As just about everyone knows, bathrooms are designed to keep your family clean safely. On average, people in the U.S. spend about 50 hours in the shower per year, or about 8.2 minutes per shower. Your shower gets a lot of use. That makes shower door safety very important.

Adding in the number of guests you have each year makes the amount of time your bathroom showers are used increase greatly.

Before the 1980’s, plate glass was used in many shower doors. This made shower door safety almost nonexistent.

Today, shower door safety is a much more important topic. This safety has been dramatically increased with the use of tempered glass. In some rare cases, laminated glass is used in shower doors.

Why tempered glass? Because it is four to five times stronger than regular glass. Also, when it breaks, it shatters into small pebbles with no sharp edges. A great increase in shower door safety.

Laminated glass is made of layers of glass alternating with layers of adhesive resin. When it breaks, the adhesive keeps the pieces in place. Another great increase in shower door safety.

One thing to keep in mind when considering shower door safety: If your shower door breaks and someone is hurt, you may be legally liable. In showers, people don’t even have the little bit of protection provided by clothing. And broken shower doors that are not tempered or laminated glass can cause very severe injuries.

Another factor to remember when you think about shower door safety: Not even safety glass is a hundred percent safe. So, there are some things you should do to increase your shower door safety.

First, don’t let kids get into any kind of horseplay in the bathroom. Make sure they understand running is not allowed. This can help with shower door safety.

Second, always have an adult supervise young children around the glass doors of the shower.

Third, be sure to check fasteners, panels, and seals on your shower door. These must be in good shape and installed correctly in order to promote shower door safety.

Fourth, make sure shower doors don’t hit solid objects when they’re opened. Nothing lowers shower door safety like the door hitting a solid surface and shattering.

Fifth, replace cracked or chipped shower doors quickly. This will help increase shower door safety.

When you need glass for increased shower door safety, call FEDERAL GLASS AND MIRROR at 508-872-3563. Mike and John Purpura have a long family history of excellence in many types of glass replacement and installation.