Shower glass is one item on your bathroom renovation list that you shouldn’t take lightly, as your bathroom’s shower glass can be a central focal point. Shower glass thickness can define the way your shower door looks and feels. Thankfully, there are several shower glass experts at Glass.com who can assist you in making the right choice when it comes to your shower glass size.

The Basics of Shower Glass Thickness

It’s true, not all shower glass is made in the same thickness, and this is due to the variety in framing options shower glass thickness will also affect the weight of the glass.

Shower glass experts say there are typically two thickness options for frameless shower door glass: 3/8″ and 1/2″. The minimum thickness that is necessary for the stability and overall soundness of the glass door is 3/8″. Going with a minimum thickness for your shower glass door has become a popular choice because it is less expensive than thicker glass.

For aesthetic purposes though, thicker glass may be used for a more impressive look. It’s also important to remember that larger shower glass panels will need hardware strong enough to support it, so speak with a reputable shower glass installer to see which options are best for your project.

Types of Shower Glass

While you’re deciding how thick your shower glass should be and if it will be framed or frameless in design, you should also be aware of the type of glass that will be used for your shower door. There are two types of glass, laminated and tempered. Currently, professionals are encouraged to use tempered glass when building shower doors. Using tempered glass results in smaller pieces if it breaks instead of large sharp pieces of glass, and is seen as a good shower glass option.

Shower Enclosure Style

How your shower is enclosed can also play a role in the thickness needed for its glass. The three more common enclosure styles are frameless, semi-frameless and framed. Some of the key points for each are listed below.

1. Frameless Shower Enclosures – Frameless shower doors are sleek looking shower enclosures that minimize sight lines because they do not have any framing. Instead, its framing is replaced by individual pieces of hardware. The hardware is used to join separate pieces of glass and allow the shower door to operate. The hardware is very visible and exposed which makes it an aesthetic element of the shower enclosure.Without framing, the shower door glass must contribute to much of the enclosure’s structural integrity. This means the glass is often much thicker and heavier than the glass used in framed or semi-frameless shower doors.

1. Semi-frameless Shower Enclosures- Semi-frameless shower doors are a halfway point between framed shower doors and frameless shower doors. This style of shower door features framing on one or more glass panels. Examples include some framed panels while the door remains frameless. Or it could mean that all of the panels are framed along the top and bottom, but that there is no framing in between.Semi-frameless shower doors are more aesthetically stimulating than framed shower doors because sight lines are minimized. The glass in semi-frameless showers may not need to be as thick as frameless shower glass, but will be considerably thicker than framed shower glass. Therefore, it’s a good mid-way point from both a cost and weight perspective.

1. Framed Shower Enclosures – Framed shower doors are what you most commonly envision when thinking about a shower enclosure. These enclosures feature metal framing that surround all four corners of the glass panels and secures the enclosure to the bathroom walls. The framing provides structural integrity, so the glass itself can be thinner. This means the unit is relatively inexpensive. Framing has become thinner and typically is available in a variety of finishes to suit any taste.

Are You Ready to Pick Your Shower Glass?

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what shower glass thickness you might need when thinking of updating out your current shower glass doors. It is also important to note that these types of updates should be left to the professionals as shower glass panels are heavy and can cause injury if not properly installed. Look to Glass.com when you’re ready to update your shower’s glass doors.