How Heavy Is a 10mm Glass Shower Screen? Lifting, Carrying and Delivery Day

Heavier than most people expect. Glass weighs about 2,500kg per cubic metre, so every square metre of 10mm glass weighs around 25kg.

Our fixed and hinge panels are 2000mm high and our doors are 1985mm. Here's what that means in practice.

Weights by panel size (10mm glass)

Example sizes. Weights are calculated from glass area only, rounded. Hardware adds a little.

Can one person lift it?

A narrow hinge panel, yes. A full fixed panel, it's possible but we don't recommend it. A 45kg sheet of glass that's two metres tall is awkward, not just heavy. It catches the wind outdoors, it's hard to see around, and the edges are the most vulnerable part of the panel.

People who've done it agree. "Means more weight per panel so usually a two person job to install to make it safe and easier," wrote one Whirlpool member. Another warned "the panels are heavy and can get slippery."

Plan for two people on delivery day and on install day.

Delivery day: kerb to bathroom

Glass is delivered to the kerb. Our delivery drivers can't carry it into the house, so have your helper ready.

1. Check it before you move it. Look along every edge for chips while it's still in its packaging if you can. Chipped edges are the main cause of toughened glass breaking later. See can a shower screen explode?
2. Carry it on edge, never flat. Glass carried flat flexes. Carry panels upright, one person at each end, hands on the long edges.
3. Never set it down on a corner. Rest it on its long edge on a folded blanket, carpet offcut or two timber blocks.
4. Clear the path first. Measure hallway turns and doorways. A 2000mm panel needs to tilt through a standard door.
5. Store it leaning, not lying. Lean it against a solid wall at a slight angle, on a blanket, away from where kids and pets play.
6. Wear gloves. Grippy work gloves help with a slippery surface and protect your hands.

Install day tips

• Keep the panel on its blanket until you're ready to lift it into place.
• Use the packers. Glass should never sit directly on tile. Our installation drawings use 3mm packers under the glass.
• One person holds and steadies, the other fits the brackets. Don't let go until brackets are snug.

Our step-by-step guide on how to install a fixed panel covers the full job.

Choosing a lighter layout

If weight worries you, a layout with a narrow hinge panel and a door splits the glass into lighter pieces than one wide fixed panel. See hinge panel or wall-hung door?

Not sure it'll get through your house? Send us a photo of the route through the Five-Minute Fit Check.