There's just a $350 difference between the lowest and the highest price options. If you can afford just one choice (the low iron content versus the protection), I'd go with the protection considering that you'll have renters using the bathroom.

That said, I'm not familiar with Enduroshield, but do know quite a bit about Showerguard. Is the Enduroshield baked into the glass and does it offer a lifetime warranty?

I paid for starfire in my master bath because I had used an expensive glass tile mosaic with white in it and a marble-look porcelain with a white background too. After all the work picking out the tiles it didn't make sense to view them with a green tint! I am also using glass mosaic in secondary baths and I will use the starfire again to keep my tile colors as natural as possible.

I think protection would trump looks in a vacation home that is rented out.

Clear Glass with Showerguard, no question in my mind for a rental.

Milworkman- I don't think clear glass with shower guard is an option if I understand the OP.

Lisa

"$1750 Green tint. ShowerGuard."

That is clear glass, the iron content gives it a green hue (not really tinted just not ultra clear or Low Iron)

Yup, took me a while to learn that "clear glass" = green tint and that "low iron content glass" = greatly reduced tint. I wonder how many homeowners have been duped by that industry term?

Thank you, dear people! My DH is about to have me committed if I can't get ON with this!

It helps to read your answers and your reasoning. I think Millworkman's logic makes sense: Clear (green tint) glass with ShowerGuard. (It's my understanding that this is called "clear glass" to differentiate it from "obscure glass", but it can mislead.)

The top of the line here is the Starfire Low-Iron glass. The top of the protectors is the Enduroshield. Both are made to be part of the glass itself as the glass is manufactured -- not something applied later (secondary market).

We're at the condo maximum three months. We have a wonderful cleaner right now to do the clean-outs after guests, but we've also had some not-so-great ones. We only rent to singles/couples, and most stays are 7 - 14 nights. (Longer than that, I send the cleaner in.) There's not a big chance of dirt buildup.

I don't think our shower glass at home has a coating. (How could I tell?) We squeegee after using it. It's 14 and looks new. I never even realized it had a green tint until I started on this condo project, but our tile here isn't white.

What's hung me up is the big expense for ANY of these choices! I'll have to live with whatever I choose as long as we own the place, yet I don't think a buyer would even notice it.

Showerguard is a much better product than Enduroshield.

Millworkman -- Please explain why you prefer ShowerGuard to Enduroshield.

On Maui I can only get the Low-Iron glass with Enduroshield. I viewed the Guardian Glass video on the manufacture of glass with ShowerGuard -- evidently using an electrostatic process. Is Enduroshield made differently?

This would be a no-brainer for me --- for $350, I'd get both Starfire glass and Enduroshield UNLESS I thought the Enduroshield wouldn't be effective (per Millworkman), in which case I'd forego that. I did have ShowerGuard in my last home and it was brilliant - we are not the type to squeegee after every shower. The doors got cleaned once a week by the housecleaner.

Aftermarket applied product that will need to be reapplied (I know the warranty.......) versus a product made by Guardian and part of the glass when the glass is manufactured and has a lifetime warranty by the glass manufacturer, not another company.

Millworkman -- Thank you. I had thought both ShowerGuard and Enduroshield were the 'baked in' product I want.

I've just emailed back to what appears to be the only business on Maui that sells Low-Iron glass to ask for the cost of it with ShowerGuard. I see that Guardian Glass announced in June 2014 that it had begun making Low-Iron with ShowerGuard.

I'm guessing the bid for the Starphire with ShowerGuard will be much higher than his quote for it with Enduroshield -- and that's why he bid it this way.

1) Bid for Starphire without any coating...$1811

2) Bid for Starphire with Enduroshield...$1988

While I still haven't made the final decision, I feel more confident in judging choices are! Thank you all!

The Showerguard for Low Iron Glass is called "Ultrawhite" just as an FYI. Yeas, enduroshield is a glorified Rain-X and any of those products despite what there reps will say about them are mediocre at best......

Millworkman -- Ack! Another term: Ultrawhite! Now I have to go look that up. Is this another aftermarket application like Enduroshield?

The glass guy on Maui replied that Starphire with ShowerGuard wasn't a good idea because the ShowerGuard gave the glass a *green tint*, just what I'm trying to avoid.

Another loose end is whether I NEED a protective coating.

My shower door (starphire with shower guard) had no green tint.

"The glass guy on Maui replied that Starphire with ShowerGuard wasn't a good idea because the ShowerGuard gave the glass a *green tint*, just what I'm trying to avoid."

chisue -- your glass guy is full of it. Here's a picture of my starphire glass with showerguard. As you can see, there's no green tint. It just sounds like that glass guy doesn't want to sell you that product for some reason.

no chisue, the Showerguard for Low Iron or Starphire Glass is called "Ultrawhite" by Guardian!! If you want to chat you can email me chisue, my email is in my profile.

Showerguard over low iron for sure. The green tint factor is a bit overblown imo ... it's a subtle element

The green tint factor is aesthetic of course and therefore "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". I don't think the issue is at all overblown - I wanted clear glass, not green tinted glass, in my renovated bathroom.

I'm reviving this thread because I asked our GC about Showerguard and low iron. His sub replied that they use Enduroshield, and low iron is three times the cost of regular glass. I'm not especially invested in low iron (probably doing a ModWalls tile), but I'd like the better of the protective products. Enduroshield's website says it can be bought as an option from the manufacturer and has a ten year warranty--if it fails they'll provide product to recoat, which isn't a great option. ShowerGuard's lifetime warranty says they'll replace the glass OR refund the difference in price between regular glass and ShowerGuard glass, which also isn't a great option.

Both products' websites show the protectant is (or, in Enduroshield's case, CAN be) applied as part of the manufacturing process. Assuming each is done in manufacturing, does anyone know if there's much of a difference? Certainly there's someone out there who has one shower with each kind of glass that they use and clean identically, right? :)

You might call Guardian Glass and talk to someone about differences in the products. I did, and they were very, very nice.

I won't be cleaning the glass at the Maui condo until January, so I can't compare. At home we have non-protected green tint (clear) glass on the door and one side of our shower. The glass looks like new after 14 years. Our water is not soft, but not hard either -- Lake Michigan water. We spend 30 seconds with a squeegee after using the shower.

Your sub is exaggerating the cost differences.