Did your glass shower door suddenly shatter? Is the fresh, clean door that gives your bathroom a spa-like feel in pieces on the floor or inside of the shower stall space? What happened - and what should you do next? Take a look at what you need to know about this not-so-common glass issue, repairs, and replacement options. 

Is a Spontaneous Glass Explosion Normal or Common?

No. Even though glass can break, crack, chip, and shatter, these issues typically happen for obvious reasons. An impact, such as what you might expect from your child's indoor baseball game, can cause a glass enclosure or panel to shatter into pieces. But this type of damage is different from a spontaneous explosion. 

Glass that spontaneously explodes shatters without a noticeable reason. You may hear a loud boom or crash from another room - and later find your glass shower door in pieces on the floor. While this type of sudden glass damage is possible, it isn't normal and a common issue for homeowners. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), between the years 2012 and 2016 shattering shower doors caused an estimated 2,300 ER visits.

Why Don't Glass Shower Doors Shatter Easily or Often?

Glass may seem like a delicate or fragile material. But the type of glass your shower enclosure is made from is highly durable. Unlike the glass vase in your living room, shower doors have tempered glass. Like sliding glass patio doors and storm doors, glass shower enclosures are architectural glass. These panels must meet or exceed the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) mandatory safety standards for glass glazing.

The standard for shower enclosure or door glass means these panels should resist everyday wear and some impacts. While breaking the glass is possible, shower panels aren't as likely to sustain serious damage as an annealed (non-safety glass) product. Annealed (plain or regular) glass can easily crack and shatter into sharp shards. In comparison, tempered shower doors are strong and shatter into pellets.

How Could a Glass Door Spontaneously Shatter?

Now for the real mystery - how could your glass shower panel or door suddenly explode with no one in the room? Before you dig deeper into this phenomenon, learn more about the types of possible glass damage.

A tiny chip or barely there crack from an impact can weaken the glass and cause problems over time. Likewise, poorly installed glass could potentially fall off its track or out of a frame, shattering as it hits the ground. If your shower had an existing issue and then shattered, it did not spontaneously explode. But if the glass was new or perfectly intact, you have a spontaneously exploding glass situation.

Nickel sulfide inclusions in tempered glass can gradually grow and put stress on the shower panel. Over time this can cause glass to spontaneously break. Even though this type of stress fracture explosion is a possibility, it is extremely rare. If your shower door exploded for no reason, the problem most likely is the result of an unknown defect or crack or improper installation.

What Should You Do If Your Door Spontaneously Explodes?

Safety is essential for any glass cleanup. Even though tempered glass should shatter into pellets, it can still cut through the skin. Never handle broken glass. If necessary, sweep up the pellets. Stay away from the panel - especially if cracked glass is still inside the frame. 

If the glass did not fall out from the panel and you see a web-like pattern of cracks, avoid the area until a professional can assess the glass. Only a qualified glass contractor should remove your shower door and replace the glass. Unlike smaller cracks, you can't repair this type of damage. The contractor will provide you with replacement options and install a new door to fit your shower.

Do you need a new glass shower enclosure? Contact Monterey Glass Specialists Inc. for more information.