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7 Things to Consider When Looking for a Glass Shower Door

When it’s time to consider remodeling the bathroom or even when building your home, you should give special care to your glass shower door.

While not the focal point of your bathroom, the shower door makes up a significant portion of your home’s aesthetic. The right shower door can make or break your bathroom design, so give it special care.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for a glass shower door.

1.Height and measurement

The first thing you should consider in your bathroom is the size you can afford to allot for the shower door. Though a seemingly trivial matter, you shouldn’t overlook this crucial step.

Your glass shower door should have enough vertical clearance to allow anyone to use it.

Understand how much clearance you have in your bathroom to give to your shower. An improperly sized shower space can make personal hygiene an uncomfortable chore.

Make sure the design you choose for your shower doesn’t sacrifice area space for aesthetics. Your shower needs to have the correct dimensions.

If you don’t feel like you have enough room for a good door, consider skipping the door altogether with a barrier-free design!

2.Space for the shower and door

As an addition to allotting the appropriate amount of space to your shower, you need to consider how much space you are going to need for your shower door.

Many make the mistake of not allowing enough room for the shower door to swing out or slide back fully. This can create unexpected expenses to address the problem or unconventional fixes.

If you plan to put a shower right next to your toilet, sink, or cabinet, be spatially aware of how much room your door will need to open and shut fully.

Additionally, choose a door design that isn’t too bulky and doesn’t crowd your shower space. You wouldn’t want to feel claustrophobic every time you shower!

3.Shower Door Opacity and Design

In the design of your bathroom, give due consideration to your desire for privacy.

Do you feel the need to ensure you can’t be seen when showering, even if you live alone? Do you like the enclosed feeling of being contained in an opaque container, sealed off from the world?

The design and opacity of your glass shower door should be selected before you have it installed. The added expense of removing a door and texturing the glass can throw a wrench in your design budget.

Consider these design options before installing your door:

Clear Glass Doors

Clear glass doors are generally the least expensive option for your shower door. They can serve as a base template for further design modifications or be used independently.

Low Iron Glass

Regular glass doors aren’t as clear as you would think, especially as their thickness increases.

The thicker the glass, the greener the tint will appear. This is due to a high iron content throughout the panel.

Tinted Glass

If you’re into minimalistic designs, then having a texture or veneer on your shower door probably doesn’t sound appealing.

Instead of adding a new element to your glass, change the tint instead. You can use the tint to match the vanity, floors, and the rest of your aesthetic. Choose the color and grade that will best fit your style.

Etched and Blasted Doors

Another popular way to add design features to your bathroom is by changing the texture of the glass. This option is more expensive than a veneer but superior in quality and look to veneers.

Etched and blasted doors alter the glass directly through engraving a design or through sand-blasting one side. The results vary depending on how you customize it. Generally, however, this is often used as an alternate way to increase the opacity of the door while adding a stylish flourish and maintaining quality.

4.Design Continuity

Consider the overall design before settling on a single option when designing and building your bathroom. There are several different layouts, pallets, and styles for your bathroom. Choose a door that blends into the overall layout of the bathroom.

5.Hard Water and Cleanliness

If you haven’t installed a hard water filter or live in a very humid place, you should consider how easy it is to clean your shower.

Hard water stains will quickly coat the interior of your shower. If your shower is made of clear transparent glass, you’ll be able to distinguish the hard water spots on your shower clearly.

In humid areas, you’re more likely to see spots of color in the damp corners of your shower caused by fungus. While not everything that grows in humid environments is dangerous, it can be unsightly. You’ll want something that can be easily cleaned.

6.Lighting

Know how each section of your bathroom will receive light. You don’t want to be showering in darkness!

Be sure your shower has its own lighting fixture or has enough transparency to allow you to see while in the shower. This is an easy step to overlook, so make sure you don’t!

7.Ease of Installation

Whether you are doing a personal project or hiring a crew to do all the heavy lifting and installation, you should consider how easy it is to install the shower door.

This is merely to protect you against accidents and injury. The heavier, bulkier, or more complicated the door, the greater the likelihood that you or someone on your team will damage something or sustain injury.

The problems can worsen if you live in a home full of tight corners and small doorways. While the shower design you hope will make a good fit for your bathroom may look good in concept, it may fail in its practical application.

Call Northern Utah Glass for Great Showers

If you need to install a new shower in your home, check out the designs at Northern Utah Glass! Some options will work for almost every concept.
Contact us now to see about getting a glass shower door for your bathroom.

One of the most appealing features of between-the-glass blinds is the possibility of having one less thing to clean.

Window blinds can quickly become dusty and dirty and usually require regular cleaning. If you’re detailed, you can even wash your blinds in a tub or outside. But for those of us who don’t view cleaning as a hobby and want to streamline home maintenance as much as possible, integral blinds might be a great option.

What Are Between-the-Glass Blinds?

Modern windows are generally double-paned, which means two panes of glass are hung in the window frame. The space between the two sheets of glass is usually filled with gas, such as Argon or Krypton, which helps to improve the window’s thermal efficiency and offer insulation. The space between window panes can also provide room for blinds to be installed within the glass rather than on the window’s exterior.

Benefits of Integral Blinds

The truth is that window blinds, in general, require a certain amount of maintenance and upkeep. Besides cleaning and dusting, blinds can easily become bent or broken, unbalanced, tangled, or damaged. If you have small children or pets in the home, there is also the danger of hanging cords posing a strangling hazard. Blinds fitted between the glass help eliminate many of these inconveniences and dangers. Here are some of the benefits:

Less Cleaning and Maintenance. Because the blinds are encased in glass, they do not accumulate dust, dirt, and other allergens the way conventional window blinds do. As long as the window is well sealed, there should be no need to clean the blinds at all, which is a huge benefit to anyone who has performed this tedious chore!
Greater Safety. Safety for children and pets is of huge concern, and with integral blinds, there are no cords to worry about. Instead of cords, the blinds are usually operated using a remote control or a magnetic slider.
Longer Lasting. Conventional window blinds can easily be bent or broken, requiring frequent replacement or repair. Blinds installed between the glass, on the other hand, often last as long as the windows themselves. Many times, they also include a ten or 20-year warranty.
More Streamlined. There’s no denying that blinds between the glass offer a more modern, streamlined look. They are an excellent option for large glass doors, preventing all the swinging, rattling, and potential for getting stuck in the door.

Other Things to Consider

While windows with blinds between the glass are typically more expensive than standard windows, remember that this cost includes the whole window treatment. With standard windows, blinds must be purchased and installed separately, sometimes needing repairs or replacements after just a few short years. Some manufacturers may not use gas between the window panes when there are integral blinds, providing less insulation. Triple pane windows with integrated blinds are a great option to have the best of both worlds.

We Can Help You Make the Best Choice for Your Home

Here at Northern Utah Glass, we can help you determine whether between-the-glass blinds are the right option for your home. With over 15 years of experience, we provide the highest quality service to Weber, Davis, and Salt Lake County. Give us a call at 801-528-2800 or contact us online for a free in-home estimate.

As we go through our daily activities and errands, many of us use commercial glass doors without even thinking about it.

The storefronts of our favorite shops, the cozy table overlooking the street in our go-to restaurant, or the sleek entry of a new office building—each of these features commercial glass. If you’re opening one of these places of business, or even remodeling, you might be wondering how to go about installing commercial glass. If that is you, read on.

What is Commercial Glass?

Commercial glass is formed using a six-step process to create a soda-lime-silica combination glass. Different applications of glass will also have additional chemicals added to change the property of the glass. In much the same way that different metallic compounds can be added to molten glass to create the colors of stained glass, iron and chromium can be used to create green-tinted commercial glass.

The main difference between commercial glass and residential glass is the thickness, with commercial being thicker. Where the typical residential glass thickness is 1/8”, commercial glass is usually ¼” thick, but can be as much as 1” thick. Some common types of commercial glass applications are tempered glass, float glass (clear or tinted), laminated glass, and coated glass. High impact security glass is another option that can withstand more pressure than the other types of glass, which is ideal for areas that experience heavy storms.

When to Use Commercial Glass

One of the main benefits of using commercial glass in a building is increased light. The value of natural light in a building is virtually undisputed, with one study showing that commercial real estate with no windows leases for 20 percent less than spaces with windows. Using commercial glass doors also allows customers to see into your business, creating a welcoming and inviting entrance.

Additionally, properly installed glass doors are low-maintenance and will last for years. You can easily clean them, and they don’t require any painting or staining like wood or metal doors might. Most commercial doors of glass are framed with aluminum as well, adding to their durability and ease of maintenance.

Glass Doors Installation

Unless you’re a better than average DIYer, installing a commercial glass door is best left to the experts. For one thing, these doors are often custom-made to fit both the application and the location of the project. Some pre-assembled glass doors are available, but even these will require carefully positioning the door; checking the existing wall to make sure it’s both plumb and square; mounting the door; caulking and sealing; checking for light leaks; and so on. Glass doors are heavy, and require more than one person to lift and install them properly, as well as the proper equipment to prevent breaking the glass.

Call in the Pros at Northern Utah Glass

If you’re ready to add commercial glass doors to your space, you can rely on the expertise and experience of our teams at Northern Utah Glass. Based out of Ogden, Utah, we provide installation and repair services in Weber, Davis, and Salt Lake counties with a focus on safety and customer satisfaction. For a free quote or in-home estimate, contact us today!

There could be a few reasons why you need to remove a commercial glass window — namely because it’s broken or has a crack. Cracked windows not immediately removed and replaced can shatter and cause injury, especially to people on the ground. Another reason could be that it’s time to upgrade your windows. In that case, you’ll need to know how to remove the glass, if you decide to go the DIY route. Scroll down and learn how to remove a glass window from your office or warehouse building.

Taking Proper Safety Precautions

Before you take to removing glass, it’s imperative you wear protective gear. Broken glass can cut deep and cause injuries, even if they’re small cuts. To protect yourself from harm, wear heavy gloves with leather palms, hard shoes or boots, and long pants and a shirt. To minimize the spread of broken glass pieces, here are the steps to take.

Step 1: Use tape – Place masking tape over the window pane, including the broken area, ensuring you don’t press hard against the glass. Cover it entirely with strips of tape on one side, as the tape will prevent the glass from flying away from the window while you work. Note, don’t use duct tape or an extra sticky tape so you can carefully remove the glass pieces off the tape.

Step 2: Protect where you work – Putting down a tarp or drop cloth around the area in which you’re working will protect the area and allow you to dispose of it if the glass happens to break over it. Do this on both the interior area around the window, along with the exterior space.

Step 3: Loosen the glass with a pry bar – Use a heavy hand tool, such as the butt of a hammer, that will work effectively. Using gentle taps, loosen the glass pieces, and then remove those larger pieces and get rid of them correctly.

Step 4: Remove old glazing from around the frame – There will be small bits of glass stuck in the window frame, so take a stiff putty knife or a chisel and clear away the glazing that keeps them in place. If there is caulk or tape used to hold the window in place, you might need to use a more flexible putty knife to cut between the frame and the glass. Be careful when pulling the glass pieces out of the frame. Dispose of the remaining glass.

Removing Intact Glass Panes Safely

There are typically three ways window glass is installed: with a gasket, caulk, or with adhesive tape. Here’s how to remove intact glass panes safely.

Gaskets

Contained in vinyl or thick plastic gasket, the glass edges are held by grooves in the window frame. Disassemble the frame, which is attached with screws on each corner – good because it will be the easiest to take apart; after, remove the whole pane and replace it before screwing the frame back together.

You can usually scrape off or pull off any glazing between the glass and frame in small strips if needed.

Caulk

Lining the window, there are removable stops or very thin pieces of wood or vinyl. Remove these to make a bit of room where you can cut through the caulk seal. It may be difficult to remove since the stops often get caulked, but using a thin, flexible putty knife or utility knife, you can cut through any caulk you see and get the stops out. Finally, flip the window and push the blade between the window and frame to loosen or cut through the caulk. Note that you may have to break the glass out if it becomes too difficult.

Adhesive Tape

Using double-faced adhesive tape, instead of caulk, is useful in sticking the frame and glass together, with a removable stop positioned on the other side. Use a flexible putty knife to loosen the stop, starting from the top. Next, turn the window over and use the putty knife between the frame and the slightly loosened glass panel to cut the tape, which should release the glass pane. Again, you may have to break the glass out, if you can’t cut the tape.

Cleaning Up Broken Glass

Remember, if you have broken glass, ensure you’re wearing protective gear before cleaning up any broken glass. Carefully vacuum around the window area and use a lint roller or duct tape to pick up tiny pieces. For additional protection, when throwing away the glass, layer two bags inside each other and place the pieces inside. Label the bag with a tag or sticker that says “Broken Glass for Disposal,” so anyone handling it knows to be careful.

Need Help? Contact Northern Utah Glass

If you notice your commercial glass window needs repair or replacement and you’re in no position to fix it, give the experts at Northern Utah Glass a call. We will come and take out the existing window and replace it, without you lifting a finger. Our professionals will handle every step of the replacement process, so call us today.

To understand how you make commercial glass, it’s important to know just what glass is made of—liquid sand. By heating ordinary sand, made of mostly silicon dioxide, you can make glass; however, it’s not that simple.

Continue reading in today’s blog to learn how commercial glass is made and how Northern Utah Glass has the best glass products available.

What is Glass?

To turn sand into a liquid, it has to melt at incredibly high temperatures of 3090℉. When molten sand cools, it transforms into a completely different inner structure. It doesn’t matter how much you cool the sand, though, it never gets to a complete solid rather just a frozen liquid or an amorphous solid, as materials scientists call it. It’s a cross between a solid and a liquid involving some of the crystalline order of a solid and the random molecular structure of a liquid.

Origin of Glass

The ancient process of glass blowing and mold blowing was said to be invented by Syrians in the 1st century B.C. and has since evolved to the beautiful process of today. It wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century when glass changed from hand gathering, blowing, and finishing the neck to an automated process. After 1850, the raw materials were automatically mixed and fed into a furnace. Around 1904, manufacturers began using glass in light bulbs.

How Commercial Glass is Made

In a commercial glass plant, you mix sand with waste glass from recycling collections, soda ash (sodium carbonate), and limestone (calcium carbonate) and furnace-heated. The soda decreases the sand’s melting point, helping to save energy during the manufacturing process. The end-product results in soda-lime-silica glass—the ordinary glass we see everywhere.

When the sand melts, it’s either poured into molds to make bottles, glasses, and other containers, or in commercial glass, “floated” (poured on top of a large vat of molten tin metal.) This produces perfectly flat sheets of window glass you can use in many applications.

The method for making flat glass was first designed by Sir Alistair Pilkington in 1952 and is now the standard way of making it, with a six-step process. This process includes:

1. Melting and Refining: A furnace melts the glass at the required temperature and refines and homogenizes it to ensure the glass comes out at 2012℉ without any bubbles or insertions.
2. Float Batch: The glass is then pushed out of a spout and onto a layer of liquid molten tin. The high viscosity of the molten glass doesn’t mix with the liquid molten tin, so it sits on top and “floats.” With a little gravity, it creates a perfectly leveled contact surface. The control at which the speed of glass is spread over the line of molten tin determines its thickness.
3. Coating: According to customer specifications, coatings are added to the glass. It uses advanced high temperature wielding robots at the cooling ribbon of glass involving the area in the line.
4. Annealing: A long furnace cools the glass at varying temperatures, which keeps the glass perfectly suited to customer specs. It includes a sensor that detects the stress levels of the glass, which controls the temperature of the furnace.
5. Inspection: A sensitive automated method inspects the process to prevent any grain of sand or bubbles that could produce lower quality output.
6. Cutting to Order: Now, it’s time to cut the glass with a computer program and sell it to the client. Any waste material is fed right back into the furnace as cullet. (recycled broken or waste glass).

Types of Glass Processes

Glassmakers use different types of processes to create various kinds of commercial glass. They typically add other chemicals to change the appearance or properties of the finished glass, such as with the addition of iron and chromium added to molten sand to create green-tinted glass.

Stained glass is made up of metallic compounds added to the glass while it’s molten, and different metals create the separate segments of glass that give it different colors. Adding lead oxide produces a fine crystal glass that can be cut easier. Highly prized cut lead crystal shine with color as if refracts (bends) the light passing through it.

Different Uses for Glass

Glass has many uses and provides numerous options with which to choose. Whether you’re looking for windows for restaurants, schools, churches, storefronts, or apartments, there are a variety of sizes and styles. You can also use commercial glass for mirrors, screens, shower doors, sliding doors, windows, French doors, entry doors, tabletops, etc. with plenty of styles, colors, and materials to match your decor. There are many hidden places where glass is located, such as bulb thermometers, cement fillings in teeth, fiberglass hulls of boats, and more. Because of the attractive and inexpensive aspects of glass, decorating with it is commonplace in many buildings.

Contact Northern Utah Glass

If you need commercial windows or glass doors, give us a call. You can expect a professional and beautiful look from our expert technicians, regardless of the type of business or size of your property. We’re more than happy to provide a FREE quote and schedule a free in-home estimate. Contact us today!

7 Things to Consider When Looking for a Glass Shower Door