SHOWER ENCLOSURES DO’S and DON’TS

As with all industries, we’ve heard our share of stories of unique individuals using our product at times, or in ways, or in degrees that are not appropriate. For example, there is the story of the computer user who called to complain that the cup holder that came with her computer snapped off, and after some time the technical support representative diagnosed she had been using the CD drive tray as a cup holder. Or, the boy who, when performing his first oil change on his first truck, drained the transmission fluid and then added five quarts of oil. We hope you will appreciate this unique set of instructions of do’s and don’ts regarding Bath Concepts Shower Enclosures. We’ve provided additional information to more fully explain each guideline.

Important Warnings!

Shower Doors are Not 100% Watertight

Bath Concepts Enclosures, when properly installed, are designed to prevent leaks under normal shower conditions. Excessive water pressures or direct shower sprays at the door does not represent normal showering conditions and can result in leaks.

For example, if you have two children in the bathtub and they insist on throwing buckets of water at each other, shoot each other with squirt guns, or play with the shower nozzle, water will likely get out. Also you should not clean your shower enclosure with your shower nozzle, which also can count as excessive water pressure. If you notice puddles of water outside your shower after such activities, you should clean it up as soon as possible and not repeat whatever activity resulted in water getting out of the tub or shower. Continual splashing of water outside your shower can lead to numerous problems.

Towel Bar and Handle Warning

Towel bars and handles are not to be used as grab bars.

For many people, grab bars in showers are a great assistance for getting into and out of the tub or shower. However, if your Bath Concepts Enclosure is Equipped with a towel bar, you should not use it as a grab bar. It will not support your weight. Do not hang from it, or stand on it. If you use excessive force it could snap off, shatter your door, pull the panel down off its tracking, or break the silicone seal depending on your enclosure. If you have small children who love to hang on things, it’s a good idea to instruct them not to hang from the towel bar or handle. However, your towels and washcloths should be quite happy hanging from the towel bar.

Abrasive Cleaner Warning

Do not use abrasive or acid-based cleaners when cleaning your Bath Concepts Shower Enclosure.

There are some powerful cleaners on the market today. Abrasive or acid-based cleaners can scar the metal or glass of your Bath Concepts Shower Enclosure. It most likely won’t happen with a single application but it’s best to use appropriate types of cleaners all the time. See recommendations from http://www.bathenclosures.org/basics/cleaning.htm

Maintaining Your Glass

For best results, Bath Concepts Enclosures should be cleaned with a squeegee or towel after exposure to water.

Some individuals wait a long time to clean their enclosures (weeks, months, etc.), and then express concern that they can’t get water spots, mold or other things off their enclosure. It all depends on how clean you want your enclosure. For best results we recommend that your Bath Concepts Enclosure be cleaned with a squeegee or towel after being exposed to water.

Warning about Opening & Closing Your Shower Door

Do not use excessive force when opening & closing your Shower Door

Some people are physically strong, some are naturally aggressive. If you use excessive force when opening or closing your shower door, you could shatter the glass, or damage the Vinyl and/or the silicone seal. Proper operation of your shower enclosure is that your hand should not leave the door handle until your door is fully open or closed at any time.

Shower Enclosure Structural Warning

Do not ever hang from or stand on your shower enclosure

It’s not designed to support your weight, and you could get seriously injured, so don’t do it.

A Warning about Glass Breakage

A shattering experience about a shower enclosure

This story was forwarded to us by George of Sunnyvale, CA

“I had a frameless enclosure installed over my tub, which the shower is rarely used as it is our second bathroom. I went into the bathroom a day or so later after a smaller earthquake, and found my shower door had exploded into millions of small pieces of glass. I immediately started looking for the cause of this damage, but found none. The fixed panel and hardware were still in place with no damage. My only conclusion was that the earthquake from days prior had resulted in my house shifting, pushing the glass against the tile on the wall and breaking.”

George’s Enclosure was not a Bath Concepts Enclosure. This is a very unlikely occurrence and is probably one in a million, unfortunately it happened to George, but this is why shower door manufactures use tempered glass. In the event that the glass does break, you’ll have millions on small pieces of glass rather then the sharp edges blades of glass.

Glass Obscurity Warning

Make Sure to consider all the important factors when selecting the obscurity level of your glass.

It’s expensive to change your glass after your enclosure is installed, so we recommend that you consider all the factors that could be important to you. Do you have a lovely view through the enclosure out the window, or beautiful tile/marble you don’t want to hide? In this case you might consider clear or Starfire glass to be your best option. Do you prefer more privacy when showering? Then possibly an obscure pattern would be right for you. Is your shower enclosure the showpiece of your master bedroom? Then you might want to use Art glass.

Bi-Pass Door Warning

Make sure to consider all important factors when selecting additional parts.

If you have ever wondered why your bi-pass doors only have minimal plates on the reverse side of any knob or towel bar, it is designed so that either panel will bi-pass the opposite panel for ease of cleaning.

Decorative Hardware Options

Make sure to consider all important factors when selecting decorative parts.

Decorative hardware can be more difficult to keep clean because there is more detail to the hardware and it can attract dirt and soap scum.