Thick or Thin: What Shower Glass Thickness Should You Get?

There is probably nothing more frustrating than having your shower door collapse when you shower and having no way of protecting yourself. Your shower door glass is one thing you don’t want to take lightly!

But how do you decide on the right shower glass thickness? Here are some things to keep in mind.

The Basics

There are generally two thicknesses for shower glass - ⅜ inches and ½ inches. The minimum thickness to keep your door stable and sturdy is about ⅜ inches, which is generally a popular option because it comes less expensive than thicker glass.

But the right thickness also depends on other things!

Type of Glass

The type of glass you use can also determine how thick it needs to be. Laminated glass, for example, is less sturdy than tempered glass, so it’ll have to be thicker if that’s the type of glass used.

Tempered glass is generally more common for showers because it’s more durable, stable, and less likely to break. If tempered glass does break, it also causes less damage, so it is a preferred shower glass option.

Shower Enclosure

The type of enclosure also makes a difference. Frameless showers, as the name suggests, don’t have any framing, so it needs thicker glass to stay stable. The shower glass is what contributes to the structural integrity.

The framing supports framed enclosures, so the glass can be less thick without being too risky. While framed enclosures can have thicker glass, this option will also be more expensive than the thinner options, so it’s a lot more cost-effective to have a thinner glass with framed enclosures since the frame is already contributing to the structure.

Semi-frameless showers are the halfway point between framed showers and frameless ones. The glass for these showers doesn’t have to be as thick as frameless ones, nor does it need to be as thin as framed ones.

Going too thick can become expensive, in this case, while going too thin can cause structural problems and result in damage.

When picking out the right glass, you must consider all these things to decide what thickness you want.

It’s also worth noting that shower glass can be tricky to decide on - again, you don’t want to take it lightly! Going into it yourself, you may make a mistake and pick the wrong type of glass.

To get a good idea of what kind of shower glass you need based on the structure of your shower, you may want to get a professional to look at your setup and give you advice.

If you’re looking for someone to help you with shower glass services in Fresco, Shower Doors of Dallas can help! Contact us now for more information on the type of glass that works best for your shower!