Three things you should know when shopping for shower glass

When shopping for shower glass there are some important differences you may not notice as you are comparing quotes. It may be tempting to save a few bucks on your initial purchase but the long-term consequences of those savings outweigh the benefit of the short-term savings!

1. The cut of the shower glass matters more than you might think

There may be less expensive stock sizes in glass vs. custom cut glass, however not all enclosures have perfectly square openings. Using stock size glass can lead to gaps between a door and panel, be visibly unappealing, and cause for frustration due to water leakage.

Instead, custom glass should and can be cut out of square to compensate for unlevel tile, walls, and sills which can be common since these structural components in a home are all built by hand. Oftentimes we can match a stock size door with custom cut glass side panels to save on price but provide the optimal fit for the enclosure.

2. Choosing the right type of glass is important

Clear glass is the most popular choice and allows you to show off all your new tile work! You can choose ShowerGuard glass with a lifetime warranty to protect the clear glass from water staining. Other types of coatings like LuxClear and 310Max are applied after fabrication and can be re-applied to maintain water protection on the glass.

Heavy Glass enclosures are ⅜” or ½” glass and allow for minimal hardware.
Semi-Frameless enclosures use ¼” glass and require more hardware – we don’t use anything less than ¼” (box stores might sell you 3/16”) it becomes too flimsy at that thickness. 

3. Correct hardware is crucial to the longevity of your shower glass

Oftentimes, competing (less expensive) shower enclosures have clamped-on vs. through-the-glass operating hardware. What are the differences?

• Clamped-on hardware has plastic pieces that are prone to break more easily and glass can slip due to the pressure fit.
• Through-the-glass hardware is actually secured with notches and holes in the glass allowing the hardware to secure together tightly and eliminate plastic parts that can discolor and become brittle over time.

The hardware used for the enclosure is important to the security and longevity of the enclosure. We will always recommend through-the-glass hardware over clamped-on hardware and invite you to visit our showroom where we can demonstrate the importance of each of the three tips we’ve shared here!