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Your new shower enclosure will give you years of service with some very basic, regular care.

Keeping Your Enclosure Clean
Glass care
If you want to keep your enclosure looking its best, you will have to clean the glass on a regular basis. Diamon Fusion glass treatment "seals" the microscopic pores in the glass surface so that contaminants in the water, which cause stains, more easily rinse off the glass. It is not self-cleaning glass, but it goes a long way toward simplifying your glass cleaning chores. This is a glass treatment applied at the factory, so it must be ordered when you are buying your enclosure.

We recommend that you get into the habit of using a squeegee after each use (at least after the last person has finished showering). This takes only a few moments, but goes a long way toward keeping your enclosure looking its best by eliminating any water on the glass surface. Following up the squeegee with a quick pass of a bath towel will make your glass sparkle. Stains most often occur when standing water evaporates leaving behind soap and mineral deposits. If you eliminate the water droplets, you'll eliminate most of the staining issues

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If your glass begins to look cloudy or dirty, you may need more "aggressive" cleaning help. BEMA ( the Bath Enclosures Manufacturers Association) recommends Comet® Bathroom Cleaner. This safe non-abrasive product dissolves soap buildup and hard water stains without harming the surrounding metal surfaces.

Abrasive or highly caustic cleaners should be avoided when cleaning your glass because the surface can be damaged.

Framing and Hardware

Like glass, the aluminum or plated components of a shower enclosure require regular cleaning to maintain their appearance. Drying them with a towel after each use will help to keep them looking good. You may also use Comet® Bathroom Cleaner to help keep them clean. If you have real brass hardware, extreme care must be used to avoid damaging the clear protective layer which helps resist tarnishing. Although there is no warranty on the finish of real brass hardware, you can help prolong the factory finish by using nothing more aggressive than warm soapy water.

Caulking

The perimeter caulking which seals your enclosure is a mildew resistant, silicone based material. Caulking is a serviceable item which will require replacement over time. We use translucent caulking because it is the best at "blending" with a variety of different wall and framing finishes and colors.

Silicone which never fully dries between showers (typically along the bottom of the enclosure) is most prone to seal failure because is is not meant to always be wet. Drying the perimeter of the enclosure (including the silicone) will prolong the seal of the unit.

Mildew is another problem which affects silicone. If mildew spores are present in your home (not a sign of poor house keeping by the way- just back luck) you may begin to see unsightly black areas appear in the silicone. These black spots cannot be cleaned off due to the release of plasticisers by the silicone. When your silicone begins to turn black, the only remedy is to replace the silicone. How long should silicone last? has a different answer in every house depending upon a variety of conditions. Keeping the the enclosure dry between use via proper cleaning and ventilation goes a long way toward maximizing the useful life of the perimeter silicone seal.

Keeping Your Enclosure Secure

This is a brief but important section regarding the attachment of your enclosure. Your enclosure should provide you with years of trouble-free service. Apart from regular cleaning, there is very little that can go wrong. Having said that, you should occasionally inspect your enclosure to make sure all fasteners and attachment screws are properly tightened- this is especially important when it comes to frameless enclosures. Make a point of looking at the screws which hold your frameless shower door hinges to the glass and the wall. If any screws in the hinges appear to be loose or slipping, you should contact us immediately to have them secured.