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Shower Glass

Stephanie C • Jul 08, 2019

The two most popular shower glass styles are bypass and swing door. There are multiple options for each style that I will review here for you. Installed the price can range from $350 to $1800 or more.

Bypass- Frameless Heavy Glass — Decatur, AL — Huntsville Glass

Bypass- Frameless Heavy Glass

Frameless Heavy Glass Bypass Enclosures are available in these 3 options. We have Hydroslide, Cambridge, and Serenity in order as you see in the pictures. Heavy glass is 3/8” thick and weighs roughly 30 lbs per square foot. It is very heavy, so in order for your shower walls to support the weight of the glass you will need to have a granite, marble, or tile shower with support beams behind the wall where the shower glass will be mounted. The floor must also be level to install the sliding doors. Heavy glass showers are fully customizable and we have a wide variety of finishes and options. We also have obscure glass patterns available.

Bypass- Freestyle — Decatur, AL — Huntsville Glass

Bypass- Freestyle

Freestyle Bypass has 1/4" glass and comes in several finishes, obscure glass, and you can choose between a handle, towel bar, and a handle/towel bar combination. There is no frame on the glass which makes it easy to open and close the door. This style shower is very popular because of the price and clean look. It can be installed on any style shower whether you have fiberglass, granite, tile, marble, etc.

Swing Door- Frameless Heavy Glass — Decatur, AL — Huntsville Glass

Swing Door- Frameless Heavy Glass

All shower glass must be tempered to withstand the heat and to prevent injury in the event the glass were to break. Heavy glass is 3/8” thick and the glass is held up with hinges and clips. There are a variety of finishes, obscure glass, and hardware styles available. You can have a single heavy glass door or build a very large elaborate shower out of heavy glass. 3/8” glass weighs roughly 30 lbs per square foot and is very heavy. In order for your shower walls to support the weight of the glass you will need to have a granite, marble, or tile shower with support beams behind the wall where the shower glass will be mounted. Pictured above, from left to right, you will see a single door, a door and panel, a door and panels with the door hinged off the glass, a combination of doors and panels, and a neo angle. These are just some of the style options for heavy glass. Heavy glass is fully customizable within the parameters of your shower.

Swing Door- Freestyle — Decatur, AL — Huntsville Glass

Swing Door- Freestyle

A freestyle shower has ¼” glass and a frame on all edges except the door. The door only has a frame on the hinge side of the door. The cost of a Freestyle shower is quite a bit lower than that of a Heavy Glass shower making them a very popular choice for the budget conscious consumer. There are several finishes and glass options available, but you don’t get the freedom to design your shower with custom handles and hinges as you do with the heavy glass and there is a frame compared to the Frameless. You can choose to have a towel bar rather than a handle and a towel bar and handle combination. A 3/8” heavy glass panel is an option and provides a more open look. With a heavy glass panel the middle frame that connects to the door is eliminated as the weight is heavy enough to support the door by itself. This option is pictured in the second and fourth pictures. Freestyle showers are very versatile and can be installed on even a fiberglass base.

Swing Door- Framed — Decatur, AL — Huntsville Glass

Swing Door- Framed

Fully framed shower enclosures have ¼” glass and a frame around all the edges. The price of a framed shower is substantially lower in comparison to a Heavy Glass shower, but we have found that we are selling fewer in comparison to the mid-range Freestyle shower. It's all about personal preference and your budget. We have several finishes and obscure glass available to fit your needs.

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