Rules for choosing accessories for glass shower cabins

In a modern apartment it is difficult to do without a shower cabin, which has successfully replaced outdated baths, and with its variety of types of design attracts a growing number of buyers. At the same time, it takes up much less space, fits more beautifully into the design of the bathroom and has much more functions. One of the most important elements is the choice of accessories for shower cabins, which will ensure safety, durability and reliability of use.

Separately it is necessary to dwell on the choice of glass for shower cabins, which is used in several variants,differing in both design and degree of safety in use.

The following options are most commonly used:

• ordinary glass - on impact crumbles into fragments;
• molded - more durable glass, which is obtained by special thermal processing (with the necessary shape);
• faceted - with special treatment of the glass edge, which makes it smooth and protects against cuts;

• frosted - obtained by sandblasting, possibly with the implementation of various patterns;
• stained glass - made by gluing different parts of glass of different colors;
• Triplex - a special glass of several layers, resistant to shock.

Currently, shower enclosures are made of plastic, polycarbonate and glass. Plastic is a cheaper material, but during long-term operation under conditions of sudden changes in temperature and humidity, it loses its appearance. Made of glass cabins have a high cost, but also much greater durability, resistance to temperature differences and reliability.When choosing accessories for cabs made of glass, you should be especially careful and take into account that glass is fragile, when it is struck or deformed, it can be dangerous for a person.

The standard set of accessories for shower cabins includes several basic elements.

• Videos. Used in cab versions with sliding doors. When moving along guides, the doors should not have a side play that allows vibration, as well as have a smooth and smooth course forward and backward.
• Seals. Used to impart tightness and prevent the flow of water outside the shower stall. Installed between doors, panels, bathroom walls and shower cubicle panels. At the same time, they should fit snugly to the products being connected, should not lose their properties with changes in temperature and humidity, otherwise water will inevitably flow out of the shower stall.
• Door hinges. Used to ensure the opening of doors.In this case, the hinges must firmly hold the glass door tightly, preventing it from cracking. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that glass doors, unlike plastic, have a significantly greater weight, which certainly affects the load on the door hinges.

• Handles for opening and closing doors. Have a lot of options. One of the most common is the model combined with a lock for fixing the doors of the shower stall.
• Lock for the door. Used to fix the doors and prevent them from opening. It is used separately, if not combined with a handle for opening doors. In addition, magnetic locking devices are often used instead of locks.
• Nozzles - additional watering cans of various shapes. Used in the modes of hydromassage, installed on the side surface of the booth on special platforms. Often there is the possibility of changing the direction of flow of the water jet in different directions.

They should provide reliable mounting of the mirror in the face of changes in temperature and high humidity.

The most important requirement when choosing accessories is its resistance to temperature changes and the ability to work in conditions of high humidity. That is why the main preference in choosing accessories should be given to brass, aluminum, plastic versions, as well as products made of stainless steel.

When choosing the material from which the shower enclosure is made, it should be noted that the materials used for its manufacture (rubber, PVC, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer) have various advantages and also some disadvantages. For example, rubber seals have a low cost, but at the same time low resistance to mechanical abrasion.

Sealing PVC profile has significantly higher abrasion performance. and is not subject to deformation when exposed to temperature. Silicone products are resistant to different temperatures, do not crack and do not deform, they are perfectly adjacent to the structural elements. Magnetic seals are also made of silicone (silicone seals with inserts of magnets), which ensure the tightness between closed cubicle doors.Thermoplastic elastomer combines the advantages of rubber, silicone, PVC, but has a high cost.

See the following video for an overview of glass shower accessories.