Jul. 27, 2014 – WAYNE, N.J. — The purpose of a frameless shower door is to have the appearance of looking as simple and clean as possible. But what holds it all together? Is it safe? We are often asked these same questions by many of our customers.
A frameless glass shower door is typically installed with clamps, u-channels, or a combination of clamps and u-channels. There are millions of different configurations, and no one shower is like any other. Generally these hardware colors will match the other hardware in the bathroom such as any towel bars, faucets, robe hooks, etc. The clamps or u-channels are then drilled into the tile or sheet rock depending on the configuration.
At http://www.AMGShowerDoors.com we use an AutoCAD program to ensure that every shower door we install is properly configured to all safety standards. Companies that do not use a program such as ours, have no way of knowing whether the installation of the shower door is safe or not. We have seen many ½” thick glass shower doors hung on hinges that were not meant to hold such weight. Over time, they will bend causing an extremely dangerous situation to you and your family. Be sure that you are using a reputable company that can determine these calculations.
Whether you are using clamps or u-channel, one is not necessarily stronger than another. While clamps offer a cleaner look with less metal, if installed improperly it can be big problems. We have seen installations where there should’ve been more clamps, as well as clamps that were misplaced and weren’t actually holding up the weight of the glass. These clamps need to be placed with precision so that they are uniform not only for looks, but for weight disbursement as well. U-channels offer very good stability because it runs along the entire edge of the glass, not just one section like the clamps.
AMG Shower Doors uses both of these options and lets the customer decide what type of look they are going for, as long as it adheres to our safety regulations. We will not install an unsafe shower door, and refuse to use cheaper imported hardware products that will put our customers at risk. It is up to you to know what type of hardware your shower door company is using, so you need to make sure to ask. Your family’s safety is on the line!