Now that we’ve gone over the basics, it’s time to get a little more technical. The hardware you choose for your shower accentuates the rest of your bathroom. But what’s the difference between Clips and U-Channel? When do you need a header? What patterns of glass are available? Don’t worry, we’ve answered all these questions and more below in our hardware guide.

Glass

Thickness

Glass for shower doors comes in four common thicknesses. 3/16″ and 1/4″ glass is generally used in fully framed and semi-frameless doors. Another term for this type of glass is “light glass”. 3/8″ and 1/2″ glass is used for frameless enclosures. These types of enclosures are much heavier and require solid blocking for most showers, especially when a door is present in the design.

Patterns

Once you decide on the framing type which will dictate the glass thickness, it’s time to start looking at glass patterns. While the thickness of glass used in your shower won’t affect the overall look of your shower very much, the pattern you choose will. You can achieve any number of looks in your bathroom with any degree of privacy just by changing the pattern of glass in your shower. Check out our gallery of glass for a sneak peek at our glass options.

Hardware

Styles

Most hardware comes in two styles, beveled and square, with other unique styles available from Portals Hardware.

Finishes

Our finishes are designed to complement the other finishes in your bathroom and today’s most popular bath hardware. The palette is diverse and considers the latest fashion trends to match your own unique preferences.

In our gallery you will find examples of our most popular finishes, with many other options available from Portals Luxury Hardware, American Shower Door, US Horizon, Basco Shower Enclosures, and Alumax Showers.

Not finding a finish to your liking? With our network of suppliers, we can offer custom plated finishes for most of all our hardware.

Components

The hardware components are used to connect your glass to the wall and to other glass panes.

Clips: Metal clips are used to create a true frameless appearance. These two-inch heavy clips secure the glass panels of your frameless shower, to a floor, wall, or another glass panel, preserving an all-glass look.

U Channel: The U-channel is a metal rail that is used to secure glass panels to the floor, ceiling, or wall. U-Channel can be less expensive than using clips because less fabrication is required for the glass.

Hinges: Shower door hinges allow the door to open and close. They come in a variety of finishes, with three major types, wall mount, glass to glass and pivot hinges.

Glass to Wall hinge in Oil Rubbed Bronze

Headers: Headers are a metal bar which runs along the top of the glass. Headers are primarily used with heavy glass enclosures when there is little to no blocking present. When using a header, we’re having the metal support carry the weight of the door instead of the wall.

Handles: Handles or pulls come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The three most common styles are square, C-Shape and Ladder Pull. There are also knobs and recessed pulls. They give us a surface to grab to open and close the door.

Hardware guide