If you are looking for a strong, tenacious material for your glass shower doors and tub surround, look no further than bathroom tempered glass.
Bathroom tempered glass is a special type of safety glass that will not shatter in sharp, jagged shards. Instead, it breaks into pebble-like pieces with blunt edges that are harmless and incapable of causing severe injuries. This feature makes tempered glass the perfect choice for various applications, including your bathroom.
Whether it’s your shower stall, privacy door for your water closet, or another feature, tempered glass for a bathroom provides additional structural strength and safety for anyone who uses it.
So, what makes tempered glass so strong? What are the benefits of using tempered glass in a bathroom? Today, we’re answering all your questions.
The Interesting Science Behind Tempered Glass for a Bathroom
Tempered glass is made by uniformly heating panes of standard glass to nearly 1300° Fahrenheit inside an industrial oven or furnace and allowing it to cool immediately after. Doing this takes the pane of glass well beyond its transmission temperature, thus softening it.
During the cooling process, the outer layer of glass cools much more quickly than the inner layer, which remains hot. This process, called heat or thermal tempering, alters the pane of glass’s physical characteristics and causes “center tension,” making a standard piece of annealed glass much stronger.
Panes of glass that have been tempered are at least four to five times stronger than a standard pane of annealed glass and can withstand harsh weather conditions and extreme temperature differentials.
However, tempered glass cannot be drilled or cut once it has undergone thermal tempering. After glass panes undergo this heat treatment, they cannot be reworked. Therefore, annealed glass panes are bent into the desired shape and cut to size before heat tempering takes place.
5 Benefits of Using Tempered Glass in a Bathroom
With bathroom tempered glass comes many advantages over using float or annealed glass panes in your space— especially when it comes to glass shower doors and tub surrounds. A shower stall must withstand hot splashes of water and frequent use, which is why tempered glass is the perfect option.
Below, you’ll find five benefits that come with using tempered glass in a bathroom:
1. Safest and Strongest Option
The bathing and showering area in your bathroom is undoubtedly a slippery place. The unfortunate truth is that bathroom accidents are not uncommon, and most of the slip-and-fall accidents in the bathroom are due to someone slipping on water puddles after or during a shower.
Because of this, it is imperative that your shower walls and doors do not shatter upon impact.
Tempered glass for a bathroom is ideal because it is durable and will not break easily. Moreover, if the glass does break, any people standing nearby won’t get hurt since tempered glass bits are not sharp.
A glass that has undergone thermal tempering shatters evenly and crumbles into small pieces, not sharp shards, regardless of how intense the impact was, making it extremely safe and ideal for use in bathrooms.
2. Resistance to Moisture and Heat
The bathroom is inherently hot and humid and retains moisture throughout the day. These inevitable conditions require a material that resists humidity and heat and maintains its finish for years to come.
Don’t be surprised if you opt for annealed or float glass panes, and they crack or shatter when exposed to heat and moisture for prolonged periods.
On the other hand, tempered glass has a high tolerance and endurance for exposure to hot water and humidity. Moreover, glass that has undergone the thermal tempering process makes for ideal glass shower doors because they will not lose their sheen and do not require much maintenance.
3. Stays Scratch Proof Despite Frequent Use
Bathrooms, especially the shower, typically have a high frequency of usage, albeit for short periods. Standard glass shower doors and walls cannot resist scratches for too long. Tempered glass, however, effectively resists scratches and most other types of surface damage that may occur from everyday wear and tear.
The scratch-resistant characteristic of tempered glass not only reduces the possibility of scrapes and other marks, but it is also what keeps it looking good for years, regardless of how much it is used.
4. Easy to Care for and Maintain
Since the bottom part of the glass doors and walls stays wet for a good while after a shower (unless you are good about squeegeeing them), the chances of them growing mold and mildew are very high.
Whether the mold and mildew are pink and slimy or black and fuzzy, spots on the bottom of your shower stall are never a good look. They significantly take away from the beautiful, clean look of the glass.
Getting rid of mildew and mold on tempered glass is easy and does not require a trip to the store to purchase a product with harsh chemicals. Most homeowners already have the necessary ingredients in their pantry: vinegar and baking soda.
The white vinegar you have in your kitchen cupboards typically contains between 5% and 8% acetic acid, a strong acid with a pH of about 2.5. This acid disrupts the growth of various types of fungi and other microorganisms.
Baking soda serves as a natural disinfectant and has a pH of around 8, making mold unable to thrive. By putting the two together, mold does not stand a chance. Mix one part warm water, one part white vinegar, and two parts baking soda.
Continue stirring the mixture until it turns into a thick paste. Liberally and evenly spread your mixture onto the affected surface and let it dry. Using a soft-bristled brush, gently scrub away the mold, spots, and stains and rinse with water. Repeat if necessary and as new spots appear.
5. Design Versatility
Do you want tempered glass for your shower door but require a custom shape? Easy! Before your glass is tempered, your glass shower door can be bent into any dimension, making it perfect for a highly custom job! Tempered glass is also available in numerous patterns and designs that aid in the aesthetic appeal of your bathroom.
You can choose from a range of etched, engraved, clear, frosted, or stained tempered glass panes when designing your shower doors and stall. Be it a glass shower door and walls or privacy walls and doors for your water closet, tempered glass is sure to suit your bathroom.
Upgrade Your Home With Bathroom Tempered Glass from New Concepts Glass Design
Bathroom tempered glass is sure to upgrade the look, function, and safety of your space, and the professionals at New Concepts Glass Design can help.
We are Northern Utah’s leading glass experts and are here to help you install your glass shower door. Our trusted team has more than 30 years of industry experience and is eager to help you complete all of your glass projects. Whether you want glass handrails in your home, textured glass cabinet fronts, or frameless shower doors in your bathroom, our skilled team is here for you.
Even if you aren’t 100% sure about what you want, our talented team can offer help. We are here to help you brainstorm ideas and explore each of your options to ensure you get exactly what you’ve envisioned.
At New Concepts Glass Design, we are dedicated to providing our customers with high-quality customer service and top-of-the-line products and materials. We work hard and are proud to be Northern Utah’s go-to glass company.
Contact New Concepts Glass Design today for all of your custom glass projects in Salt Lake City, Murray, Park City, and many nearby cities for your free estimate.