Five Tips to Protect Your Shower Screen From Breaking

Posted on: 15 June 2017

Glass shower screens are much classier and stylish than shower curtains, and in most cases, you don't have to worry about them breaking. However, to be on the safe side, you should understand the basics of these doors and how to avoid breakage. Here are some tips to help you.

1. Always Use Tempered Glass 

If you are building your own shower screen or hiring a contractor to make one for you, make sure that you use glass that has been designed for use in a shower screen. You should never use window glass. Shower screens feature tempered glass that is designed to resist breakage. Generally, the glass contains three layers, a core and an external layer on each side of the core.

2. Make Sure There Are Bumpers on the Track

In most cases, shower screens are held in place by a frame and track system. There should be small rubber bumpers in the edges of the track. When the door closes, it hits the bumpers instead of the metal frame. This helps to protect the door from breaking, and if you don't see bumpers in your track, you should call a shower screen professional to add them for you.

3. Don't Overload the Towel Bar

Many shower screens come with a towel bar attached, which can be a convenient feature. However, it's important to realise that in most cases, the towel bar is held in place with hardware that goes through holes in the glass. If you put too much weight on the towel bar, the weight can cause the hardware to pull downward against those holes, potentially leading to cracked glass.

In addition, if you decide to add your own towel bar, always work with a professional. Putting holes in the shower screen on your own can be risky as the glass may shatter whilst you are drilling the holes. In addition, you have to put rubber grommets around the hardware so the metal doesn't touch the glass and potentially crack it.

4. Fix Chips

If you notice damage on your shower screen, contact a professional repair person as soon as possible. Even a small chip or crack compromises the condition of the entire door, and ultimately, that could lead to a situation where the door shatters.  

5. Keep the Tracks Clean

Finally, keep the tracks of your shower screen reasonably clean. If dirt builds up, that can make it hard to pull the door open and shut. That may lead to jerking or pulling the door in a manner that may risk breaking it.

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