Broken Shower Screen

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I are currently renting a property (we are also both landlords, so have perspective from both sides of the fence). On Monday night when we got home from work, we arrived to find that the shower screen had shattered (see pictures). The shower screen was fine when we had left for work in the morning.

Picture 1

Picture 2

We are currently going through the process of getting the shower screen fixed via the property manager, and this is currently scheduled to get done next Monday. Note that we can't use the shower until the screen is fixed.

Given that we weren't responsible for the screen breaking, we don't think it is fair for us to pay for it. Though we can understand that the landlord will probably think it is not fair for them to pay for it either, as they are of the belief that we caused the damage.

Just looking to get the opinion of other landlords and property managers about what is likely to be a fair, amicable and equitable solution to the problem.

Cheers,

Nick
 
Is the landlord saying you broke the screen?

How does someone break a toughened glass screen accidentally?
My guess is the installer must have put a screw or rivet in the wrong place and cause a pressure point, and through expansion and contraction due to temperature changes, the screen simply shattered.
Definitely a faulty product or installation if you did not touch the screen when it broke.

The only other way to break that panel would be to tap on the top edge with a hard object to cause it to shatter like that.
 
It's not wear and tear as the fit out is still practically brand new.
It's a product or installation failure.
Landlord should claim from installation company, unless they did the dodgy job themselves which would not be surprising.
 
Was wondering about this myself, we just installed a slider in a property and if misused could break/dammage tiles( tho the effort required would not likely be accidental)
 
If it was me I would ask somebody independent to come in and look at the screen and put in writing what they believe the cause of the damage is. If the installer takes a look and doesn't want to fix it under warranty then they likely won't say it how it is. Then send this through to the PM, they now have something to force the installers hand in replacing under warranty! :).
 
An accidental sharp bang on the top edge - where the failure seems to have originated - with that shower rose or handle could chip the glass edge, leading to its sudden failure then or later. It only takes a chip on the edge, but otherwise the glass should be strong.

If I was the tenant I would be asking for the owner to claim insurance and be offering to meet him/her halfway on the excess, if any.

As an aside, I don't like that sort of bath/shower solution.
 
An accidental sharp bang on the top edge - where the failure seems to have originated - with that shower rose or handle could chip the glass edge, leading to its sudden failure then or later. It only takes a chip on the edge, but otherwise the glass should be strong.

If I was the tenant I would be asking for the owner to claim insurance and be offering to meet him/her halfway on the excess, if any.

As an aside, I don't like that sort of bath/shower solution.

You can't know where the failure originated.

Have a look down the side of the glass panel furthest from the wall, it's all blown out.
The only reason the top part is missing is due it being unframed and gravity.
Could be a case of Newtons Cradle where the failure could have started at the bottom and blew out the top of the panel.
Or like an hourglass failure in a concrete pier/column, the shape and location of the failure does not obviously represent the direction and location of applied force which caused the failure.
 
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You can't know where the failure originated.

Have a look down the side of the glass panel furthest from the wall, it's all blown out.
The only reason the top part is missing is due it being unframed and gravity.
Could be a case of Newtons Cradle where the failure could have started at the bottom and blew out the top of the panel.
Or like an hourglass failure in a concrete pier/column, the shape and location of the failure does not obviously represent the direction and location of applied force which caused the failure.

You said, "It's a product or installation failure".

So prove it. Your statement is not conclusive, far from it.

That shower handle is metallic and heavy. A tap could cause the break. It is a confined space which makes that likely. As well, the handle even has a sharp edge on the metal shower pattern lever if that part ever came into contact with the top edge of the screen.

Clean and simple, get it done and each pays a bit of what the insurer will not cover.

BTW, in that small space a lurch against the screen, likely given the surface the feet are on if there is no rubber mat could stress it too. Another reason I don't like that sort of set-up.
 
Most toughened glass is created by cooling the plate surfaces, setting up internal stress, so impact is, like post tensioned concrete, dispersed internally
The edges of cut pieces are not toughened, actually are/can be weakened
Surface chilled toughened glass is usually installed entirely edge enclosed to prevent any cause for the center plane of the sheet to explode, like a glass door
Glass has limitations, The design may be pretty, its useless, flex in the centre bar will cause this damage
the remaining piece will also shatter, with any piddling small edge impact, temperature change, cleaning,

HUGE amount of shattering, installing shower screens,
"fun with car crashes" when bystanders have been kicking the windows for an age trying to get the driver out, and you appear to just touch your finger to the window and it bursts, they look at you
postscript: Rant
I drive recovery:
When you go to the territory, there are different speed limits.
Part of it is unlimited
Part of it is 130 limited
At whatever speed you go, EVERYTHING will pass you

IF you have not driven at 200,
IF you have not driven at 190,
IF you have not driven at 180,
IF you have not driven at 170,
IF you have not driven at 160,
IF you have not driven at 150,
IF you have not driven at 140,
IF you have not driven at 130,
sharing unfenced roads with 1500kg bullocks, camels, roos, crocs,
other drivers, road trains 53m long, mustering helicopters,
mining equipment, flash floods, dust storms,
droving stock, idiots in caravans, potholes,
DON'T
miles from nowhere: is not the point to discover the car doesn't handle quick changes at aircraft speeds

It may take hours or days, for another person to see you
then hours more for them to find someone to come get you
then hours more for the recovery driver to get you out​
 
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You said, "It's a product or installation failure".


So prove it. Your statement is not conclusive, far from it.

That shower handle is metallic and heavy. A tap could cause the break. It is a confined space which makes that likely. As well, the handle even has a sharp edge on the metal shower pattern lever if that part ever came into contact with the top edge of the screen.

Um, 99.9% sure that shower head is a lightweight plastic moulded unit, not a heavy metallic handle.

Considering the amount of toughened glass products which shatter/explode unexpectedly such as oven glass doors, car sunroofs, glass shower screens/doors, etc, the evidence strongly supports that this failure is the result of a product or installation failure.
 
I had a shower screen accidentally break in one of my properties, I just paid the insurance excess and got it fixed, didn't even try to get money from the tenants as they said it just broke when they got home plus it was dangerous so I got it fixed asap. It was around the time we had a couple of earthquakes in Melbourne, so that may have contributed.
 
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