How to choose glass doors for a bath?

At the entrance to the steam room of a Russian bath, for a long time we were accustomed to be met by a deaf, squat wooden door - a reliable guard of useful hot steam and furnace heat, due to which the healing effect of bath procedures is fully manifested. With the appearance on the market of modern solutions for arranging steam baths and shower corners - glass doors, the consumer had a problem of choice.

Should we give up the old traditions of organizing bathing space and is it true that installing glass structures in the steam room guarantees a transition to a new level of comfort - questions that interest those who are puzzled by the choice of the door for a bath. In this article you will learn how to choose glass doors for a bath, what is the benefit of such an acquisition and what to look for when buying to avoid disappointment.

Glass doors are classified according to several basic criteria.Designs differ in the opening mechanism and are:

• Swing - standard models with side hinges and canvas opening to / from itself.
• Recoiling - models with special guides that are mounted on the wall or ceiling, providing the ability to move the canvas to the side.
• Pendulum - mounted on special hinges at two points: to the top and bottom of the opening. They work similarly to a pendulum, opening up according to the principle of "back and forth" in an arbitrary direction.
• Sliding - found in the interior of large recreational bath complexes. It is not advisable to install such constructions in the paired ones themselves.
• Radial - if we talk about the bath, then such products can most often be seen in compact home saunas. In the interior, radius zoning is performed with their help.

There are models with a box and without. The box is metal or wood. Doors for a glass bath with a box made of wood are allowed to be installed both before and after finishing works, which is very convenient. If the box is metal, the installation is done before finishing.

According to the method of execution distinguish products:

• with all-glass cloth;
• in the combined design with glass windows.

For the manufacture of doors by default is 8mm tempered glass. With ordinary glass, it is united by external similarity and similar manufacturing techniques, with the exception of additional processing under the influence of high temperature conditions. The tempering procedure is reduced to heating the glass to 500-600 ° C and a sharp decrease in temperature when the creation of compressive stresses inside the particles helps to increase its strength.

What gives the heat treatment:

• Increased resistance to mechanical stress.
• High resistance to temperature fluctuations in the range of -70 ° C-250 ° C.
• Health safety. If the integrity of the web is compromised, the risk of injury is minimal, since large fragments with no sharp edges are difficult to cut.

The service life of doors largely depends on the quality of the supporting structure, which, in turn, is affected by the material of manufacture.

Boxes are made from different wood species:

• Spliced ​​lindenswith low density, high strength, lightness and external softness. It smells very nice, does not contain tar, has a beautiful light color.
• Aspen trees - this is the best solution for operation in conditions of intensive vaporization and high temperatures. It has a high density, low content of resinous substances, provides a disinfecting effect and over the years does not lose its beneficial properties. The strength characteristics of aspen are almost identical to oak.
• Pines - pine boxes are found in products of Scandinavian manufacturers. It has a high resinous content, which explains its immunity to wood diseases, it is heat resistant, strong and durable.

In most cases, the size of the glass doors is selected individually, however, there are standard sizes that serve as a guide when choosing. The optimal dimensions can be found in the table below.

By production of doors for a bath use of glasses of different type practices, but differences between them concern only appearance, but not performance data.

The all-glass cloth happens:

• Transparent;
• Matte;
• With an image;
• Painted.

The glass is decorated using various methods and technologies, namely:

• Silk-screen printing, when images are applied using a special screen pattern.
• Sandblasting to create all sorts of engravings.
• Matte acid etching.
• Bending to give the glass curvilinear forms.
• Faceting to create beveled edge edges.
• Fusing In order to achieve a decorative effect, multicolored glass fragments are combined at a high temperature and can withstand the resulting composition in a furnace with certain thermal parameters.
• Photo printing.

Doors made of glass for the steam room is a product that was created using the experience of generations of bath masters in combination with the latest developments in the field of bath technologies.

Arguments for their purchase:

• Excellent strength properties are a guarantee of long-term operation in conditions of high loads.
• They perfectly keep steam and heat generated by bath equipment, as they are completely sealed. The perimeter of the box is equipped with a high-temperature silicone seal with no memory effect: its shape remains unchanged.
• The low coefficient of linear thermal expansion eliminates the need for a large ventilation gap, which means that heat loss will be less than when installing a door from an array.
• Increase the amount of natural light from the outside, which contributes to the illusory expansion of the internal space.

• Immunity to moisture, permanently intense vaporization and biological damage.
• The ability to monitor the state of users of the steam room through a transparent sheet.
• Psychological comfort. In the soft twilight created by the door with glass, many are much nicer than in a brightly lit steam room with a deaf door.
• Easy to maintain, since their design is 90% glass. From the point of view of sanitary safety, doors with a completely smooth surface are more beneficial than wood.
• Lack of difficulties during installation. The presence of minimum building skills is already a supply for self-installation.
• Aesthetics and interesting design. Doors with originally processed glass allow to realize the most unusual interior solutions of the bath.You can simultaneously pay tribute to the old traditions and demonstrate that you follow fashion.

The disadvantages of glass models include:

• Greater thermal conductivity compared with wooden products, which increases heat loss.
• The accumulation of condensate on the surface of the glass, provided that an insufficiently powerful furnace is used or when a traditional bath with a high level of humidity is equipped with such a door. One of the solutions to the problem is the purchase of expensive doors with a heating function, which not everyone can afford.
• Heated canvas. This is not critical for a Russian bath, as it is heated to an average of 70-80 ° C, ardent fans - up to a maximum of 100 ° C. The Finnish sauna is characterized by a temperature of 130-150 ° C, in such conditions, by touching the glass, you can severely burn yourself.
• It weighs a lot, so if you install yourself without an assistant and special tacks in the form of suction cups for working with glass is not enough.

Interested in purchasing glass doors in the steam room, be prepared to part with a round sum. The high price can not be attributed to the disadvantages, since it fully justifies the advantages of such structures.

When buying glass doors, in addition to the material from which the box is made, you need to consider the quality:

• Profile - in a good box, the thickness of a rectangular profile is 4-4.2 cm, and the depth is at least 7-7.2 cm. Narrow boxes and those where the profile is figured are less resistant to deformations when temperature fluctuates and high humidity conditions.
• Accessories (loops). Despite assurances from manufacturers of doors about the use of hinges produced by well-known European brands, including accessories marked with Fiskars or Abloy, their homeland is China. But this does not mean the lack of quality. You just need to understand that the quality of the loops varies greatly among different Chinese manufacturers. The most reliable hinges FL-75 and their modifications: FL-75 Abloy / FL-75 Akma, which provide the opening of the blade through 180 °. The FL-710 is an outdated loop version from China, which is in steady demand because of the chrome-plated case. The FL-715 is the cheapest hinge often used in low cost doors.
• Door handles. It is important to make the material, the design of the handle and whether it has protruding parts that can injure. The best options are products made of beech, ash, oak, permissible from aspen and linden, birch trees are extremely undesirable, and are threatened with rapid loss of appearance.Compared with the popular handles on a magnet located on a ledge, traditional models are safer, since they lack parts protruding from the canvas.

Keep in mind that the model with a pattern or frosted glass is not only beautiful, but also makes visiting the steam room safer. There are many cases when lovers of bathing rest, “ignoring” the transparent canvas at the entrance, tried to enter inside.

The secret to the success of glass doors is a combination of beauty and reliability. A variety of methods for processing thermally reinforced glass allows you to become the owner of both an exclusive copy and a no less stylish ready-made solution with an unusual glazing. We offer examples to make sure of the excellent decorative qualities of glass doors.

• Doors with tinted glazed bronze. A glass that is pleasing to the eye and is warm enough to create a comfortable diffused light inside the steam room. Such lighting acts soothingly and harmonizes emotions.
• The stylish frosted glazing of silhouette doors proves once again that simplicity is the essence of elegance. The interior of the bathing space only benefits from this.
• Pay attention to the perfect coloristic duet of shades of glass and mosaic wall decoration. A wide palette of tempered glass color solutions allows you to easily implement this idea without the help of a professional designer.

• The evolution of the bath. An ultramodern steam room with a glass partition and, of course, a tempered glass door with a stylish themed pattern.
• The possibilities of photo printing are endless. This method allows you to put on the glass any image. The preference is still given to landscapes, animals, floristic compositions.
• The fusing technique, which changes the structure of glass in a certain zone (sometimes over the entire surface), expands the possibilities of door design. Color typesetters or a transparent, non-pigmented base may be used. Such models are included in the art series.
• Sandblasted canvas artwork allows you to create drawings of any complexity. Such a door will decorate the entrance to the steam room and give a sea of ​​aesthetic pleasure.

How not to lose the choice of the glass door - there is no definite answer to this question, but there are universal recommendations.Study the reviews - once, do not forget about your consumer rights and demand quality certificates from sellers - two, try to deal with companies that have well-proven in the market - three.

TOP 5 glass door manufacturers:

1. Harvia. (Finland). Finnish doors will delight stylish design, reliability and functionality. The boxes are made of alder and pine, the colors of the glass are bronze and satin.
2. Aldo (Russia). For the manufacture of boxes used valuable wood. A wide product range, a large selection of colors and textures of the canvas. Products are distinguished by high quality in combination with the democratic price.
3. Andres (Estonia). Baltic glass doors combine impeccable workmanship and safety. In addition to products for the steam room, there are many interesting models of interior glass doors.
4. Tylo (Sweden). Aesthetic, reliable ready-made solutions for baths and saunas from heat-resistant glass and with magnetic locks. The materials of the box are laminated wood of aspen and pine, the design of the canvas is satin / bronze glazing.
5. Akma - one of the largest Russian glass processing companies.Here you can choose a standard door with tinted / frosted glass or an original model from an art series with engraving, fusing, monochrome / full-color pattern.

As advantages, the owners of glass doors note:

• Smooth opening of the door, no need to make an effort.
• Structures without problems withstand the conditions of active operation.
• The quality of reinforced fasteners and ergonomic handles for products from Tylo.
• Universal opening mechanisms to the right / left, which is implemented in models of many brands.
• Glasses are easy to maintain and maintain cleanliness.
• Stylish design that does not bother and please guests.

As for the high cost, those who purchased premium-class doors from well-known brands believe that a quality item and an exclusive performance are worth the money spent. Buyers of less expensive products mainly from Russian manufacturers note that their quality is no worse, therefore there is no point in overpaying for the “name”.

Video review of glass doors for a bath will help you make the right choice.