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Glass weighs 2.5 kg per square metre for every millimetre of thickness, so a square metre of 10 mm glass weighs 25 kg. Where your order weighs over 30 kg, or a piece is over 2 metres on any side, checkout tells you before you pay that delivery is to the kerbside and you need at least two people to take it in. Carry glass on its edge, never flat, and store it upright on soft blocks.
How do I work out what my glass weighs?
Step 1: Work out the area
Multiply the width by the height in metres. A 900 x 2000 mm panel is 0.9 x 2.0 = 1.8 square metres.
Step 2: Work out the weight per square metre
Multiply the thickness in millimetres by 2.5 kg. 10 mm glass is 25 kg per square metre, 8 mm is 20 kg, and 6 mm is 15 kg.
Step 3: Multiply the two
1.8 square metres of 10 mm glass weighs 1.8 x 25 = 45 kg.
Step 4: Check it with the tool
The glass weight tool does the same sum for your size and shows a handling band.
Laminated glass is heavier than it looks, so treat a laminated piece as a two-person lift even when the numbers look borderline.
When do I need two people?
There are two figures to know, and they come from different places.
- Our delivery rule. An order over 30 kg, or with a piece over 2 metres on any side, is delivered to the kerbside and needs at least two people at your end to take it in. Checkout tells you before you pay.
- Our workshop handling bands. The glass weight tool shows one person up to 20 kg with no edge over 1500 mm, two people up to 50 kg or any edge up to 2500 mm, and mechanical handling beyond that.
Neither is a universal safe lifting limit. Whoever moves the glass should think about the task, the load, the route and the person, as the HSE manual handling guidance explains.
How should glass be carried?
- On its edge, upright. Glass carried flat bends under its own weight and can crack.
- With gloves and sleeves. Even a polished edge can cut. Cut-resistant gloves give a far better grip than bare hands.
- One person at each end of a long panel, walking in step, with the route cleared first.
- Never by a hole or a hinge cut-out. Lift by the edges.
- Clear of hard corners. A knock on the edge of toughened glass is the most common way to break it.
Measure the route before a large piece arrives: the front door, the hall, the turn at the top of the stairs and the bathroom door. Glass does not bend round a corner.
How should I store it before fitting?
Stand each piece upright, leaning slightly against a solid wall at a shallow angle, on two soft blocks such as offcuts of timber or carpet. Keep it in its packaging until the fitter is ready. Keep it dry and out of direct sun, and away from where people walk or children play.
Never lay toughened glass flat on a hard floor, and never stack hardware or tools against it. Our checking glass on arrival guide explains what to look at before you put it away.
What should I have ready on delivery day?
Two adults for any panel over 30 kg or 2 metres, gloves, a clear route, and a flat, dry place to stand the glass. Large or heavy glass is delivered to the kerbside, so plan the carry from the van to the room. The delivery and lead times guide has the details.
Where to go next
- Weigh your panel: open the glass weight tool
- Thicknesses and spans
- Delivery, collection and lead times
- Checking your glass on arrival
Questions we get asked
How heavy is a typical shower door?
A 700 x 1950 mm door in 10 mm glass is about 1.37 square metres, so about 34 kg. In 8 mm it is about 27 kg.
Will the driver carry the glass inside?
Large or heavy glass is delivered to the kerbside, so have help ready at your end to carry it in.
Can I lay a glass panel flat on the floor?
Not on a hard floor. Stand it upright on soft blocks, leaning at a shallow angle against a solid wall.
Does the tool tell me a safe lifting weight?
No. It shows our workshop's handling bands. The person moving the glass still needs to assess the task and the route.
Contact the team with your order reference and the step you need help with, or search all help topics.