Why are There Lines on My Shower Door When it Steams Up?

Roller marks on un-squeegeed glass immediately after use.

At The Shower Door Place, we sometimes get customers inquiring about faint lines they see on their glass immediately after showering, while it’s still wet or steamy. These marks vary from vertical lines, a crosshatch pattern or horizontal. These “ghost” lines happen during the manufacturing process while the glass is still in the form of a large uncut sheet moving across rollers. The industry term for these lines is “roller marks.”

Roller marks cannot be seen while the glass is dry, however, they may show up temporarily after using the shower, while the glass is wet. They also cannot be removed and are inherent in the production of all glass and as such, roller marks are not considered defects. If the lines are bothersome to you, we recommend using a squeegee or toweling off the glass after each use of your shower. When done properly, the roller marks should disappear after the steam evaporates from the glass.

In general, squeegeeing or toweling is a good practice, as it ensures none of the dirt, soap, hard water or other contaminants are left to dry on the surface of the glass. Even with our Diamon-Fusion coating, we still recommend this step as it extends the time between cleaning and largely prevents any of the previously mentioned substances from drying and crystalizing on your coated glass.

We hope you find this information useful! Please stop by one of our two Twin Cities metro locations to discuss your current or future frameless shower door needs.