Glass for a shower cabin: types, pluses and minuses

The design of the shower cabin can be done with the help of various materials that will meet the interior of the bathroom, as well as cope with their functional tasks. Modern showers are equipped with various devices, but glass is still the most attractive and sought-after raw material for fencing.

The latest generation showers have undergone many major improvements in comparison with the first shower models.

A distinctive feature of shower cabins is the affordable price due to practicality and minimalism. Designs are designed for obvious hygienic purposes, and therefore often decorated without any frills.

Despite the fact that glass showers are used in everyday life not so long ago, due to their individual properties they constitute a worthy competition to other models.

First of all, this is due to the naturalness of the raw materials, since the production of glass does not use materials unsafe for human health.

Plumbing from glass is a modern and aesthetic interior item in the room. The product range is presented and the classic models that stand out for the severity of lines, simplicity and concise design.

Showers with glass walls have several advantages:

• aesthetic appeal combined with protective properties aimed at maintaining the optimum level of humidity in the room during the operation of the cabin for its intended purpose;
• long service life: glazing, with proper and careful handling, will last more than a dozen years, due to the fact that the material does not rot, does not age and is not subject to the rest of the destruction processes, unlike most other products;
• installation process of glass partitions takes a minimum of time;
• structural reliability;

• the application of various decorative elements, such as engraving, does not reduce the resistance of the products;
• the possibility of decorating any pattern, pattern or image;
• lack of seams;
• it is easy to clean the glass from dirt or water stains without the use of special means, which ensures ease of maintenance of the structure;
• high strength of most products, in particular those that undergo special treatment during manufacture;
• the dimensions of the shower are not limited to certain permissible limits, they are made of any size and configuration;
• safety of glass coating, which is due to the specifics of the technological production of such products.

There are not many drawbacks to glass blocks for shower cabins, but the following can be identified:

• sometimes the production of products requires the inclusion of third-party elements, which adversely affects the properties of glass;
• Pricing directly depends on the type of glass.

Glass partitions can be classified by the following features:

• in form;
• appearance;
• material strength;
• the method of opening the valves;
• on options to strengthen the structure.

In appearance (degree of transparency) of the glass material are also varied.

• Transparent - the most popular options. Through the use of such products, given the classic design of the shower. In addition, these materials are in harmony with any style in the interior. Products have excellent light transmittance, due to which they do not darken the room. They are also almost invisible visually. Transparent glass blocks can be filled with a filler, for which imitations of beautiful sea shells, exotic sea creatures, plants or color compositions are used.

• Frosted glass. Such partitions create comfortable solitary conditions in the cabin, at the same time, without limiting the review and keeping good properties to transmit light. There are several varieties of ground glass: white and color products.The latest versions are made in a large color variety, serve as an ornament to the design of the room. But it is precisely the colored partitions that allow the light to penetrate a little worse.

• Glasses with patterns - products, on the surface of which, using the method of engraving or sandblasting, drawing is applied. This design looks airy, resembling lace lace.
• Stained glass products - unique products, thanks to which you can create original and original decoration of the bathroom and shower. Such partitions and doors are made according to individual orders. The image on the surface is the highlight of the entire design. The cost of stained glass depends on the size and intricacies of the printed pattern: cheaper models are made much more modest, unlike expensive products.

Strength indices for showers allow dividing products into the following groups:

• ordinary material;
• triplex;
• strained glass.

The first group includes designs that are a budget, but not so popular option for showers. The glass has a beautiful appearance, long service life, is not scratched, it is easy to take care of and wash the products. However, for the device cabins such a product is chosen not so often, because the material is quite fragile, so there is a risk that it will break, forming a lot of dangerous fragments.

Most often, for the arrangement of the soul, they prefer glazing with triplex. A feature of the material is its structure, which implies the presence of several layers of material with a polymer film between them. Such production technology makes it possible to obtain very solid finished products, which can break, but there will be no sharp fragments. Due to these characteristics, the cost of production increases significantly.

Hardened products are made by heat treatment of ordinary glasses. At the expense of what the material which distinctive feature is durability turns out. In the event of damage to such a product there will be no dangerous edges of the fragments. The high cost of products due to the reliability and safety of structures.

There can be several ways to open the doors in the shower: there are folding, sliding and revolving doors. Each method involves the use of special mechanisms to perform their functional tasks.

Structures are strengthened in a frame and frameless manner. In the first embodiment provides maximum strength, even with the use of thin glasses.

Glass shower enclosures can have completely different designs. Often there are shower cabins or corner cabins built into special niches. In private cottages prefer to install separate options, which can also be supplemented with a kind of roofs.

Forms are not limited to traditional options.Since glass partitions can repeat the shape of a square, oval or rectangle, and at the junction of the walls of the room they are equipped with semi-circular cabins.

The base for the glass shower is the pallet, the choice of which depends on the area of ​​the room, the individual preferences of the owner.It is not necessary to purchase a pallet, as a sanitary shower bowl, especially for glass cabins, can be made by hand.

Acrylic or cast iron pallets are most commonly used., and also the bases which are laid out from a tile or an artificial (or natural) stone. Products are easily mounted on their place in the bathroom and do not require special conditions, in addition to the most even surface.

To avoid the flow of water beyond the construction, the joints of the walls with glass partitions, as well as the glass with the floor, must be sealed. Where the door will be located, construct a small elevation in the water of the side.

Designs that combine glass products of various types are very popular. To do this, it is necessary to depict the future glass panel on paper, and then purchase the blocks of the desired type in the specified quantity necessary to create the walls.

The size is selected according to the wishes of customers. Shower cabins can be of standard dimensions, which are designed for one person, or increased in size: in such structures, two people can easily take a shower.

Glass doors are made of hardened material, the thickness of which is from 4 to 6 mm. In some models it can reach 10 mm.

Partitions can have the following dimensions:

• height from 1850 mm to 1950 mm;
• width varies in the range of 700-1100 mm.

However, such a characteristic, such as size, has purely individual values, which depend on the shape and type of construction, as well as on the area of ​​the room in which the plumbing structure will be installed.

Today, the market offers a lot of different options for glass showers.

There are such varieties:

• bent products;
• shower made of glass blocks;

• plexiglass showers;
• hydrophobic products;
• refractory glass structure.

That is why when choosing the optimal material it is very easy to get lost in a huge range of types, shapes and colors.

Most often, consumers rely on their own taste preferences (in terms of product design).

In addition, there are a number of fundamental criteria regarding the purchase of glass for showers.

• The bathroom remains one of the unsafe places in the living room, so it is necessary to protect the household from the tragic domestic accidents in it (especially if there are children in the house). Installing shower cabins made of glass, you need to think about security measures. The most acceptable option would be red-hot products that can be decorated in any way: various color and texture solutions.
• It is very important that the glass edge also complies with safety requirements. Therefore, all the edges of the components of the structure must be ground.
• An important criterion is the thickness of the material. The optimal value is eight or ten millimeter version.

• Practicality is an important nuance for glass surfaces for showers. It implies ease of maintenance, thereby preserving the attractive appearance of the entire plumbing structure. It is necessary to give preference to polished surfaces, thanks to which you can use absolutely any means for body hygiene in the cabin, and there will also be no need to purchase any specialized compositions for washing the entire structure in the bathroom.
• An important criterion is not only the functionality, but also the beauty and attractiveness of the glass and the cabin as a whole.

In order to extend the operational life of a glass shower (including the tray and the glass itself used for fitting doors and partitions), it is necessary to keep the structure clean.

To achieve these goals, there are several general recommendations.

• For airing and complete drying of all, without exception, surfaces in the shower room after each hygiene procedure, you need to open the doors.
• To eliminate the occurrence of drips on the glass (as well as the formation of water stone), all fittings, curtains, components and glass partitions should be wiped with cellulose towels (or microfiber) to the top.
• Abrasive cleaners and metal brushes can not be used to care for glass (including all-glass shower structures). Since they deform the structure of the material, and (over time) after the regular use of such an aggressive method of cleaning surfaces, it will be impossible to put the products in order.

• Shower components that are susceptible to corrosion should be regularly treated with antiseptic compounds. If even minor rust is formed on the parts, it is better to replace them with new ones. Careful attention should be paid to the health of gaskets and various seals. Wear and tear may adversely affect the condition of the glasses.
• Even minor damage to glass requires replacement of the element. This is due to the fact that moisture and various hygiene products used in the shower, which are deposited there, get into the glass through microcracks and cracks. Their presence violates the integrity of the whole structure, begins the process of formation and reproduction of fungus and mold.

You can find out how to clean the glass walls of the shower cabin from the video below.