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Obscure glass windows let daylight into a room while stopping anyone seeing in. They are the standard choice for bathroom windows, en-suites, front door sidelights and any ground-floor window that faces a footpath or a neighbour. At Expert Windows we supply and fit obscure glass as part of new uPVC, aluminium and AluClad windows and doors across Dublin and Leinster. This guide covers what obscure glass is, the privacy glass patterns you can choose from, how to specify a frosted glass bathroom window, what it costs and how it affects your BER.
What is obscure glass?
Obscure glass, also called privacy glass, obscured glazing or frosted glass, is glass that has been textured, etched or sandblasted so that light passes through but shapes on the other side are blurred. The texture is usually on one face of the pane only, and in a double or triple glazed unit that face sits inside the sealed unit, so the outside of the window stays smooth and easy to clean.
Obscure glass is rated on a scale of 1 to 5. Level 1 is a light texture that only softens the view; level 5 blocks almost all detail and is what most people want for a bathroom. The same double or triple glazed unit is used, so choosing obscure glass does not change the insulation, security or lifespan of the window.
Where obscure glass windows are used
- Bathroom and en-suite windows, the most common use by far.
- Front doors and sidelights, so the hall cannot be seen from the street. See our front doors with side panels.
- Ground-floor windows on busy roads or facing a neighbour, in the lower pane only or the whole window.
- Back doors and utility rooms, where light matters but the view does not. See our back doors.
- Stairwell and landing windows that look directly at the house next door.
- Home offices, clinics and shopfronts that need daylight without passers-by looking in.
Privacy glass options and patterns
Privacy glass windows are not all the same. These are the options we supply, from the most discreet to the most decorative.
- Satin or acid-etched glass. A smooth, even frosted finish with no pattern. The modern choice for bathrooms and contemporary doors. Obscurity level 4 to 5.
- Stippolyte. A fine, evenly stippled texture. The most common pattern in Irish bathrooms for decades and still the best all-rounder. Level 4.
- Cotswold, Contora and Minster. Traditional rippled and wavy textures that suit older houses and period-style doors. Level 3 to 5.
- Chantilly, Autumn and Everglade. Decorative floral and leaf patterns for feature windows and hall doors. Level 3 to 5.
- Frosted centre with clear border. A clear margin around a frosted centre, popular in door sidelights and Georgian-style windows.
- Part-obscure windows. Obscure glass in the bottom opener and clear glass in the top, so a downstairs window keeps its view of the sky and privacy at eye level.
For a window that needs privacy some of the time but a clear view at others, integral blinds sealed inside the glazing unit are the alternative to fixed obscure glass.
Frosted glass bathroom windows
A frosted glass bathroom window needs four things specified correctly: the glass, the opening style, the ventilation and the safety rating.
- Glass. Satin or Stippolyte at obscurity level 4 or 5. Anything lower shows silhouettes when the bathroom light is on at night.
- Opening style. Most Irish bathroom windows are small, so a top hung or side-hung casement is usual. A tilt and turn window lets you vent the room with the window still secure.
- Ventilation. Bathrooms produce more moisture than any other room. A trickle vent in the frame, or a night-vent position on the handle, keeps condensation and mould down. See our guide to trickle vents.
- Safety glass. Glass within 800 mm of the floor, or beside a bath or shower, should be toughened. We specify this at survey so you do not have to.
Double glazing is standard for bathroom windows. Triple glazing is worth it on a north-facing bathroom or a busy road, and adds only a small amount on a window this size. Compare the two on our double glazed windows page.
Obscure glass for doors and sidelights
Obscure glass is available in every glazed door we fit: composite and uPVC front doors, back doors, French doors and the side panels and fanlights around them. Composite door ranges such as Palladio and Apeer offer their own etched and decorative privacy glass designs, and a side panel can be fully frosted or frosted in the centre with a clear border. For a back door, half-glazed with obscure glass gives light in the kitchen without a view of the bins.
Energy efficiency and BER
Obscure glass has the same U-value as clear glass in the same unit. A double glazed obscure window and a double glazed clear window from the same range perform identically, so choosing privacy glass costs you nothing in insulation or BER points. Obscure glass windows are treated exactly like any other window under the SEAI grants, provided the whole window meets the required U-value. See our windows and doors grants page for current eligibility.
How much do obscure glass windows cost?
Obscure glass adds a small premium per glazing unit over clear glass, and decorative patterns cost more than plain satin or Stippolyte. On a typical bathroom window the difference is modest compared with the cost of the window itself. What moves the price is the same as for any window: the size, the frame material, double or triple glazing, toughened glass, the opening style and the installation. For a full breakdown see our window replacement cost guide, or send us a photo and rough size for a guide price.
New windows with obscure glass, not glass-only swaps
Expert Windows supplies and installs complete windows and doors. We do not replace the glass alone in an existing frame. If your bathroom window has clear glass and you want privacy, or the old obscure unit has misted, the answer is a new made-to-measure window with obscure glass, which also gives you a new frame, seals, hardware and warranty. Most bathroom windows are fitted in under two hours.
Obscure glass windows: frequently asked questions
Can you see through obscure glass at night?
With level 4 or 5 obscure glass, only light and colour are visible when the room is lit. Shapes cannot be made out. Lower levels can show silhouettes, which is why we recommend level 4 or 5 for bathrooms.
Which side does the texture go on?
Inside the sealed unit. The outer surface of the window stays smooth, so obscure glass is no harder to clean than clear glass.
Does obscure glass reduce light?
Slightly. Satin and Stippolyte let through almost as much light as clear glass; heavier decorative patterns a little less. In practice a bathroom with obscure glass is not noticeably darker.
Can I have obscure glass in only part of the window?
Yes. A common layout is obscure glass in the lower opener and clear glass above, or obscure glass in one pane of a two-pane window.
Is frosted glass the same as obscure glass?
Frosted glass usually means satin or acid-etched glass with an even finish. Obscure glass is the wider term that also covers patterned and textured glass. Both give privacy.
Can obscure glass be double or triple glazed?
Yes. The obscure pane simply replaces one of the panes in a standard double or triple glazed unit.
Can I add obscure glass to my existing windows?
We supply complete new windows rather than replacing glass in old frames. If you want privacy on an existing window without replacing it, a window film is a temporary option, but it will not last like glass and does nothing for insulation.
Do obscure glass windows qualify for the SEAI grant?
Yes, on the same terms as clear glass windows. The grant looks at the U-value of the whole window, not the glass finish.
Obscure and privacy glass windows in Dublin
Expert Windows has supplied and fitted windows and doors across Dublin and Leinster for over two decades, with a showroom in Dublin 12 where you can see the obscure glass patterns side by side. Send us a photo of the window or door, the rough size and the room it is in, and we will come back with a guide price and the right glass specification. Request a free quote.
