I have a window in a shower too: Kind of wish I didn't, long story.

I'm going to address this in a couple ways. First, I'm going to use something like spar varnish or other water resistant finish to protect the window itself. Second, I'm going to wrap the window sill and surround with kerdi, and tile it. Third, I'm going to hang a shower curtain at ceiling height so no actual spray actually hits the window. It'll also provide some privacy, since this is a ground floor space, but still allow for good natural light.

Thanks, oruboris! This info is very helpful!

A previous owner took out our wood window and put in a glass block window. I hate it and we'll be returning to a "real" window when the bathroom makes it to the top of our project list.

Glass block, to me, dims the natural light. I'd rather have huge amounts of natural light in a bathroom.

i have a window in my tub-shower and won't take it out for anything. when the weather is beween cold and hot it pulls a good breeze through the house. we also put a film stained glass on the glass. you can get it in several patterns at lowe's or home depot dj

Hmmm. The window needs replaced because it's very old and extremely drafty. I had considered glass block because I thought it would be easier to waterproof, and I thought it would give us some privacy. (It's a first floor bathroom, and it's right across from the neighbor's kitchen. Terrible place for a window!) I thought we could get one that has an opening so that we can vent the room. We don't have an actual vent in the room, and having one installed isn't really in the budget.

Maybe I should reconsider the type of window. Having a good amount of natural light is important, and so is being able to have a breeze during those wonderful Spring and Autumn days.

Also, I think I read somewhere that glass block isn't great for keeping out the cold during winter. I had sort of assumed that glass block was very energy efficient. But I'm a beginner.

If the current window is in good shape, how about using a quality exterior storm window and brass weather stripping on the old sash? You may be surprised at how well this works to eliminate drafts, without window replacement. Old rotted wood (e.g., the sill) can be repaired as well. A top notch replacement window can be expensive.

Unfortunately, the window's not in good shape. But a storm window and brass weather stripping would probably work on a different window in our house. Thanks for the advice.

We are actually giving the entire bathroom a facelift, and we have a budget of $1,000. Certainly not a big budget for a bathroom, but we have enough to splurge on one thing. (We are also stripping wallpaper, painting, replacing the light fixture, getting new towel racks and accessories. We had thought about getting a new vanity, but decided to just replace the faucet and spend the money on a new window. We had even thought about trying to put some art glass in there somehow. If we can find some art glass reasonably priced, a storm window would probably be a smart addition.