Channel fix frameless shower screen
Trade post
Installing a channel-fix frameless shower screen is the emerging trend . We can do bracket and channel fix. Like all things in building, there are pros and cons to both. The specifier should consider all factors before making a commitment.
The look Aesthetic is the driving reason for the request for channel fix. The channels themselves can be difficult to set to the tile face alignment from the outset. We all know that the tiler may run up out of level or have a broken line in the tiling. This can result in the channel not being flush all the way along its length. The tiler installing two tile angles substantially overcomes this issue.
Deflection
A 3mm silicone joint either side of the glass is recommended for expansion. The silicone bead is more dominant with channel fix. The bead with bracket fix is somewhat concealed by the glass itself. Images containing bracket fix can be seen here.
Deflection, lateral stability and stiffness We use a 50mm X 50mm X 5mm bracket which provides a certain amount of stiffness, which reduces the deflection when bracket fixing. This can be a particular advantage with the hinge panel.
Gap between panels is nominally 2 to 5mm. Whilst this gap is sufficient if there is no movement in the elements themselves, it leaves the risk of deflection during use. The door will deflect as the moment changes, if swung at speed. 1mm of deflection can make the difference between two panels touching or not. A channel-fix frameless shower screen will be somewhat less stiff than a bracket fixed panel. This can increase the risk of glass breakage with heavy use.
Installation
The process for a bracket fix shower screen is to measure the finished tiling and order all of the panels. We install the shower screen in one shot, whether it be a single panel or a 3 panel corner shower. Walls and floors are generally out of level to some extent. Toughened glass has some inherent curvature due to the furnace process.This curvature can present complexity during the installation process. Generally we install the hinge panel first and hang the door. We then fit the return panel.
The alignment of the door to return panel (often as a result of glass curvature) regularly requires adjustment during installation. This can often only be achieved by adjusting the hinge panel marginally (perhaps 1 or 2mm) off exact plumb. This all works well for bracket fix. We cannot hang the door off the hinge panel on the same day. This is because there is only wet silicone holding it in place. This means that we must set the hinge panel in place and then return another day to fit the door and return panel, meaning we no longer have the ability to adjust the hinge panel. Channel fix can result in unavoidable inaccuracy in joint alignment between the door and the return panel.
Cost
Channel fix saves the cost of some glass processing (holes) and brackets themselves. Bracket and hole cost is in the order of $20 per fixing location. Channel fix will require an additional site visit if there is one screen with a door and is generally more fiddly. As a rule, channel fix is more expensive.
What we think
In building we all want happy clients, it just makes good sense for everyone involved. The end user wants channel fix because they perceive that it will look better than bracket fix. In our opinion, channel fix does not look better than bracket fix, it does however have a different look. We have found that the end result does not always meet the end users preconceived expectations.
If you are looking to have a channel fix, chat with us some more about what can be achieved and what cannot.