Glass Shower Enclosure Design Questions

last year

Hello everyone,

Hopefully some knowledgeable members will be able to offer their expertise in shower enclosures. I've attached three pictures. The first picture is of our shower enclosure that I'm just about done building myself. I'm at the point where I need to order the glass and install it. I'm hoping that I can achieve a look somewhat along the lines of the last two reference pictures.

I've been in contact with several glass companies, and I'm getting conflicting information on what is best for the glass in our enclosure. Our enclosure is just a regular shower, not a steam shower. There is a vent fan inside the enclosure that can be set on a timer, along with one in the bathroom itself. Everything inside the enclosure has been waterproofed with a liquid membrane, and then tiled all the way up to the ceiling. The ceiling isn't tiled, but we could tile it if needed.

Some have said that we can't go all the way to the soffit with glass, while other say that's no problem as long as you have the fan inside, which we do. Some have said that having a movable transom above the door will be your best choice, while others have said that it is not needed, and yet others have said leave a gap above the door. We prefer the cleanest look, but want to make sure we don't have issues with excess steam buildup while showering and/or mold growth issues.

Please let me know what your thoughts are on what we should or shouldn't do regarding the design of the glass. Let me know if you have any questions I might now have addressed.

TYIA.

Featured Answer

clt3

last year

No gap. It doesn’t really get too steamy but we are both short showerers. I do sometimes leave the door cracked.

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Comments (14)

millworkman
last year
last modified: last year
Fixed "sidelites" to the ceiling and leave the door short, no transom and you will be fine. I would use channel set on the stone at the bottom and recess the upper channel into the drywall.
kandrewspa
last year
In order for a fan to be effective it has to be able to draw air. In an enclosed space a fan will struggle, or if no air can get in, it has the potential to create a vacuum. So a short door like millworkman suggested, or a transom. But why do a transom if it's going to be open all the time? I leave the shower door open for quite a while after a shower (and running the fan for ten minutes afterwards) to make sure the space gets completely dried out. But I do live in a climate where the relative humidity is rarely under 30% and in the summer averages over 60%.
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chrisgrymko
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the replies millworkman and kandrewspa. So it's sounding like just leaving a gap above the door is the way to go. Any idea on what a suitable sized gap would be? The door is approximately 26" wide.

I like millworkman 's idea about recessing the glass into drywall, but where you suggest it is already tiled there. So it will need to be clipped there, or channel on the bottom and sides.
clt3
last year

Ours is done exactly like that and our vent is just outside the door. We’ve only had it for 1 1/2 years and not one speck of mold.
chrisgrymko
Original Author
last year
Interesting. So it looks like you don't even have any appreciable gap above the door. And just the vent fan outside the enclosure? Does it ever get too steamy inside while showering? What to you do after a shower to mitigate steam/moisture from the enclosure, like leaving the door open? Or maybe nothing at all?
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
The glass has to be tempered and years ago the channels were used to hide the tong marks on the glass. You might want to ask about tong marks so there are no surprises at the install.

Tempered glass that has been manufactured in a vertical tempering oven contains small surface depressions resembling dimples along one edge. These marks are caused by the pointed metal tongs which support the glass during its passage through the oven.
millworkman
last year
" You might want to ask about tong marks so there are no surprises at the install. "

Tong marks are long since a thing of the past and nothing to be concerned about.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
I would never seal it all up so agap above the door should be all ylu need for good function, the fan needs to pull air and better to have some air moving always IMO in a bathroom Yes to temperd glass and not to you installing it. That is the galss company's job . They measure they deliver and install at least mine does all of it.
chrisgrymko
Original Author
last year
Thank you all for your comments.

How much of a gap would be sufficient to have above the door? And inch or two? 6 inches ? 10 inches?
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
We have a fan/light in the shower and a space between the glass and the ceiling. It's about 6-8 inches. Works just fine. No steam buildup ever, and no mold.
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC · More Info
millworkman
last year
" How much of a gap would be sufficient to have above the door? And inch or two? 6 inches ? 10 inches? "

I would go approx. 12-16". You want good air flow and you want the open area to look intentional.
tracefloyd
last year
last modified: last year
We have a 4 inch gap above the shower door only...tub conversion. I try to prop the door open a bit after a shower as mentioned otherwise it takes a while to dry out. Yes we have a ceiling fan.
tracefloyd
last year
Thanks for the like. I forgot to mention yes there is a soffit.