Kinds Of Decorative Glass For Frameless Showers

23 January 2019
 Categories: , Blog


The advantage of frameless showers is the way you can customise them to suit your particular bathroom. You might have already decided on the location and size of your shower, but more decisions await. Are you going to use decorative glass, and if so, what type?

Clear, Low-Iron Glass

Of course, you can just go with clear glass for an ultra-sleek look. While that sounds like a straightforward decision, things don't end there. Standard 'clear' glass emits the faintest green tinge which becomes more evident once you examine it along the edges. Once you're aware of it, you will start noticing this cast in the glass you see everywhere, in shop windows and glass tables for example. You may love this effect, but you can eliminate it, if you want, by choosing a low-iron glass. Once the iron element is reduced, the resultant glass will be absolutely crystal clear.

Tinted Glass

Rather than eliminate the faint greenish hue, you might wish to emphasise it, and you can achieve this by having your shower screens tinted. Other popular shades, besides green, include blue, bronze and grey. To create these tints, the manufacturer adds metal oxides to the molten mix; extra iron, for example, increases the green tones, while cobalt and selenium create other hues. If you want a shade other than green, you can start with low-iron glass for a purer result. Tinted shower screens can be beautifully subtle, allowing you to create something unique for your bathroom. 

Slumped Glass

If you're after something very distinctive and arty, another possibility is slumped or patterned glass. This decorative treatment is produced by heating glass to extreme temperatures in a kiln until it melts, so taking on the patterns and textures of the mould that is lying underneath. Intricate illustrations or basic geometric border designs can create beautiful tactile shower panels. This technique works well with tinted or else low-iron glass for a brilliant clear effect. A benefit of slumped glass is the privacy it offers to those showering, while at the same time providing the distinctive sleek look of glass.

So though frameless showers might all be made of glass, that glass can appear in many different guises. It can be entirely transparent or else tinted; however, you prefer. On top of that, slumped glass provides a whole new array of options for patterns and textures, from unique, detailed illustrations to minimalist textures for an attractive tactile effect. 


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