If your shower door is made of glass, you may endure injuries and a big clean up
If your shower door is made of glass, you may endure injuries and a big clean up. A journalist working for CBS, Dave Savini, first exposed tempered-glass patio tables suddenly exploding. Now he found the same happening with shower doors. Dorothy Malinski’s shower door suddenly exploded while her mother was bathing. “I heard this big bang,” said Malinski. “I couldn’t enter all the way because there’s glass all over the counter, in the sink, on the floor.” Her mother was cut on her hands and face. Though tempered-glass shower doors are supposed to break into small pieces—to prevent injuries from larger pieces of glass—they can break in bigger shards.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports more than 60 complaints of shower doors shattering for no reason, causing lacerations and bleeding. People have reported needing stitches and even surgery. Mark Meshulam, a glass and window consultant, reviewed the reports. “These are the types of injuries and situations that I would expect to see when something goes wrong with shower doors,” he says. He went on to suggest how a microscopic imperfection during the manufacturing process can grow and migrate, weakening the glass until it suddenly shatters. It can even shatter without it being touched. “I would say treat the doors gingerly,” Meshulam warns. “Do not bang them. Don’t allow children to hang on the towel bars.” He also says look for chips near brackets, the towel bar and along the edges. Also, make sure the door only moves the way it is supposed to and is not loose on the track or hinges. This has also been a problem at hotels. Meshulam says one reportedly had 50 doors shatter. He would like to see protective film on shower doors to catch breaking glass. This is a tempered glass problem, so it involves various door manufacturers and the ages of glass. If this happens to you, you are advised to call the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as the manufacturer.