At what point in a bathroom renovation should the shower glass be measured?

After the tile and grout are finished, including the curb or the sloped floor. Measure earlier and the panels won't fit, because tile thickness and walls that aren't plumb change the opening. Bring the glass pro in at the planning stage anyway, so hinge backing goes in behind the tile and the layout suits the glass you want.

Does a walk-in shower with no door keep the water in?

It can, if the layout suits it. A doorless walk-in works best when there's room for the spray to aim away from the opening, and the floor slopes toward the drain. In a short or narrow shower, a door or a hinged return panel is the safer choice. The pro can tell from your plan which one fits.

What is a neo-angle shower, and when does it make sense?

It's a corner shower with five sides: two tiled walls, two short angled panels and an angled door across the corner. It frees up floor in a bathroom where a square base would block the entry or the vanity. Older corner showers were often framed neo-angles, and a frameless version is a common upgrade when the corner stays but the bathroom is redone.

Can I use a standard-size shower door instead of custom glass?

Sometimes. Standard doors suit a common alcove width with square walls and a level curb. Once the layout has angles, full-height glass, a knee wall or walls out of plumb, made-to-measure panels are usually the only way to get an even fit. The pro can say which you have after seeing the plan.

What are people choosing instead of a traditional shower door?

A fixed glass panel with an open entry is a common alternative, often paired with a curbless floor. It removes the door and its hinges, seals and sweep, but the shower has to be long enough that spray stays on the tile. Others keep a door and move to frameless glass for a lighter look. Both are still tempered glass.

Custom showers · Markham

Made-to-measure shower glass for walk-ins, corners and steam rooms

This page is for a bathroom being rebuilt: a new layout, new tile, and glass designed around both. The decisions that matter most, such as where the glass stands, how it opens and what holds it, are best made before the tile goes up. We connect you with a local glass professional who builds custom enclosures, and they can advise at the planning stage, not just at the end. If you're keeping your current layout and only need a new door or parts, see shower glass doors.

Walk-in, neo-angle and full enclosures
Measured after tile, made to fit
Tempered safety glass throughout

Get a free quote 905-201-8120

Full-height glass with a transom: the layout a steam shower needs, planned before tiling.

Layouts

Layouts: walk-in panel, neo-angle, full enclosure

The layout decides how much glass you need, where water goes and what the walls must support.

Walk-in panel

One or two fixed panels with an open entry and no door. It works best in a longer shower where the head points away from the opening, often with a floor sloped to the drain.

Neo-angle

A five-sided corner enclosure with angled panels and a door on the diagonal. It suits a corner too tight for a square base. In houses from Markham's 1980s-to-2000s building years, a renovation may start by removing an original framed version.

Full enclosure

Glass from wall to wall, and sometimes to the ceiling, with a hinged or sliding door. It's the choice for a steam shower or a shower set in the middle of a large room.

The glass itself

Glass choices and finishes

Custom panels are usually thicker than builder doors, because frameless glass has to stand on its own. The pro specifies the thickness for the panel size and hardware; it isn't something to pick by look.

Low-iron glass removes the green tint that thick glass shows at the edges, which matters most with white or pale tile. Frosted bands or patterned glass add privacy in an ensuite shared by two people, and a factory coating makes daily wiping easier. A mirror cut to the same wall run can be planned alongside.

Renovation timing

Timing with your renovation: measure after tile

Glass is the last thing measured and the last thing installed, but it needs a place in the plan from the start.

Plan the glass with the layout
Decide the door swing, the curb or curbless floor, and where hinges and clamps will land, so the framer adds blocking before the walls are closed and tiled.
Finish tile and grout
Final wall and curb surfaces set the real dimensions, and no two walls are quite plumb.
Measure, order, install
The pro measures the finished opening and orders each panel. Tempered glass can't be trimmed later, so that measurement is final.

Hardware

Hardware, seals and water control

In frameless glass, the hardware does the work a frame used to do.

Hinges and clamps

Wall-mounted or glass-to-glass hinges carry the door; clamps or a slim channel hold fixed panels. Finishes should match the taps.

Support bars and transoms

A tall fixed panel often needs a support bar to the wall. A steam shower needs glass to the ceiling and a transom or vent the plumber and glass pro agree on.

Seals and sweeps

Clear seals close the gaps between panels and at the floor. Most water control, though, comes from the head position and the floor slope.

Safety glass

Safety glass requirements

Every shower and bathtub enclosure in Ontario has to be safety glass under the Building Code's safety glazing rules; confirm the current edition's wording. For custom enclosures that means tempered glass. Holes for hinges and handles are cut before tempering, which is another reason the layout has to be settled first. Our custom glass page explains tempered and laminated glass in more detail.

What affects the quote

What shapes the price of a custom enclosure

Custom glass is priced from the drawing and the finished opening. These drive it most:

Layout and number of panels, including returns and transoms
Height, especially glass to the ceiling for steam
Glass thickness, low-iron glass, frosting or coating
Hardware count and finish, from hinges to support bars
Walls out of plumb, sloped ceilings or angled knee walls

A sketch with rough dimensions and your tile schedule lets a pro plan the visit.

Request a custom enclosure quote

Free to request, with no obligation.

Questions

Custom enclosure questions

Explore your options

Local pros build custom enclosures in bathroom renovations across the city and nearby, including Cornell, Angus Glen, Unionville, Cathedraltown and Stouffville.

Share your layout and tile timing

Send a sketch or the renovation drawing, rough dimensions and the date tiling should wrap up. We hand that to a local pro who builds custom enclosures; they follow up to agree when to measure.