Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Different Types of Safety Glass You Can Consider For Your New Shower Screen
Switching from a shower curtain to a shower screen is one of the best decisions that you can make for your bathrooms. Shower screens offer you an array of benefits ranging from ensuring you no longer have to contend with slippery falls once you are done showering to adding visual appeal to your bathroom. Not to mention that shower screens will not become gross and mouldy. Nonetheless, once you have made this decision, you should be aware of the fact that these enclosures come in different types of glass. Here is a brief list of different types of safety glass that you can consider for a shower screen.
Tempered glass
Tempered glass, also known as toughened glass, is a great option if you or a loved one has mobility problems and is prone to falling since it is highly resistant to breaking. The glass is manufactured by a tempering process, which entails passing it through high degrees of heat then cooling it suddenly. This causes the surface of the glass to shrink and subsequently contract. The contraction of the glass is what allows it to develop compressive stresses on the surface whereas the inside of the glass has tensile stresses. These stresses are what lend the glass its strength and resistance to breakage. Nonetheless, it should be noted that tempered glass is not immune to breakage and when it does break, it shatters into small pieces.
Laminated glass
This type of glass happens to be one of the most common solutions for shower screens that are fully framed. However, it cannot be employed for frameless shower screens since it comprises to panes of glass that sandwich a PVC film. The PVC film is the element that provides the strength to the laminated glass so this type of glass is an incredibly safe option for your shower screen. In the event that the laminated glass is to succumb to an impact, the pieces of the shower screen will remain intact and this drastically minimises the risk of cuts.
Wired glass
Another form of safety glass that you could choose for your new shower screen is the wired glass variety. Admittedly, wired glass is considered a traditional option since it is not a top choice for bathrooms characterised by their contemporary design. The reason for this is that the wire is visible through the shower screen. Nevertheless, it is still a great option when it comes to keeping you safe when taking a shower. As the name implies, a wire mesh is installed in between two glass panes and all the layers are then fused to form one singular layer. If the glass is to break, the panes remain attached to the wires, and this will prevent grievous injuries in the shower.