Toughened glass panels have been widely used on modern bath showers for several years and they’re still extremely popular. Glass shower screensoffer plenty more benefits than a traditional shower curtain, if not just for the aesthetic feel.
We often see glass screens on full showers, but if you have a bath shower, the chances are that you’ll also have a glass screen that opens to provide easy access to your bathtub. They’re incredibly easy to use, simple to maintain, and look great, too.
Most shower screens are made from toughened glass, but what are the key benefits of a toughened glass shower screen?
Main benefits of toughened glass shower screens
There are several advantages to using toughened glass for your shower screen. There’s a reason why the material is used for so many household objects, like dining tables and TV cabinets – because of its reliability, toughness, and durability.
Here’s a list of the main benefits of toughened glass and why it makes so much sense as the chosen material for shower screens:
- Strength
- Heat resistance
- Sound reduction
- Durability
- Impact resistance
- Luxuriously aesthetic
Strength
The first major advantage of having toughened glass as a shower screen is its toughness. It’s toughened using a thermal tempering method which makes it around five times stronger than standard glass.
As a result, you’ll find it used in splashbacks, dining tables, side tables, and much more around the home, because it can withstand a lot more pressure before it shatters or cracks.
Heat resistance
Toughened glass is not just physically stronger than standard glass, but it’s much more resistant to extreme heat, too. Did you know that toughened glass can withstand temperatures up to 250°C?
This makes it a much safer option to have in case of a fire at home. It’s also useful for heat insulation and is a popular choice for double glazing.
Sound reduction
Another benefit of toughened glass is its soundproofing capabilities, which is why it’s often used for windows in office buildings and houses. It almost completely diminishes sounds up to 60 dB and helps to muffle louder noise.
This is also beneficial for showers, as some tend to be quite noisy, especially in smaller homes where the sound travels quickly. With glass shower screens, that early morning shower won’t have to wake up anyone else in the house!
Impact resistance
As well as being tougher than standard panes of glass, toughened glass is a lot more resistant to impacts, which makes it suitable for bathrooms, bus shelters, and even reinforced windows.
The way it breaks is also beneficial, especially for bathrooms. When ordinary glass breaks, it can shatter into large, sharp shards that can cause major injury. Toughened glass, though, breaks into hundreds of tiny pieces that aren’t sharp or jagged, which significantly lowers the injury risk.
This is why toughened glass is selected for shower screens, as the area can be slippery, increasing the risk of somebody falling into the glass. Shower doors are opened for access, too, which poses a risk of colliding with another object. When you combine the impressive impact resistance and the way it breaks, it makes toughened glass much safer for use in high-risk areas.
Luxuriously aesthetic
In addition to all of the physical benefits of toughened glass, it’s simply beautiful to look at when displayed well in a bathroom. Glass shower screens double as a strong waterproof barrier and a decorative feature for your bathroom.
When toughened glass is designed in a frameless fit in a bathroom, it can massively increase the aesthetic value of the room and shower. At the end of the day, as positive as it is to hear about the toughness of your shower screen glass, it mostly comes down to the way it looks.
When installed, frameless toughened glass makes the perfect shower screen for a modern bathroom.
Custom toughened glass shower screens
Did you know that another advantage of toughened glass is the different ways it can be presented?
There are companies, like Express Toughening, that offer bespoke services to provide not just clear glass shower screens, but also low-iron, frosted, and even tinted glass – with some toughened glass capable of being manufactured to a width of up to 15mm.
Whatever you decide, with toughened glass, there are many benefits and plenty of choices when you go to a trusted supplier of bespoke glass shower screens.
