Shower
Anchor-Ventana Glass offers several types of shower enclosures and the thickness depends on the type of shower you choose. Frameless showers have minimal hardware, so the glass needs to be a little thicker. A standard thickness is 3/8” or ½” in order to withstand frequent opening and closing of the shower door. Semi-frameless and framed showers require less thickness since they are reinforced by the frame. The common thickness is ¼”, which provides a similar look to the frameless 3/8” glass.
Countertops
Glass Countertops make a sleek statement, plus they are stain-resistant and easy to clean and maintain. Our glass countertops blend style and function. Choosing the right thickness for your glass counter or bar top is dependent on what the function will be for. Heavy-duty surfaces such as kitchen islands or bar tops should be around 1” to 1 ½” thick in order to withstand the constant use and hold up to wear and tear. If you don’t plan on using the surface as often, such as a bar top, then you can go down to about ¾” thickness.
Tabletops
Glass can be integrated into a tabletop in two different ways. It can be a standalone table, with glass functioning as the tabletop, or it can be a protective covering on top of another material, such as wood or marble. As a purely glass tabletop, the glass should be at least 3/8” in order to properly support the objects being placed on it. Other popular thicknesses for glass tabletops are ½” or ¾”, but the thickness can go up to 1”. If the glass is just being used as a protective covering, then ¼” is the most popular thickness.
Windows
Thickness for windows again depends on what the window is used for. A small, single-pane window only needs a 3/16” thickness, but as the size of the window increases, the thickness increases. Glass walls and partitions are often 3/8” or ½” in thickness, in order to prevent damage from the weather and other impacts that the window will endure.
Railings
Anchor-Ventana’s residential glass handrail systems are sleek and sophisticated while providing excellent barriers for any staircase, deck, or balcony. Railings are similar to glass walls or partitions since they are often in high-traffic areas that need to support a structure. For this reason, the normal thickness for handrails is ½”.
Shelves
Glass shelves are another installation that requires different thicknesses for different uses and weights. Depending on the objects that will be stored on the glass shelves and how large the shelves are, the glass will need to be from ¼” to ¾” in thickness.
While thinner glasses have the benefit of being lightweight and exude an aura of delicacy and charm, thicker glasses are substantially more impressive, making a statement in your home or office laced with authority. Choosing the thickness of your glass is as much a practical and functional choice as it is a personal one. Let the experts at Anchor-Ventana Glass help you choose the best option for your glass installation.