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Most shower glass is custom work. Walls are rarely perfectly plumb, tile adds thickness, and the glass can't be trimmed once it's made, so the timing of the measurement and the details of the curb and floor matter as much as the style. The glass installer is often the last trade in a bathroom renovation, and the one who gets the call when water ends up on the floor.
This page compares frameless, semi-frameless and framed enclosures and the main door styles, explains the safety glass requirement, walks through measuring after tile, and covers water containment, hardware and seals, cleaning and protective coatings.
Frameless, semi-frameless and framed shower enclosures
The frame, or the lack of one, sets the look of the enclosure, how much it can hide an uneven wall and how many joints you'll be cleaning for years.
- Frameless: thick tempered panels held only by hinges, clamps and small channels, with the cleanest look and the fewest places for grime to collect, but the heaviest glass and the least tolerance for out-of-plumb walls.
- Semi-frameless: metal around some edges, often the fixed panels or the top, with a frameless-looking door, which gives a lighter look while absorbing more of the wall's irregularities.
- Framed: thinner glass set in metal frames on every edge, usually the most economical option, with frames that help keep water in but more corners to clean.
- Tub screens: a fixed or hinged panel over a bathtub that blocks splashes at the shower end while leaving the tub open for bathing.
- Walk-in panels: one or two fixed panels with no door, suited to larger showers where the entry sits well away from the shower head.
Hinged, pivot, sliding and neo-angle shower doors: which suits your bathroom
- Hinged doors swing on wall- or glass-mounted hinges and need clear floor space outside the shower, away from the vanity, toilet and towel bars.
- Pivot doors turn on pins at the top and bottom, so they can sit close to a corner, and some models swing both ways.
- Sliding or bypass doors run on a track and need no swing space, which suits tubs and narrow bathrooms, though the track needs regular cleaning.
- Neo-angle enclosures close off a corner shower with angled panels and a door on the diagonal, saving floor space in small rooms.
- Many installers prefer a door that opens outward or both ways, so it can still be opened if someone falls inside against it.
Safety glass for shower doors and enclosures: what the building code requires
Every pane in a shower or bathtub enclosure has to be safety glass. Part 9 of the National Building Code, as reproduced in British Columbia's Building Code, states that glass other than safety glass shall not be used for a shower or bathtub enclosure, and it names CAN/CGSB-12.1, the standard for tempered or laminated safety glass, among the glass standards that apply. Most shower glass is tempered, so every hole, notch and edge is finished before tempering and nothing can be cut on site.
That rules out improvised splash panels made from a mirror or a pane of window glass. A chipped edge on a tempered panel also deserves attention, since damage at the edge can weaken the glass; ask the installer whether the panel should be replaced rather than kept in service.
Measuring for shower glass after the tile is finished
Shower glass is measured on the finished opening, once the tile, the curb and the threshold are in and grouted, because tile thickness and any lean in the walls change the size. Measuring from framing or drawings invites a panel that doesn't fit and can't be trimmed.
- The installer checks each wall for plumb and the curb for level, then sizes the panels to follow them, sometimes with an edge cut slightly out of square.
- Hinges and clamps go where there is solid blocking behind the tile, which is best planned with the contractor before the walls are closed in.
- The glass is fabricated to those exact sizes, so expect a wait between measuring and installation.
- On installation day, the tile is drilled for anchors, the panels are set on setting blocks, and the hardware is adjusted so the door swings and closes evenly.
- The silicone joints between glass, channels and tile need to cure for the time on the product label before the first shower.
Water containment in a glass shower: curb slope, fixed panels and gaps
Glass alone doesn't make a shower watertight; the layout does most of the work. Water running down the glass has to land on a surface that drains back toward the shower, which is why the tile setter and the glass installer should agree on the curb and threshold before any tile goes down.
- The top of the curb and the threshold should slope toward the inside of the shower so drips run back in rather than out.
- Fixed panels belong on the side the shower head sprays toward, with the door kept out of the direct stream.
- A curbless shower depends on the floor slope and drain placement set by the plumber and tile setter, and often on a longer fixed panel to stop splashing.
- Frameless doors have small gaps at the hinges and edges by design, so some water can escape if the spray is aimed at the door.
- Rain heads and body sprays throw more water at the glass, so the enclosure may need to be taller or longer than a standard one.
Shower door hardware, seals and glass finishes
- Hinges and clamps: solid metal hardware sized for the weight of each panel, fixed into blocking or with anchors rated for the load.
- Channels or clamps: a U-channel holds a fixed panel along its whole edge and is easier to seal, while clamps leave a more open look.
- Support bars and headers: a bar from the glass to the wall or ceiling steadies tall fixed panels and long frameless runs.
- Seals: a sweep along the bottom, a seal on the hinge side and magnetic or bulb seals where the door meets a panel, all replaceable wear parts that cut down leaks.
- Glass: clear, low-iron glass with less of a green edge tint, or frosted, patterned or partly etched glass for privacy.
- Metal finish: match the faucet and fixtures, and ask how the finish stands up to water spots and bathroom cleaners.
Cleaning shower glass: squeegees, hard water and protective coatings
Soap scum and mineral deposits are what make clear glass look tired. Squeegeeing the glass after each shower and running the bathroom fan remove most of the water before it can dry into spots, which matters most where the water is hard.
- Use mild, non-abrasive cleaners and soft cloths, since scouring pads and powders scratch glass and wear away coatings.
- Some glass comes with a factory-applied protective coating that makes water bead and run off, so ask which cleaners it tolerates and whether it can be renewed.
- Aftermarket coatings can be applied to older glass, but they wear off and need reapplying.
- Check the silicone, the sweep and the seals periodically, and replace any that are mouldy, split or loose.
- Have hinges adjusted as soon as a door starts to sag or rub, before the misalignment chips the edge of the glass.
Shower Glass: frequently asked questions
Does shower glass have to be tempered?
It has to be safety glass. Part 9 of the National Building Code, as reproduced in British Columbia's code, rules out any glass other than safety glass in shower and bathtub enclosures. Tempered glass is the usual choice, and laminated safety glass also meets the rule.
Do frameless shower doors leak?
A little water can pass the small gaps at the hinges and edges, which is part of the design. Good sweeps and seals, a curb that slopes inward and a door placed away from the spray keep it to a minimum.
When should shower glass be measured during a bathroom renovation?
After the tile, curb and threshold are finished and grouted. Measuring earlier risks glass that doesn't fit, and tempered glass can't be trimmed afterwards.
Can the seals on my shower door be replaced?
Usually. Sweeps and side seals come in standard profiles for common glass thicknesses, so a photo of the old seal and the thickness of the glass help the installer find a match.
How do I keep shower glass from spotting?
Squeegee after each shower, run the fan and clean with a mild, non-abrasive product. A protective coating helps water run off, and treating hard water at the source reduces mineral spots.
Sources
Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides