Shower Glass Options and Treatments
Thinking about updating your home? Remodeling or upgrading your bathroom can add a lot of value, style, and comfort to your home, but sorting through renovation options can seem daunting. You’ll want to choose upgrades that give you the best return on your investment, like a glass shower enclosure or glass shower door.
From an aesthetic standpoint, one of the best things about glass shower doors and enclosures is that they can create the illusion of a larger space. Glass showers also have an elegant appearance and can add to the contemporary look of your bath.
After deciding to update your bathroom, there are several elements you’ll need to consider when designing your new shower enclosure, and choosing which type of glass is one of the most important.
Types of Glass
Clear, frosted, patterned, tinted – there are many different glass options to pick from. Are you looking for clarity, low-maintenance, privacy, or a custom look? Whatever the type of glass you choose will significantly affect the function and appearance of your bathroom.
Clear Glass – One of the most popular options, a clear glass shower enclosure not only looks beautiful, but it also helps make your bathroom look larger. Clear shower glass is transparent with a greenish tint, although some people barely notice, as the coloration is minimal. Because there’s no specific texture, clear glass shower doors or shower enclosures work well with all décor styles and give your bathroom a timeless appearance.
Tinted Glass –Like clear glass, tinted shower glass allows you to see through the panels or doors. In grey or bronze, tinted glass provides moderate privacy, reduces glare for a more soothing ambiance, and adds to a contemporary aesthetic.
Low Iron (Starfire) – If you are using lighter tiles or intricate tile-work that you want to showcase in your shower design, you may wish to consider using Low-Iron Glass. This type of glass provides ultimate clarity by eliminating the greenish hue present in standard glass, allowing for a brighter, more accurate view of your shower’s interior.
Beyond clear options, Dick’s Rancho Glass also offers a wide selection of obscured, patterned, or textured glass styles, which provide varying levels of privacy.
Frosted Glass – Known for its high privacy value, frosted satin etched glass is an ideal choice for bathrooms. To achieve an opaque texture, one side of the glass goes through an acid-etching or sandblasting process. This texture keeps light from cleanly flowing through the glass, thus giving it a translucent look. While this type of glass allows some light, it still provides the privacy you need by blurring the view.
Patterned Glass (textured) – Decorative and low-maintenance, this shower glass option is a great choice if you want more privacy but not a solid front. One of the best things about patterned glass shower doors is how many glass design options there are to choose from. Popular pattern glass design options like baroque, rain glass, glue chip, reed, and more are available.
Unlike clear glass, a shower door or enclosure with patterned glass will preserve your privacy and functionality, especially if you have a multi-user bathroom. This is a design choice that can be especially helpful in a smaller home with multiple children and only one bathroom.
Low-maintenance, patterned shower glass requires less cleaning effort. Not only will the textured glass hide many water spots, but it will also hide an untidy shower. This is a great feature for those who lead busy lives and don’t have time to clean the shower often.
If you’re looking for a more unique or custom look in your bathroom, you may be interested in other luxury shower glass options, including chipped-edge glass, clear plus etched, painted panels, or custom sandblasted designs.
Glass Treatment Options
After choosing your glass, we encourage all our shower customers to consider adding a water spot protective coating to their shower glass before installing the enclosure. Exposing untreated glass to hard water, even one time, can damage the surface of the glass and add hours to your cleaning regimen.
At Dick’s Rancho Glass, we offer different types of glass and/or showers from different glass suppliers, and each supplier offers their own version of a water spot protective coating. Protective coatings such as Diamon Fusion®, Hydroshield®, CW Shield®, and Enduro Shield® are available. Ask us which version of the coating your glass supplier offers so we can give you additional information about best practices for cleaning your coated glass, as well as warranty information.
How do protective glass coatings work? Water spot coatings are typically applied during manufacturing and are either sprayed on or baked into the glass. Glass has pores like human skin, and the coating fills these pores with a hydrophobic chemical that repels water spots from hard water and soap scum.
This coating keeps the minerals in hard water or soap scum that come in contact with the surface of the glass from being absorbed into the glass. This way, you can simply rinse the glass off with clean water and wipe it dry with a clean microfiber cloth. If the glass is left untreated, mineral deposits and soap scum can be absorbed into the pores below the surface of the glass and become impossible to remove.
We recommend that our customers protect their investment in their new glass shower enclosures by purchasing them with a factory-applied water spot protective coating. That way, your shower glass is protected from hard water damage from the very first use.
Don’t settle for an outdated, blah, or boring bathroom. If you’re thinking about renovating your shower and need help choosing the right shower glass options for your home, we’re here to help! Dick’s Rancho Glass has years of glass experience and can install a beautiful glass shower in your new bathroom oasis.
Whether you are looking to showcase your fantastic tile work or maximum privacy is your desire, we have multiple shower glass options for you to choose from: 3/8″: Clear, Obscure/Textured, Starfire/Low Iron, Satin etched or custom Sandblasted designs, Rain, Glue Chip, and Tinted. As well as 1/2″ options: Clear, Grey, Narrow Reed (only available on framed enclosures with 3/16″ or 1/4″ glass).
Create a spa-like aesthetic, a larger room feel, or a fresh new look. Our superior glass design team can work with you to select a stunning new glass shower enclosure along with shower glass options and glass treatments that suit your style, budget, and daily needs.
To begin exploring your glass shower glass types and design options, check out our gallery, contact Dick’s Rancho Glass online, give us a call, or visit one of our two glass showrooms in the Sacramento region:
Dick’s Rancho Glass Sacramento at 2900 ROUTIER ROAD
Or call us at (916)363-6554
Dick’s Rancho Glass Fair Oaks at 5349 SAN JUAN AVE.
Or call us at (916)863-2500
~ At Dick’s Rancho Glass, our versatility and pride of craftsmanship are keys to our success. Our excellent reputation has been built on the foundations of quality, reliability, and maintaining a dedicated staff. ~