Water Spot Protective Coatings on Shower Glass
One of the main reasons customer call us to replace their shower enclosures is because their shower glass has become unsightly from years of hard water damage. Certain pockets of Sacramento are notorious for having hard water (Elk Grove, Pocket, Folsom, Arden Park, River Park, Rancho Cordova, Natomas etc). Hard water can be defined as any water that contains significant amounts of naturally occurring minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium. If you have hard water, it can begin to show itself by leaving “spots” (mineral deposits) on your shower tiles, fixtures and glass. Newly developed “spots” can often be removed with certain cleaning agents and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. If the hard water spots are left unaddressed for an extended period of time, the mineral deposits can deteriorate the surface of the glass, making the hard water spots impossible to remove and essentially ruining your shower glass.
At Dick’s Rancho Glass, we encourage all our shower customers to purchase their new showers with a factory applied water spot protective coating. These coatings are optically clear, and protect the surface of the glass from hard water spots and light scratches and reduce cleaning time. Every glass/shower manufacturer has their own version of this coating. Endurashield, Hydroshield, CW Shield, Diamon-Fusion, Cardinal C10 Coating are just of few of the different water spot protective coatings on the market; many being specific to a particular glass supplier. Some are manually applied, some are misted on by a machine and then baked onto the glass. Some coatings are applied to both surfaces of the glass, while others are only applied to the surface being exposed to water. Different coatings come with a different manufacturer’s warranty ranging between 3-10 years, 3 years being the most common warranty length. Glass with a protective coating also may require specific care and cleaning (no harsh chemicals or ammonia). Whichever glass/shower supplier you choose will dictate which coating is available so please ask us which coating you will be receiving before ordering.
We encourage all our shower customers to consider adding a water spot protective coating to their shower glass before installing the enclosure. Exposing untreated glass to hard water, even one time, can damage the surface of the glass and add hours to your cleaning regimen. When asked how the surface protectant works on the glass Iwe like to use the analogy that glass has pores like human skin. The surface protectant works by filling the pores of the glass with a hydrophobic coating that repels water. This will allow any hard water deposits and/or soap scum to remain on the surface of the glass, where it can easily be wiped away. If the glass is left untreated, mineral deposits and soap scum can be absorbed into the pores where they are below the surface of the glass and therefore unable to be removed. We recommend that our customers protect their investment in their new shower enclosures by purchasing it with a factory applied water spot protective coating. That way your shower glass is protected from hard water damage from the very first use. If you are interested in purchasing a new shower enclosure with a water spot protective coating, or if you would like to learn more about these products, please contact our office and one of our knowledgeable sales staff will gladly assist you with any questions you may have. Our Rancho Cordova/Sacramento office phone number is 916-363-6554 and our Fair Oaks office phone number is 916-965-6554.