Caroma shower screen hardware buying guide
Caroma shower screen hardware is a small range of fittings for frameless glass shower screens: a glass to glass hinge, a glass to wall hinge, a glass U bracket, a round shower door knob and a shower door lever handle. Each piece is sized for 8 to 12mm glass and is made in the same finishes as Caroma tapware, showers and accessories, so a screen can match the rest of the bathroom. Searches for shower screen door handles and shower screen hardware lead here. This guide explains what each part does, the sizes that decide fit, how the handles work, which finishes are made, and how to plan a screen. The wider range of shower screen parts across brands is on shower screen hardware, and the Caroma showers are on Caroma showers.
What each part does
A frameless shower screen has no surrounding frame, so a handful of small metal parts do the structural work. The hinge joins the door glass to a fixed glass panel or to the wall and lets the door swing. The bracket holds a fixed panel to the wall or floor. The handle or knob gives you something to pull. The parts are sold separately, they suit only certain glass thicknesses, and some need holes drilled in the glass, so it helps to know what each one is for before you order.
The glass to glass hinge
The glass to glass hinge connects the door to a fixed glass panel. It is a 180 degree connection, which means the door and the panel sit in a straight line when the door is open, and the door swivels both inwards and outwards. It is 90mm long and 55mm wide and projects 19mm, in stainless steel, and it suits 8 to 12mm glass. A black plastic insert protects the glass where the hinge clamps it. Use it where the door hangs off a fixed panel at the side, which is the usual layout for a frameless screen with a return panel.
The glass to wall hinge
The glass to wall hinge connects the door to the wall, with a plate on the wall side. It is 90mm long and 63mm wide and projects 59mm, in stainless steel, and it suits 8 to 12mm glass. It is supplied with packers for different glass thicknesses and a black plastic insert to protect the glass. It swivels inwards and outwards and is self centering from 25 degrees, so the door returns toward the closed position from a small opening. Use it where the door is hung straight from a tiled wall, which is the layout for a simple single door with no fixed panel beside it.
The wall has to carry the weight of the door, so find the framing behind the tile before you choose a position, and check that the fixings reach solid timber or a proper backing and not only plasterboard. Plan the position of the hinge before the wall is tiled, where possible.
The glass U bracket
The glass U bracket holds a fixed panel to the wall or floor in a channel. It is 47mm long and 30mm wide and projects 22mm, in stainless steel, and it suits 8 to 12mm glass. It is a shower glass channel mount, designed to be mounted on the floor or the wall, and it needs no holes in the glass. It comes with a plastic insert to protect the glass, and additional packers can be supplied by the glazier if the glass is thinner than the channel. Use it on the edge of a fixed panel, usually one at the bottom and one or two up the side.
Because it needs no holes, the bracket suits glass that is already cut and toughened, and it is the most forgiving part of the range for a glazier to fit.
Shower screen door handles: the round knob and the lever
The handle is the part you touch, so it is worth choosing with care. Caroma makes two: a round knob and a lever handle. Both are made of brass in two back to back pieces, one on each face of the glass, so the pair clamps the glass between them. Both suit 8 to 12mm glass, and both are supplied with plastic washers that sit between the handle and the glass for a secure fixing that protects the glass.
The round knob is 30mm across and projects 30mm, with either a divot or a lever for grip. It is compact, neat and gives a simple shape that suits almost any bathroom. The lever handle is 44mm long, 30mm wide and projects 25mm, with a lever grip that is easy to use with wet hands. A lever works with a push or a pull of a finger, so it is easier for people with limited hand strength, and a knob needs a firmer grip. If the door is used by children or older people, the lever is the easier choice.
Both handles need holes in the glass, so the glazier drills the holes before the glass is toughened. Tell the glazier the hole size and the position when you order the glass, and choose the handle before the glass is cut, since a glass already toughened cannot be drilled. If you are replacing a handle on existing glass, match the existing hole.
Sizes that decide fit
Every part in the range suits 8 to 12mm glass, which covers the common thicknesses for frameless screens: 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. Read the thickness on the glazier's order and match the part to it before you add anything to the cart. If the glass is 10mm, the packers supplied with the hinges are set for it. If it is thinner, extra packers may be needed from the glazier.
The other numbers are the size of the part and how far it projects, which matter for clearance. The glass to wall hinge projects 59mm, so the door needs that much room beside the wall when it swings. The glass to glass hinge projects 19mm, and the U bracket 22mm. The knob projects 30mm and the lever 25mm from the glass, which sets the gap between the handle and a towel on a rail beside it.
Finishes
The range is made in polished stainless steel, chrome, matte black, PVD brushed nickel, PVD brushed brass, PVD brushed bronze and PVD gunmetal, chosen to complement Caroma tapware, showers and accessories. The PVD finishes are a hard coating applied in a vacuum chamber, and they resist wear and cleaning better than a plated finish. Polished stainless steel and chrome are bright and suit a bathroom with chrome fittings. Matte black is neutral and suits black frames and tapware. The brushed finishes are quieter and hide water marks and fingerprints better.
Choose the finish to match the tapware and the other bathroom fittings, not the hinge alone. Use one finish on every hinge, bracket and handle in the screen, so it reads as one piece. See Caroma showers for matching shower fittings.
Choosing between a hinge and a pivot layout
The layout of the screen decides which parts you need. A door that hangs off a fixed panel uses glass to glass hinges, and the panel is held by U brackets on the wall and floor. A door that hangs from the wall uses glass to wall hinges. A simple screen with a door and one fixed panel needs two glass to glass hinges, one or two U brackets and a handle. A single door in an alcove needs two glass to wall hinges and a handle. Count the parts for your layout before you order, and add one more hinge for a tall or heavy door.
Door weight and the number of hinges
A frameless door is heavy, because 10mm glass weighs a good deal, so the number of hinges and the strength of the wall matter. Two hinges carry an ordinary door, and a third at the midpoint helps with a tall or wide door by stopping the glass bowing. The glazier will tell you the weight of the door from the size and thickness of the glass, and the hinge limits must suit it. If the door is close to the limit, a third hinge changes the answer.
Where to put the handle
The handle position decides how the door feels in daily use. A common height is around 1000 to 1100mm from the floor, about the same as a door handle, and it should sit on the side opposite the hinges so the door opens with a short pull. Place it far enough from the edge of the glass that a hand can grip it without catching the frame or the wall, and far enough from the hinge that the door does not feel heavy. Mark the position with tape on the glass and open and close the door a few times in your mind before the holes are drilled, since the position cannot be changed after the glass is toughened.
If the screen has a towel rail or a shelf beside the door, check the clearance. A knob projects 30mm and a lever 25mm, and a towel hanging on the rail can catch the handle when the door opens, so keep a hand width of space.
Choosing the glass thickness
The thickness of the glass is the first decision, because every part is sized to it. Thicker glass is heavier and feels more solid, and the range suits 8 to 12mm. A frameless door is commonly 10mm, which gives a firm feel without excessive weight. A thinner 8mm panel suits a fixed return panel or a small door. A thicker 12mm suits a large door and a premium feel, but it needs strong hinges and a sound wall. Ask the glazier for the thickness that suits the size of the door, and then check that every part suits it.
Matching the finish to the bathroom
The bathroom already has metals in it: tapware, a shower rose, a towel rail, a mixer and perhaps a basin waste. Look at them together and choose the shower screen finish to agree. Chrome and polished stainless steel suit a bathroom with chrome tapware. PVD brushed nickel suits a bathroom with softer silver tones. PVD brushed brass and brushed bronze suit a bathroom with warm tones and timber. PVD gunmetal and matte black suit a bathroom with black fittings. If the bathroom mixes finishes, let the shower screen follow the shower rose, since the two are seen together.
Take a sample or photograph of the tapware and compare it with the hardware in the room where it will be fitted, in daylight and under the bathroom lights. A finish name is a guide to the colour and not a promise, and the same name can look slightly different between ranges.
Hard water and cleaning
A shower screen sits in a wet room, and hard water leaves white marks on glass and metal. Squeegee the glass after every shower and wipe the hinges and handles with a soft cloth, so the water does not dry on them. A weekly wipe with a mild bathroom cleaner keeps soap scum from building up. Avoid scouring pads, abrasive powders and acidic descalers on the hardware, since they can wear a PVD or plated coating. If marks have built up, a soft cloth with a little warm water and a mild detergent is usually enough.
Accessibility
A lever is easier to use than a knob for people with limited hand strength, because it works with a push or a pull of a finger and needs no grip. If the bathroom is for a household member with reduced mobility, choose the lever and place it at a comfortable height. A door that swings outwards leaves more room inside the shower, and a door that swings both ways is easier to leave in an emergency. Plan the layout with the household in mind, and check the clearance outside the screen.
Coastal bathrooms
Near the sea, salt in the air speeds up wear on exposed metal. Stainless steel and brass bodies with a PVD coating resist corrosion well, and rinsing the hardware with fresh water now and then removes salt. A bathroom with good ventilation dries faster and is easier on the hardware, so use the exhaust fan after a shower. If a bathroom opens to the outdoors, choose a hardy finish and keep the hinges clean.
Ordering checklist
Before you order, write down the glass thickness, the layout of the screen, the number of hinges, brackets and handles, and the finish. Count every part: the hinges for the door, the brackets for the fixed panels, and the handle with its washers. Tell the glazier the hole size and position for the handle. Order every part for the screen at the same time, so the finish agrees, and keep the box lines so you can reorder a part in the same finish if one is ever needed.
Planning the screen
Measure the opening width at the top, middle and bottom and use the smallest figure. If the two diagonals differ by more than 5mm, the walls are out of square, and a frameless screen is hard to fit with even gaps. A swinging door also needs room: allow about 600 to 700mm of clear floor outside the recess. Plan the hinge positions, the handle position and the bracket positions before the glass is ordered, because the glass will be cut and drilled to the plan you give.
Fitting
Fitting a screen is a glazier's job, and the hardware has to match the glass exactly. Fit the brackets to the wall and floor first, set the fixed panel into them, and then hang the door on the hinges. Check that the door swings freely and returns toward the closed position from the self centering angle. Fit the handle last, with the washers between the handle and the glass, and tighten the pair evenly so the glass is not stressed. Seal the screen at the edges with silicone, and let it cure before the shower is used.
Replacing existing hardware
A shower door part can be replaced within limits. A new hinge has to join the same things as the old one, glass to glass or glass to wall, suit the same glass thickness, and sit on the same fixing points. A new handle has to match the holes already in the glass: a knob needs a single hole and a lever fitting may need a pair, so match the existing hole count and size. A like for like swap of the same type is the straightforward case, and changing the hinge type or the glass thickness range means checking every part against the glass.
Care
Squeegee the glass after every shower, and wipe the hardware with a soft damp cloth. Keep abrasive pads and acidic or bleach-based cleaners away from the finish, since they can damage a PVD or plated coating. Rinse soap and shampoo off the hinges and brackets, where residue collects. Re-seal silicone joins every few years, or sooner if they discolour or lift at the edge. A little light oil on the hinge pivot keeps the swing smooth.
Questions people ask
Which handle is easiest to use? The lever, since it works with a push or a pull of a finger and suits wet hands. The knob suits a neat, compact look.
Do I need holes in the glass? The handles need holes, and the hinges clamp the glass. The U bracket needs no holes.
Will the parts match my tapware? The range is made in the same finishes as Caroma tapware, showers and accessories, so a screen can match the bathroom.
What glass thickness do the parts suit? 8 to 12mm, with packers for the different thicknesses.
