Rex Glass + Heartland Homes

Custom Shower Enclosures for Your New Home

Frameless Heavy Glass Shower Doors

Comprised of heavy glass and sleek lines, these showers truly showcase the beauty of glass and really accentuate any modern and luxurious bathroom. We require that all frameless shower configurations be approved by the homeowner to ensure complete accuracy regarding layout, hardware, and glass options. Hardware All doors come with 2 wall mount hinges or 2 pivot hinges depending on the configuration of the opening. The standard handle is a back-to-back C-pull handle. The standard hardware finish is chrome (silver). Brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze upgrades are available. Height The standard nominal door height is 78". Glass Clear 3/8" thick glass is the standard option. An upgrade to Rain glass is available. Fade to clear sandblasting is also available for those looking to add a little privacy.

Glass Options

Obscure Glass Rain Glass Fade to Clear Sandblasting Glass Sizes

In our industry, the term frameless is used to represent any custom heavy glass shower enclosure that does not contain the framing members and jambs used in a traditional framed shower. A frameless enclosure is not without some framing. Afterall, the glass must be attached to the wall in some mechanical fashion.

We use 3/4" profile U-Channel along the base and sides to secure any stationary glass panels. The two images below illustrate the use of channel in two different shower enclosures.

The header bar is perhaps the one item that causes the most discussion among frameless purists. Some people consider the use of a header bar to be anti-frameless. In reality, a header bar is always the safest and most secure way to install a glass enclosure. Like U-Channel, the header bar has an ultra small profile and rounded face. It is much sleeker than traditional framed shower members.

The use of a header bar cannot be left to personal preference when matters of structural integrity are at hand. Whenever the door is mounted to another piece of glass or when pivot hinges are used, a header bar must be used to support the glass if the glass does not extend to the ceiling. Whenever a strike is used (polycarbonate seal between door and panel), a header bar must be used to support the force against the glass.

Consider the images below. The first image on the left is a close up of a header bar in oil rubbed bronze finish.

The second image from the left shows a frameless shower that utilizes a strike to seal the gap between the door and panel. Because the strike is used, a header bar must be used. If the strike had not been installed, the door could swing in and out and no header bar would have been necessary.

In the 3rd example from the left, the door was installed using pivot hinges. The top pivot must be anchored to the header bar. This enclosure represents a common Heartland shower design. In this design, the only way to prevent the use of a header bar is to extend the glass panels to the ceiling.

The final example on the far right below illustrates the concept of extending the door and panels to the ceiling. The top pivot is mounted to the bulkhead in the ceiling. Note: due to certain limitations, it may not always be possible to extend the panels and the door to the ceiling. In certain cases such an implementation may introduce unexpected additional costs not permitted by the homeowner's allowance.

By default our heavy glass showers come with strike seals and headers. If you prefer something different, please let our sales rep know. It also is a good idea to work with your project supervisor prior to framing in order to understand your shower layout. While we can accomodate your glass needs, the finished enclosure ultimately determines the glass layout.