A Frameless Steam Shower Designed Differently in Braselton, Georgia
Updated: 23 hours ago
Apex Glass Industries recently completed a frameless glass steam shower enclosure in a primary bathroom in Braselton, Georgia, part of Apex's ongoing work in frameless showers and steam shower glass throughout Metro Atlanta and Georgia. The bathroom pairs a soaking tub with a separate steam shower, and the glass had to bring both together as one composition while functioning as two different systems.
When the Glass Has to Work With the Design
The soaking tub sits behind a double-door glass entrance, framed by an extra-wide transom above it and finished in brushed gold hardware. A few feet away, a single-door entrance leads into the steam shower, its own transom operable rather than fixed. Multiple fixed glass panels connect the two, so the whole enclosure reads as one continuous composition rather than two separate installations placed near each other.
Proportion matters here in a specific way. The double-door entrance and the single-door entrance are different widths, serving different fixtures, but the glass, hardware finish, and panel heights had to relate to each other closely enough that the tub and the shower feel like they belong to the same room, not two unrelated glass boxes.
One Glass Installation, Two Different Door Configurations
A designer looking at this bathroom sees a composition, tub and shower and hardware and proportion. A contractor looking at the same bathroom sees a coordination problem: a double-door entry, a separate single-door entry, fixed panels, an extra-wide transom, and an operable transom, all built as one continuous glass installation rather than as independent pieces.
Those components aren't interchangeable. The double doors carry their own hinge points and swing clearance. The single shower door has its own. The fixed panels between them have to hold consistent proportions across the whole run. Tolerances matter more here than on a simple single-door enclosure, because two separate operable systems, the tub entrance doors and the shower door with its operable transom, both have to function correctly after everything is installed, not just look right when the doors are closed.
Why an Operable Transom Matters in a Steam Shower
The shower's transom isn't fixed glass. It opens and closes. When steam needs to stay contained inside the shower, the transom closes. When containment isn't needed, it can be opened. That single detail is what actually makes this a steam shower rather than a standard frameless enclosure with a transom for visual effect, the operable panel gives the space a real, functional reason to exist as a steam shower rather than just looking like one.
What Happens Behind the Finished Glass
The finished photographs show a composed, considered bathroom. What they don't show is everything that had to happen before the glass ever arrived: measuring two separate entrances against each other, coordinating hardware finish and placement across double-door, single-door, and transom components, and sequencing an installation where two different operable systems had to be set correctly the first time.
The Final Quality Check
Before this installation was considered complete, Apex checked door operation, alignment, hardware function, and overall precision across every component, the tub entrance doors, the shower door, and the operable transom. On an enclosure with this many moving parts, that check isn't a formality. It's the difference between a shower that looks finished and one that actually operates the way it was designed to.
Choosing a Glass Company for a More Involved Shower Design
A bathroom like this one moves beyond a conventional single-door enclosure, and that changes what actually matters when choosing who builds it. A designer's composition and a contractor's coordination both have to be satisfied by the same glass company, not handled as separate concerns. Frameless glass showers and glass railings are core parts of Apex's work, alongside glass partitions and other architectural glass projects throughout Georgia. Glass is what Apex designs, what Apex builds, and what the Apex name is known for.
Apex Glass Industries is licensed, insured, and warranty-backed, a BBB Accredited business, a National Glass Association member, a two-time Best of Georgia Glass Contractor (2024 and 2025), and Best of Houzz 2026.
Planning a Glass Project?
If you're planning a glass project, bring Apex the plans, drawings, inspiration images, or simply the idea. The team can review the layout and help determine the appropriate glass options for the project.
Complimentary design consultations and estimates are available at our Design Center, online, or by phone or text.
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FAQ
What is an operable transom on a steam shower? An operable transom is a glass panel above the shower entrance that can be opened or closed, closed to contain steam inside the shower, and opened when steam containment isn't needed.
Can a frameless shower include more than one door configuration? Yes. This Braselton project combined a double-door entrance to a soaking tub with a separate single-door entrance to the steam shower, built as one continuous glass installation with fixed panels connecting them.
What glass thickness is used for a frameless steam shower? This project used 3/8-inch tempered glass, tempered for safety and fabricated to the specific dimensions of each opening.
Why does hardware finish matter across a multi-door glass installation?A consistent hardware finish, brushed gold in this project, across double-door, single-door, and transom components helps the overall composition read as one connected design rather than separate installations.
What should I bring to a glass consultation for a more complex shower design? Plans, drawings, or inspiration images are useful starting points. Apex can review the layout and help determine the appropriate glass configuration, hardware, and door options for the space.
Does Apex Glass Industries install steam shower enclosures in Braselton, GA?
Yes. Apex designs and installs frameless glass showers, including steam shower enclosures, in Braselton and throughout Metro Atlanta and Georgia.
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