Rule of thumb, the weight of a shower glass door should not exceed 100 lbs to preserve integrity of the hardware, especially your door hinges to a fixed glass panel.
At the same time, dimensions of the said fixed glass panel should be similar to your door, or larger – not much smaller in order to ensure enough overall stability.
Regarding splash guards, you can go for bigger glass panels, but expect a 1/2” thick, 3’ x 6’ shower screen to weigh around 120 lbs. You do not want to exceed that weight. Doing would represent quite an installation challenge and somewhat of a safety hazard.
Here are the ideal glass sizes for your shower enclosure:
Shower Door
- Width between 16” and 32” | Height between 70” and 84” | Ideal size: 28” x 76”
Hinged Panel
- Width between 16” and 32” | Height between 70” and 84” | Ideal size: 32” x 76”
Fixed Panel
- Width between 24” and 36” | Height between 70” and 84” | Ideal size: 28” x 76”
Return Panel
- Width between 24” and 36” | Height between 70” and 84” | Ideal size: 28” x 76”