Shower Door Issues – Warping
I recently had a Coral sliding frameless glass door installed in my shower enclosure. The doors each have euro through the glass towel bars installed. The mounting screws for the towel bars scrape against each other when the doors are opened from either side. The installer said we could just pull the towel bar towards us as we slide the door but that is not an acceptable long term solution to us. The outside door seems to be bowed inwards slightly in the middle where the towel bar is located. The manufacturer has indicated they would replace the outside door but my question is whether it is a door materials problem or an installation problem that might continue to exist after replacement. Have you seen this type of issue and if so how was it resolved?
Thanks for any assistance.
Ron C.
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your email, this is a great question…
Warping is a common side-effect of the glass tempering process. The thinner the glass, the more prone it is to becoming bowed during tempering. I’m guessing that the glass in your sliding bypass doors is ¼” thick, and is more vulnerable to this type of warping. There is a tolerance for the bow in tempered glass, because there is no way to eliminate it completely. When the warping in the glass exceeds the amount that is tolerable, the result is the issue you are experiencing. The manufacturer’s willingness to replace the panel is all you can really ask them for, in fairness.
As far as the installer goes, they should notice the excessive bowing, and turn the panels to face away from each other in a way that prevents the warping from posing a problem. Of course, this only works when the glass type is clear. Obscured glass has a “rough” side, and prevents the possibility of turning the glass around. Thicker glass has less of a tendency of warping during the tempering process, and is a good reason to use thicker glass. Even in an enclosure that utilizes hinges, bowing in glass can present challenges in making the panels line up properly.
Thanks again,
-Chris Phillips
In my custom shower installation with 3/8″ clear, low-iron glass, the shower door is slightly warped in one direction so that it doesn’t line up with the fixed glass wall that it meets (on the open (non-hinged)) part of the wall. Is this normal? When I asked, the installer said “some warp is normal”. The difference is about the whole 3/8″ glass width halfway up the panel. Is it reasonable to ask the installer to fix/replace the door to make it line up closer? I paid SO much for the glass that I want it done right but don’t know what’s reasonable?
We’re not in CA so I’m just asking for an independent opinion.
Thanks so much,
Julie
Hi Julie,
Thanks for your question. If what you are saying is that there is a warp of 3/8″ to the center of the height of the glass, that is too much. The tempering plant has to work within tighter tolerances than that. I am sure that the manufacturer of the bowed panel would remake it at no cost if the contractor asked them to. The installing company would be picking up the cost of the labor to change it out, which may be something they are not going to want to do. We definitely would consider installation of something like that “our mistake.” That detail should have been discovered before the glass was installed.
Again, all of this assumes that I am understanding you correctly – that there is a 3/8″ bow in the glass. If it is more like a 3/16″ bow, that would probably be considered “within industry standards.” There are certain tolerances that must be observed or else every imperfection could lead to rejection. That would put us all out of business, as nothing is perfect. Some people would find every opportunity to have things remade or redone, so there are clear written standards. You can get these from the company that tempers the glass.
Anyway, I hope this helps.
Chris Phillips
Showcase Shower Door Company – CCL #957120
1970 17th Avenue #C – Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Phone: (831) 464-3899 – FAX: (831) 477-0760
https://www.showcaseshowerdoor.com