How to Pick the Perfect Shower Window: Type, Placement, and More

At first, a shower might seem the least appropriate place to install a window in your home, especially if you prefer to bathe in privacy. But a window in the shower also makes perfect sense because of the natural light and ventilation it can provide your bathroom.

Add to that the wide variety of window design options available and the privacy features you can add to them, and you’ll quickly understand why a shower window is quite different from a picture window in your living room.

Here, we’ll take you through what you should know about shower windows before installing one, including some of the more common types of shower windows and where to place it.

Types of Shower Windows 

The right type of shower window will be determined by the size of your shower and whether you want an operable window or one that's just for natural light. Your personal window style preference will also help in making the final decision.

Here are some of the most common types of windows found in showers:

• Casement: This is also called a crank window because of the handle that makes it super easy to crank open and closed. The hinge is on the side, so the window opens outward to the right or left, depending on its design.
• Transom: This is a rectangular or semicircular window with a single pane or a row of smaller panes. Some are operable, but most are fixed and installed high on a wall, making them a good choice for natural light and privacy in a shower.
• Skylight: If your bathroom is on the home's highest floor, you might consider a skylight in your shower. A fixed one can provide plenty of sunlight, but an operable one can also provide ventilation. 
• Awning: The window sash swings outward so that it resembles an exterior awning when opened.
• Hopper: It looks like an awning window when closed, but the sash swings inward rather than outward. It’s great for ventilation, but unless installed high on your shower wall, the open sash will get in the way of your shower.
• Slider: The sash slides horizontally across the track in the window frame.
• Single- or double-hung: These are traditional windows with top and bottom sashes. A single-hung window features a fixed upper sash and a bottom sash that opens by sliding up and down in the window frame. In a double-hung window, both the top and bottom sashes can open. 
• Window blocks: These are small, fixed panes of translucent glass that often feature a wavy or otherwise textured design. They’re perfect for privacy, but not for ventilation.

Where to Put a Window in a Shower

The layout of your bathroom and shower will likely determine the wall on which the shower window will be installed, but you’ll still have some options with placement depending on the type of window you choose.

For example, a fixed window that is only meant for natural light will work well installed higher up on the wall; this also helps with privacy. However, if you choose an operable window, you’ll want it lower—and with some type of privacy feature—so you can easily open and close it. 

Privacy for a Shower Window

Assuming you’d prefer not to put shower time on display, there are options to ensure your shower window offers privacy:

• Frosted glass: Requested at the time of the window's purchase, this is the easiest way to ensure privacy. 
• Privacy film: It comes in rolls that can be cut and applied to the window so no one can see in from outside. Some film has adhesive and some attach by static cling, but neither is permanent.
• Glass etching cream: You can use it to etch a pattern or spread it all over the window to frost it permanently.
• Window treatments: There are waterproof blinds, shades, and curtains that can hold up well shower after shower, but proper cleaning and maintenance are necessary.
  

Waterproofing Shower Windows 

Any shower window must be waterproof, so skip porous wooden windows that will rot quickly by soaking up all that moisture. Instead, opt for vinyl and fiberglass windows that can withstand mold and mildew—a very good thing in a steamy environment like your shower.