How Safe Are Your Bathroom Shower Screens?

Despite the inevitable fact that glass shower screens look amazing, many people are sick and tired of the fact that they can break. In fact, a man in the US recently lost his life in a freak glass shower screen accident, while a woman on the Gold Coast almost lost her leg when a large glass shard pierced her leg when her shower screen shattered.

That said, in Australia there are now very strict laws regarding the types of glass that can and cannot be used in modern shower screens, essentially there are two

❤ Tempered safety glass

❤ Laminated safety glass

Each type has unique properties that reflect the type of shower screen they are used in. So what's the difference?

Tempered Safety Glass

As the name implies, it is glass that has been tempered through a high temperature heating process. It is very durable and in the rare event that it does break, it is designed to never break completely. In fact, if it does break, it is specifically designed to shatter into thousands of small pieces, thus greatly reducing the risk of serious injury. The ideal tempered glass is primarily used for semi-frameless and frameless shower screens and is typically between 6 mm and 10 mm thick.

Laminated Safety Glass

Laminated safety glass basically consists of two pieces of glass sandwiched between two sides of a PVC film. It works on the same principle as tempered glass, and if it does break, it is designed to break into thousands of smaller pieces. Although laminated glass has better acoustical properties than tempered glass, it is not designed to be used without a surrounding frame, so it can only be used with a fully framed shower screen. Typically around 6 mm glass thickness is sufficient to prevent most impacts.

The good news is that both of these modern types of shower screens are considered safe, unlike older varieties that do not have these common safety elements. This means that when you buy a brand new glass shower screen, whether it is frameless, semi-frameless or fully framed, you can rest assured that it will not shatter from the slightest impact.

If you're looking to replace your old glass shower screen with something more modern, or are tired of scrubbing your existing shower curtain, then come talk to Harold. Our experienced staff is on hand to help you find the right style for you and your home. Contact us today at +86 189 2854 2134 to begin the process of moving towards a lighter, more modern bathroom remodel.