Glass door to the shower: features of choice and

09-06-2018

Water supply

The glass door for a shower cabin is not only very attractive, but also quite practical. At the same time, it differs by a relatively simple construction, and therefore it can be installed without the help of wizards.

In addition, there is the possibility of self-manufacturing of such products, and we will also pay attention to this issue in our article.

Transparent doors are a good choice for bath or shower.

general characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Doors made of glass in the shower are very popular, and this is due to the presence of a number of quite objective advantages:

First of all, glass is an inert material that does not react with either water or detergent. Due to this property, the construction turns out to be practically eternal: the doors of the doors are not damaged even in the case when they are constantly in a wet state.

Secondly, glass doors are hygienic. The smooth surface does not accumulate pollution, and if necessary it is very easy to clean.
Thirdly, a properly designed and properly installed design opens and closes very easily. Fittings for glass doors in the shower are made in such a way as to compensate for all the weight loads and to ensure the easy movement of the sash with minimal effort of the arm.
Finally, it is worth noting the visual appeal of such products: even simple glass models look simply amazing.. And when you consider that there are varieties of tinted and embossed glass on the market that can be further decorated with stained glass inserts or sandblasted drawings, the design potential of glass doors becomes obvious.

Naturally, there are disadvantages:

Glass, even subjected to special heat treatment - the material is quite fragile. Of course, for the production of doors they use either triplex or glass panels laminated with nitrocellulose film, but in any case, a strong blow will lead at least to the appearance of a crack.

Note! Triplex is more resistant to similar effects, but it can be damaged.

Condensate is constantly forming on a smooth surface and must be wiped off. To avoid this and not to look through the blurred glass, it is necessary to ensure optimal heating of the bathroom (for example, laying a warm floor) and effective ventilation.
The price of this product will also be considerable. If you buy a complete cabin, then it will not be so noticeable, but when you do the installation with your own hands, you will fully appreciate how much high-quality glass costs in retail, accessories, guides, seals, etc.

And yet, despite these shortcomings, a glass door to a niche for a shower or a shower stall is one of the best solutions.

Types of designs

As a material from which such products are made, the most often used is tempered glass or triplex - a structure made of two glasses glued together with a nitrocellulose film. In some cases, cellular polycarbonate is taken instead of glass - this option is both cheaper and easier to install (the weight gain will be significant), but the quality of the design leaves much to be desired.

Sliding glass door for a shower 80 by 200 mm with a top hanger

As for the configuration of the doors, they can be very different:

Model	Design features
Swing	Glass shower doors without a pallet are often made swing - that is, opening like regular sash. The optimal choice of such a design would be for a spacious bathroom, because for the movement of the door you need a lot of space. The undoubted plus of such a decision is the low cost of rebar.
Sliding	Sliding system is the easiest to self-manufacture and installation. It usually makes one movable leaf, which along the guides is shifted beyond the stationary (transparent or opaque) part. In order for the door to last longer, roller systems should be carefully selected. In this case, preference should be given to metal: they, of course, are more susceptible to corrosion than plastic, but much better cope with the loads.
Folding	The most complex for the manufacture and installation of the system, usually made exclusively in the factory. The main advantage is the use of a minimum opening space. At the same time, rather complicated fittings are used for such doors, so saving is unlikely to succeed.
Rotating	Such constructions are also produced in the factory way, because they need bent glass. Their operating principle is identical to sliding systems, but the sash does not move along, but in a circle.

Note! If necessary, a revolving door can be made by taking cellular polycarbonate on a plastic frame instead of glass.

Product installation

Factory construction

As a rule, the instruction for its assembly is included in the package with a shower cabin.

It describes in some detail how the shower door is made of glass; therefore, below we will give only the most general algorithm:

First, install the pallet, valves and other details of the design of the shower. Carefully seal the joints and wait at least one day for the polymerization of the sealant.
Before installing the glass panels, we check the vertical and horizontal directions of the guides using a level. This is done in order to subsequently avoid "rubbing up" when opening and closing doors.

Note! Fittings usually have special adjusting screws that allow the minimum position of the sash. But you should not hope for it: the more precisely we will expose all bearing elements, the less fuss will be with adjustment.

Next, fasten the sash on the guide or hinges. Check how easy the whole structure moves.
We put on the ends of the seal for the glass door of the shower cabin, which will prevent droplets from falling on the floor.

At the last stage, we install handles and decorative plates to protect the hinges and prevent them from corrosion when moistened.

Independent production

Simple glass doors for a shower niche can be made independently.

Here we will talk about how the sliding system is made:

First, determine the size of the glass door for the shower. The minimum width of the opening part should be 80 cm, and height - 190 - 210 cm.
Then proceed to the manufacture of the parts themselves. Glass panels of the required size can be cut out by yourself, but it is best to order them in a workshop that specializes in such works. If we chose triplex as the material, then there is no alternative to the workshop - we will not be able to cut it ourselves.
At the same time, we purchase accessories for installation of the system - guides, hinges, rollers and handles. It is best to do this in advance, because in this way we will be able to order the drilling of most of the installation holes in the same organization that is engaged in glass cutting.

Note! When cutting, it is better not to save, but also to order the alignment of the ends of the panels. Despite the fact that they will be protected by a sealant, such treatment will provide a significant increase in the strength of the material.

Next, go to the room in which the structure will be installed. On the floor and on the ceiling we install guides along which the rollers will move. If we do not plan to cover all the space, then instead of the upper rail, you can use a railing in the form of a pipe, which is fixed on opposite walls.
We install the accessories on the doors, namely the upper and lower rollers. The ends of the glass panels are closed with a sealant. For greater reliability, the sealant can be fixed with sealant for shower cabins - this way it will be guaranteed not to bristle.

Install the doors and check how easy they are. If necessary, remove the sash and adjust the position of the guides, aligning out vertically.

Conclusion

To assemble doors of glass for a shower stall, or even to make it with your own hands is quite capable of almost any master. Of course, the costs will be quite tangible, but we will get a reliable functional system (see also the article How to connect a shower to a water supply system - the basic rules for the work).

More details about the design of such doors can be on the video in this article.