’s recent comment on our story about vintage style shower doors — sharing her source for folding accordion shower doors.
Yes, Shower Solutions USA, Inc. still produces folding shower doors. This product today seems to mostly focused as a solution for those with mobility issues. But these folding shower doors also were a “thing” in postwar America — so they are great if you need a replacement for an existing system — or if you want this retro look!
Folding shower doors have vintage provenance:
We’ve seen these twice (at least):
Above: Carrie has a folding shower door in her time capsule Cinderella ranch house.
Above: And Mary Deluxe spotted this beauty in a time capsule house that she featured on her blog in 2009.
Where to buy folding shower doors today:
Shower Solutions USA, Inc. offers several models and sizes of folding shower doors. The doors are all made in America. The company has been in business since 2003 and has three employees.
From the Shower Solutions website:
MF Elite – this enclosure can be stored in either the open or closed position, allowing full and complete access to the bathing area… fanfold. Plus, its construction is easy to clean!
- Rigid PVC panels with integrated flexible hinges
- Full-length magnetic latching system
- Full access to bathing area
- Can be utilized on various radius units
- Spring-loaded roller system insures smooth, quiet operation.
- Ventilated for quicker, worry-free drying
Frame is made of high quality aluminum and the folding panels of a high-impact, shatter-proof plastic.
Our Shower Doors are very Safe. If a person were to slip and fall against a Shower Solutions USA door, it would flex to cushion the fall, helping to prevent more serious injury.
Available in Silver, Satin, and White Frames.
More stories about shower doors:
- 10 vintage shower doors help answer, what kind of shower door for my vintage bathroom?
- 10 NOS Tub-Master accordion-door shower doors for vintage travel trailer or home
- Sterling ‘Starscape’ — a fun retro shower door for a midcentury bathroom
- Japanese maple leaf shower doors in A. Quincy Jones 1968 house — delightful!
I do not believe, personally, that vintage plastic acccordian shower doors will ever command top prices as a rare collector’s item. That said, I think they are interesting, time-warp fun, and worth preserving especially if they are in good shape (why throw out something still useful and operational). I also tend to believe they are functional — they don’t swing out and take up space, they fold in on themselves, now nifty from a space utilization standpoint. I also don’t see a problem mixing plastic with ceramic.
Ultimately, up to you — and if you are going to enlarge the shower stall, well then, you need a new door anyway, don’t you? Our spaces should be foremos “functional.”
If you feel “bad” about ditching the door — put it on craigslist to see if it can find a new home — or at least give the ReStore a shot, although they many not want to deal with something so unwieldy.
Thank you!!
interested in ordering a set of folding shower doors to replace current tub master that have seen better days.
Have question about measurement, available and shipping charges if any.
Please contact me …
Pattie, I don’t sell anything — contact the company profiled directly.
I need a shower enclosure…bi-fold; accordion as in your pictures…but something inexpensive to close a 52″ shower opening.
Inexpensive.