Does a shower screen need to be toughened glass?

A shower screen is not one of the critical locations in Approved Document K. Shower enclosures are covered by BS EN 14428 instead, and every compliant screen is toughened or laminated safety glass. So in practice the glass in a shower screen should be safety glass. Every shower screen and bath screen we make is toughened, in 8 or 10 mm glass, with polished edges. You cannot order one from us any other way.

Which rules cover the glass in a shower screen?

Two different documents are often mixed up here, so it helps to separate them.

Document	What it covers	What it says about shower screens
Approved Document K (England)	Glazing in doors, beside doors and low in walls, where people may walk into glass	A shower or bath screen is not an Approved Document K location
BS EN 14428	Shower enclosures	Every compliant screen is toughened or laminated safety glass

That is how our safety glass checker treats it. Pick a shower screen or enclosure panel and the answer cites BS EN 14428: shower screens and enclosure panels are always toughened or laminated safety glass. The checker's own table lists the row as "shower screen or bath screen, at any height".

Glass counts as safety glass when it has been tested and classified under BS EN 12600 (formerly BS 6206). Toughened glass made to BS EN 12150 and laminated glass made to BS EN 14449 are both classified that way. Ordinary annealed float glass is not safety glass; when it breaks, it breaks into long shards.

This is general guidance. For your project, follow the regulations and manufacturer instructions that apply, and ask your building control body, engineer or Gas Safe engineer where needed.

Toughened or laminated: which is used for a shower?

Both are safety glass when classified. Toughened is the usual choice for doors, shower screens and splashbacks because it is stronger against knocks and heat. When it breaks, it crumbles into small, blunt pieces across the whole pane. Laminated glass cracks in a spider pattern, but the interlayer holds the pieces together. It is chosen where the glass must stay in place after breaking, such as overhead glazing and some barriers.

For showers, our offer is toughened only. If you have a reason to want laminated glass in a shower, ask us before you order. For the full comparison, read toughened, laminated and annealed glass.

What glass do you supply for shower and bath screens?

Every shower and bath layout in our configurator uses the same glass rules. Toughening and polished edges are fixed, not options.

Glass	Thickness (mm)	Toughened	Edges
Clear	8 or 10	Always	Polished
Grey tint or bronze tint	8 or 10	Always	Polished
Satin (etched) or fluted (reeded)	10 only	Always	Polished

There is no mirror glass on shower and bath screens, and 6 mm has been withdrawn from these families. Our help page on shower screens and enclosures lists every layout you can order.

Is 8 mm or 10 mm right for a shower screen?

Our thickness guide says 8 mm toughened is the wetroom standard and 10 mm is for frameless glass. Both are offered on every shower and bath layout, in clear and tinted glass. Satin and fluted glass come in 10 mm only.

Doors have one extra rule. A hinged door must be 8 or 10 mm because the hinge has to grip the glass. The glass thickness tool explains the reasoning for each use.

Does a bath screen count as a shower screen?

Yes, for these purposes. The safety checker's table puts "shower screen or bath screen" on the same row, covered by BS EN 14428. Our bath screens follow the same glass rules as our shower screens: toughened, 8 or 10 mm, polished edges. See bath screens for the four bath layouts.

Where to go next

Choose your layout and glass in the configurator, and the price updates as you enter your sizes.

• Safety glass checker
• Toughened, laminated and annealed glass
• Shower screen sizes

Questions we get asked

Is laminated glass allowed for a shower screen?

BS EN 14428 is the standard for shower enclosures, and a compliant screen is toughened or laminated safety glass. Our own shower range is toughened only, so ask us if you need laminated.

Is 6 mm toughened glass enough for a shower?

We no longer offer 6 mm on shower and bath screens: every layout is 8 or 10 mm. Our thickness guide gives 8 mm toughened as the wetroom standard and 10 mm for frameless glass.

Does a glass splashback need to be toughened?

Every splashback we make is 6 mm toughened, and our thickness guide says 6 mm toughened is required behind hobs. See glass splashbacks for more.

Can I choose untoughened glass to save money?

Not for a shower or bath screen. We do not supply bath or shower glass that is not toughened, and the configurator will not price one.