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Glass Shower Enclosures: A Language of Their Own

Here are some of the important terms used by your glass professional.

Barrier-Free Door: Door with no bottom track, designed for easy access by the disabled.
Bi-Fold Door: Door made of two sections that are hinged together. One is attached to the side of the door opening, the other is usually pinned to move along a top or bottom track.
Buttress: A change in levels of the curb of a shower or tub enclosure.
By-Pass Door: Door where two glass panels travel in parallel tracks and overlap when closed.
Etched Glass: Glass that has been treated chemically or sandblasted.
Extrusion: Piece of metal hardware created by forcing softened metal through an extrusion die to shape it into its final form.
Framed Enclosure: Enclosure that has metal extrusions protecting all of its glass edges.
Frameless Enclosure: Enclosure that has minimized its use of metal extrusions.
Heavy Glass Enclosure: Frameless enclosure with glass that is 3/8-inch or more thick.
Hinge Door: Door that is attached by its side edge to the door frame.
Inline Panel: A glass panel that is in the same plane as the door of an enclosure.
Neo-Angle Enclosure: Enclosure for use in a corner. It has two sides and a door, with the door being in the center.
Obscure or Patterned Glass: Glass that allows light to pass through indirectly, without giving a clear view.
Pivot Door: Door attached at the top and bottom by a pivot mechanism. When door opens, it pivots at point of connection, usually an inch or two in from the door frame.
Powder Coating: The painting of aluminum extrusions by dusting with a dry powder and baking till the powder melts, forming a tough coating of paint on the surface of the extrusion.
Reflective Glass: Glass that reflects about 70 percent of light.
Return Panel: Glass panel set at an angle to the door of an enclosure.
Silk Screened Glass: Glass with an applied porcelain coating to create a regular pattern of some form.
Tinted Glass: Glass that only allows certain colors of light to pass through it. The most popular tints in enclosures are bronze and gray.
Transom: Glass panel over a doorway. Often used for showers with steam bath option. Can often be opened and closed.
Tempered Glass: All glass enclosures are required by code to use tempered glass. This is glass that has been specially treated so that, should it break, it shatters totally into thousands of glass beads, minimizing the risk of harm to anyone nearby. (It is very difficult to break tempered glass.)

Source: Contemporary Bath Enclosures.