We are in the middle of our bathroom reno and are planning to have a 39" glass panel where we will use a low profile U channel. I asked hubs why the low profile and not the 3/4". He said all the U channel does is keep the glass stationary. It's not meant to support the weight of the glass, so the low profile should be fine. He is a physicist, so I trust he understands all the mechanics of what the U channel should do.

At the home tour I went to last week-end, none of the frameless glass showers in the homes used metal channels at all. Instead the glass was set into a channel trenched into the granite/solid surface curbing.

Jewel- Are you sure it was inset into a trenched channel? Typically, a glass panel rests on two tiny pieces of clear plastic less than a 16th of an inch high and the panel is then caulked at the base with clear silicone. It can look like it's set in, but actually making a channel and installing it that way seems like a lot of work/expense for no gain.

I do prefer the no-channel style as it looks cleaner designwise, and it is less of a maintenance issue than a glass-metal intersection.

This is the way mine looks:

There were four homes on tour built by four different builders. Some of the glass shower panels in the houses were set in a trench and others were silicone caulked.

Jewel-

Interesting. Did it look better to you than the typical install I described?

I guess one advantage to having the bottom edge of the glass sit in a slot is that it's easier to hide an installation problem if the wall is not perfectly plumb and the floor-wall angle is not precisely 90 degrees. Also, one could argue that the glass is more secure because the bottom edge is mechanically trapped. However, since such panes are tempered glass, you would want to make sure that no part of the glass was in direct contact with a hard substance like granite since any pressure could cause it to shatter.

I have seen the recessed application like jewel mentions, kudzu's method, both types of channel the op asks about as well as both mini-clips and normal glass clips/clamps. All work well and different installers prefer different methods. No one way is right nor wrong.

The U channel we are using is not metal.

What is it made of then mboston?

Sorry, it is metal.

Thanks to all. I was debating on clips/clamps or u Channel. Realized I will have wallpaper about 5 inches away from glass, so I think the channel might be better for me in case any water would try to escape. Might go with low profile to reduce metal. Just wondered about sturdiness. Glass panel will be about 28" and door around 30".

What's the sturdiness issue you're concerned about? Are you afraid that the glass won't stay in a low-profile channel? Or that the channel will deteriorate somehow over time?

Yes, glass not staying in channel. I don't see the metal channel deteriorating.

We will have the clips on the side and channel at the bottom. I was originally thinking the channel was actually clear colored, so I thought it was the plastic piece I have seen on some doors, but hubs said not, that it would be a low profile piece of metal. Certainly better than the wide track of metal we have at our old shower door now. You can never keep it clean.

mboston-

You don't necessarily need channel at all. My panel has 2 clips plus only silicone at the bottom (see photo above). It's been like that for 15 years and I've had no problems with it staying in place, and no problems with keeping it clean.

This is all new to us - we have been talkling with 2 different people about the set up. One suggested the clips on the bottom but our granite is beviled and my husband read somewhere online that it would not be best to use clips in that situation. Both agreed that the U channel would be needed for the 39" panel.

You absolutely do not have to do channel. The choice of channel versus clips is your and your glass companies. Most glass shops have a preferential way they prefer to install Some use channel, some use glass clips or clamps like this clamp and some prefer this type of mini-clip. The clips obviously will require a silicone sealant along the balance of the glass.

Clips are great, you are entertaining a fixed panel to span your curb.?

DO NOT allow anyone to drill holes thru your curb/liner/waterproofing to set clips in .......

How then do the clips, clamps or channels get attached to the walls and or the curbs? If a framed system how about the frame? As far as I know they always go thru tile, and undoubtedly the waterproofing. Generally silicone is shot into the hole before the screw and anchor are set, no?

millworkman-

The biggest concern is for horizontal or near horizontal surfaces, like curbs. I have one shower that has a track at the bottom for the sliding door. It rests on the curb in a bed of silicone but is only mechanically attached at each end with a clip that has a single stainless steel screw into the wall, and the screwholes and screws were are well-siliconed.

The problem is that if you penetrate a water-proofed, horizontal surface, it has to remain perfectly caulked forever because water does not drain away quickly as it does on vertical surfaces. That is one of the reasons I prefer to see clips used only on wall surfaces, and to have the bottom edge of the glass siliconed to the floor/threshold.

I did ask about drilling into tile and all the waterproofing that I know my tile guy did. One installer said with my channel there will be one screw in channel on curb and only a few on vertical channel spots. Another installer wanted to use only adhesive tape on curb. The other estimates I did not ask as it was before I started to read..... Does anyone know about "wet" or "dry" channeling ? Assume that must be silicone or not? Good or bad?

telluwhat, better yet???

have your tile mechanic leave a finished waterproofed channel for the glass to set in with no screws, clips or metal and NO penetrations to the curb. The adhesive of choice here would be 100% silicone as stated by kudzo. A few wall clips or channel is fine if need be, just keep the screw or stem at least 3" above the finished curb and yes silicone those, just dont puncture the curb silly.