Shower Door Mirror Coating Deteriorating
 

I have a shower door that is only a couple of months old. The middle
panel is a mirror. I have noticed that the mirror coating (on the
back is deteriorating). I first noticed "dark" spots on the front of
the mirror, and I thought they were just temporary spots from
condensation. I also noticed "white" spots on the back (whiter than
the white backing). I thought that these were just calcium spots. I
went to clean all of this one day and noticed that the white spots
were spots where the back coating had eroded/corroded to a very thin
layer. These appeared as dark spots from the front, as the
reflectivity was gone. The pattern is simply from the water that
bounces off your body.

I talked to the store, and they will replace the door under warranty.
However, I'd like to get 5 or ten years out of these puppies (not a
couple of months). I didn't use any cleaners. Can simle water ruin a
shower door mirror?

I am on a well with a softer. My experiance with well water is that
it will "coat" stuff, not dissolve it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

"grpman" wrote in message
om...
I have a shower door that is only a couple of months old. The middle
panel is a mirror. I have noticed that the mirror coating (on the
back is deteriorating). I first noticed "dark" spots on the front of
the mirror, and I thought they were just temporary spots from
condensation. I also noticed "white" spots on the back (whiter than
the white backing). I thought that these were just calcium spots. I
went to clean all of this one day and noticed that the white spots
were spots where the back coating had eroded/corroded to a very thin
layer. These appeared as dark spots from the front, as the
reflectivity was gone. The pattern is simply from the water that
bounces off your body.

I talked to the store, and they will replace the door under warranty.
However, I'd like to get 5 or ten years out of these puppies (not a
couple of months). I didn't use any cleaners. Can simle water ruin a
shower door mirror?

I am on a well with a softer. My experiance with well water is that
it will "coat" stuff, not dissolve it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Thoughts, doesn't the unit have a warranty? Check with them first, maybe
they had a bad run and are only now aware of it and are willing to correct
it? That is where I would start or the store where you bought it.

Rich

Two months isn't long.

It does seem to me that mirrors don't last as long as they used to last. My
bathroom mirrors have had to be replaced twice in one bath and the other one
needs a second one - the silver is wearing off the edge of the mirror. The
first ones were cheap but the last one we bought was heavy and should have
lasted longer than two years. Wish there was a way to re-silver them.

"Dorot29701" wrote in message
...
Two months isn't long.

It does seem to me that mirrors don't last as long as they used to last.
My
bathroom mirrors have had to be replaced twice in one bath and the other
one
needs a second one - the silver is wearing off the edge of the mirror.
The
first ones were cheap but the last one we bought was heavy and should have
lasted longer than two years. Wish there was a way to re-silver them.

"Dorot29701" wrote in message
...
Two months isn't long.

It does seem to me that mirrors don't last as long as they used to last.
My
bathroom mirrors have had to be replaced twice in one bath and the other
one
needs a second one - the silver is wearing off the edge of the mirror.
The
first ones were cheap but the last one we bought was heavy and should have
lasted longer than two years. Wish there was a way to re-silver them.

Used to be local craftsmen would cut glass and silver it to order. Custom
mirrors now are cut and beveled, if required, from factory silvered plate
glass. The old craftsmen are now probably an extinct species.