Big News In The World of Solar Energy

Exciting development in the glazing and solar energy industries - transparent solar cells that can be incorporated into an insulated unit! This isn't the first we've heard of potential overlap between the two fields. Researchers at the University of Michigan recently announced that they have engineered semi-transparent, colored cells that could be used in decorative panels that could on building interiors, as well as exteriors, but they operate at a mere 2 percent efficiency.  SolarWindow Technologies has created a product that reportedly harnesses 50 times more energy than conventional rooftop solar panels! Pretty cool if it's true. Beyond that, the technology is nearly transparent so you can enjoy the photovoltaic benefits without impeding your window view. Most intriguing is their claim that the system would pay for itself within a year, which would make the five-to-seven-year recoup period of traditional solar panels insufferable. I want my sun juice and I want it now.

I'll Be Your Mirror

Bathroom mirrors are getting a makeover and it's been a long time coming. We all can admire the simple look and functionality of a traditional vanity mirror, but there’s a trend towards turning that lustrous surface into an art piece that both reflects and defines the character of the surrounding space.

     

Above images provided by:
Alexandra Loew, José Lévy, Ragno

It makes sense to inject some personality into the very thing that allows you to gaze at and even into yourself. Recently, a customized vibe has crept into many facets of everyday design. Look at what's going on in fashion - people are personalizing everything! An unconventional stitch embellishes this, a few studs give edge to that - the chains are off... or on... whichever! As long as they make a statement---

As someone who has played around with transitioning a mirror into a canvas, I'm excited by the embrace of customized pieces, whether they be professionally made or crafted DIY. There’s a number of ways to achieve a personalized look for your bathroom mirror. You can go full-blown Etsy on it by playing with unique framing styles or materials, de-silvering the mirror in a predetermined pattern, or seeing what happens when you layer other materials or paint over the mirror surface.

Above images provided by:
Michael Wilkinson, American Glass & Mirror

Another direction you could take would be to draw up your own design and have a mirror professionally sandblasted to your specifications. As you can see from the surrounding photos, art mirrors needn't be confined to the bathroom - they can liven up your living space as well.

If you’re not a DIYer or much of a right-brainer in general, you can always buy a singular art piece from a local atelier or just find something that makes a little louder statement than your basic vanity mirror.

Above images by:
American Glass & Mirror

Katty Shiebeck

There are of course options for people who don't want to shell out the money for a custom-made mirror and don't want to burden their loved ones with an art piece wrought in the fire of their latent creativity.

The surrounding images are examples of what you'll find in the America Glass & Mirror Prior Lake showroom (shameless plug, check). There's some serious design potential here. You can jazz up or complement a range of decors, and it's a little safer play than a fully custom mirror.

Hinge Match: Side-Mount vs. Pivot

A couple of weeks ago at the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show, there were a handful of people that stopped by with questions about the difference between pivot and side-mounted frameless shower door hardware. I’m pretty sure the sudden influx of questions regarding this was due to another glass company at the show, new to the Twin Cities glass scene, which only installs pivot hinges. They were telling showgoers that pivot hinges were the superior application because side hinges will begin to sag over time. Now, this is a great marketing ploy if your franchise only carries pivot hinges - turn your shortcoming into a distinction! It is, however, complete nonsense…  Ask any reputable shower glass company or the hundreds of thousands of homeowners who love their heavy glass showers. Quality hardware, properly installed is durable enough to support the weight of that door for a long time to come no matter where it hinges.

That said, as a Minneapolis glass company that installs both pivot and swing style doors, we think it’s important that our customers are well-informed about both options so they can decide which application works best for their bathroom. Here’s the lowdown on the benefits and drawbacks of the two styles.

Side-Mounted Hinges

Swing doors work pretty similar to other doors around your home, except they have a 180-degree range of motion. Some glass companies use two hinges on these doors, others three. We find the third (middle) hinge to be superfluous since it doesn’t gain you anything – it doesn’t support a wider or heavier door, for example.  Side-mount hinges are either anchored to a 2x stud behind the tile and drywall on the side of the enclosure or attach to an adjacent glass panel. The nicest thing about swing doors is that you can go to any height you’d like, most commonly in the 72-80” range up from the curb, but we’ve done some on larger walk-ins where they cut the door short, giving it a half-saloon style.

Of course, the shorter the door, the less expensive the door. Another great cost saving aspect of this type of door is the fact that it doesn’t require a header since it is supported at the side, not the top. Beyond price, this is a big plus for homeowners wanting to achieve that truly frameless look. So, what are the drawbacks of this style door? This one is pretty subjective, but some people just prefer the look of a pivot door. With a swing door, side-hinges interrupt that unencumbered sightline of solid glass that allows you to forget pivot hinges even exist. The other shortcoming of the swing door is the fact that although you can go pretty tall with these, at a certain point you’ll be forced to use a transom panel above the door if you want a steam shower in an enclosure with high ceilings. On the flipside, this is as much of a selling point as a drawback. Operable transoms are a great way to vent steam showers, plus they add visual intrigue to the overall shower design.

Pivot Hinges

As I mentioned in the previous section, the great boon of pivot hinges is the uninterrupted glass surface from top to bottom that can make you forget that the hardware even exists. Furthermore, they are especially nice when you want a door to trap moisture in a walk-in shower since walk-ins are often framed in by a lower header. This style door also offers a 180-degree range of motion. That’s about all I can say regarding the benefits of pivot hinges – now for the drawbacks. Hinging from the top and bottom as pivots do creates a host of issues. The single greatest mark against them is that securing the bottom hinges requires drilling into the threshold which is really something to be avoided at all costs. Ask anyone involved in nearly any aspect of the construction industry, moisture is the enemy and it is a relentless one. Drilling into the shower curb means that you’re piercing the PVC shower pan liner, the waterproofing membrane that is the last line of defense against water incursion. This doesn’t necessarily lead to a worst case scenario of rotting drywall and a crumbling ceiling downstairs, but you are creating a weakness in a barrier that’s designed to be impenetrable, and that’s clearly not something you want.

That’s the problem with the bottom hinge, here’s the issue with the top. Like the bottom hinge, it needs to anchor into something. There are several ways to do this and problems arise with each. To achieve the signature uninterrupted look that pivot doors are known for requires the door to extend to the ceiling - arresting in appearance, but hard on the wallet if you have high ceilings. The alternative is to use a header across the top, which lowers the door cost, but substantially increases the hardware cost. Some people feel that it diminishes the frameless appeal sought in a heavy glass shower. The final option also requires more costly hardware.


This application is an L-shaped hinge that anchors to the side wall, but extends over the door to hinge at the top. The last thing I’d like to mention is the fact that you’re unable to use an operable transom over pivot hinges which can be an issue if you have a steam shower and you lack a vent inside the enclosure.

Bottom line, I would recommend that if you’re in love with the look of pivot showers, that’s what you should go with. If you’re ambivalent or if cost is an issue, you’ll probably want side hinges.

Floating Shelves Cast A Spell

Monte Carlo in Minneapolis

Have you ever stopped in an old school, ritzy watering hole and felt like you were transported back to a bygone era? You know the place – coppertop bar, ornate chandeliers, vested barkeep – an establishment that could pass as a set for Boardwalk Empire, where you expect to hear guys call each other “sport” and “chum”, instead of “dude” and “player”. These are the kinds of bars that make you drink in your surroundings as well as your double Manhattan. One thing that always strikes me is the sumptuous beauty of the bottle display. You'll often find these vessels perfectly lit and standing upon glimmering glass shelves that run the length of the mirror hanging opposite you.

Glasitalia Verglas by Piero Lissoni

The spell cast by this opulent scene of shimmering surfaces may be broken as you start to wonder how these thick glass shelves are actually attached to the mirror. You look for some sort of supporting hardware and find none. Lined with heavy glass bottles, they seem to defy the laws of physics. The magic is in the adhesive that bonds the edge of the shelf to the surface of the mirror. The attachment is so robust that the seam is actually stronger than the glass it is holding together. Hard to believe? I thought so too, so I put it to the test. Not long ago when we were removing a mirror with glass shelves from our show room, we damaged it, and instead of just throwing it out, we decided to test the strength of the attached shelves. After applying an incredible amount of pressure we were eventually able to force a shelf free. However, when it tore lose it was not the bonded section that gave away. Glass had actually ripped away from the mirror’s surface!

Because of its obvious durability and the fact that it cures 100% transparent, there are many practical applications for the bond beyond glass shelves, for instance, adhering towel hooks to shower glass. This allows you to incorporate a cool, functional hook in your shower enclosure without having to pay for another hole to be drilled in the glass. Glass coffeetables can also be made using this adhesive, without the need for hardware.

Cactus Display

Use your imagination! I used UV bond to make a glass cactus holder that allowed me to expose the layer of soil beneath the cacti and a layer of pebbles beneath that, giving it an interesting stratified effect. You can custom design whatever you want out of glass – terrariums, bookends, jewelry boxes (Pinterest & Etsy are good source for inspiration) – and this adhesive will make a clean, metal-less look possible, that will be sure to impress!

Bio-Clean in Action!!!

The elegance of a frameless shower is derived from our appreciation of the form and the contradictory sense of absence it conjures. That is the real beauty of glass. Like an apparition, it merely hints at its existence. We are only aware of its presence through the pronouncements of the surrounding space. The way reflections moves across its surface as our position changes in relation to it, the warm glow of light cast off its cold skin, how it ever-so-slightly alters the physical nature of the material seen through it. These seductive properties are lost when we allow glass to age. Mineral build-up in the form of a blotchy white film mars the pristine surface of your enclosure, destroying the allure of this piece, as well as your substantial investment.

Fortunately, there is a product available that is a wonder at removing limescale and other residue, and can give restore your shower to its former glory. We have brought Bio-Clean to your attention in past postings, but words can only do so much. We thought we'd better show you what this phenom can do, so we cut a quick video that catches it in action. After years of trying shower glass restoration products with varying levels of efficacy, we've finally come across one that puts the rest to shame. See the results for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIVkkCE-g_g

Quality Matters

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I feel compelled to once again stress the fact that your windshield is a vital piece of your vehicle’s safety system. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT that you have a reputable glass company replace your windshield. There are characters out there that will put in a used windshield for you at a fraction of the price of well-established companies. In the industry, they’re known as “A Guy and A Van Operation” – someone with no overhead that can do a job on the real cheap-cheap. But that bargain price comes with a different kind of price tag far more costly than any monetary sum, the safety of you and the people you care about traveling in your vehicle every day.

Since these questionable outfits make so little on a replacement, they need to bang out as many jobs in the day as possible. Jobs are rushed and widely accepted safety standards are ignored because they want to save time, haven’t received proper training, or aren’t members of industry organizations that enforce rigorous safety regulations. On top of that, this kind of operation offsets their bargain prices by cutting costs on materials. That means they will gladly install a used windshield for you, whether you know that’s what you’re getting or not, plus all other components essential to a safe installation can be second-rate in quality – cheap or old adhesives, inferior moldings, etc.

That’s why it is critical that you do a quick bit of research before deciding on what glass company you want to replace your windshield. These days we spend hours looking into what kind of phone or lawnmower will best suit our needs, reading reviews and checking out product comparisons – don’t you think something as integral to your car’s safety system as the windshield deserves a few minutes of perusing Google, Dex Reviews, and the like, as well?

We really don't want to win your business using scare tactics. That is not the purpose of this posting. No matter whether your looking for auto glass in MN, or any other part of the country, know that this is a valid concern. Take a look at the links below if you're skeptical. The first looks at investigative reporting done by 20/20 and FOX NEWS about faulty windshield replacement, the second is just a quick Youtube clip that shows the results of hiring the wrong guys for the job.

http://williamstownautoglass.com/mobile-installation-warning.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAij8spbx7g

Steamy Love Story

photo from: Menifee Body Shop Blog

I’m not a morning person. I’m not really an evening person either; truth be told there are only a handful of hours in a day that I’m firing on all cylinders. Like most other morning-challenged people, I have a switch that needs flipping before I’m able to reboot, allowing me to recognize myself in the mirror and acknowledge fellow beings stumbling through the morning ether. For some, that switch is coffee, others a brisk workout, for me it’s a hot shower that thaws the dormant neurons and gets the mind humming again.

Since I've been old enough to prepare myself for the day, a screaming hot shower has always been the cornerstone of my morning ritual. Stepping into a shower enclosure is entering a place of comfort and warmth, of solace and rejuvenation. We are ourselves in that space, liberated from the weight of existence (clothing too…), entering with the scent of decay and emerging fresh and revived. We belt out a tune, we have a eureka moment, we close our eyes and feel the comfort of our liquid cocoon.

Not all showers lend themselves to such shameless romanticism. I can remember a time back in the dorms in college, being forced to scrub down in drafty communal showers, flip-flop clad and shower basket in tow, or the days in my first apartment where the water pressure was so pathetic, the drooling showerhead was hardly capable of rinsing the shampoo suds from my hair. In fact, I’d say that I didn't truly understand the full potential of what a shower can do for the body and soul until I stepped into a steam shower for the very first time. Here's how the love affair began...

Having just endured an hour long deep tissue massage at a local spa, I made my way all jelly-legged to the shower room, where, waiting behind a single heavy glass door surrounded by tight fitting gaskets, an enigmatic, yet inviting mist loomed ready to engulf me.  I’d spent a fair amount of time detoxing in steam rooms in the past, so I wasn't anticipating anything beyond your run of the mill schvitz.  Once inside, that notion quickly passed as I was simultaneously greeted by two of life’s most delightful sensations. A soul sustaining stream of hot water rained down upon me, while eddies of minute water droplets whirled through the air, soothing my throat and opening my pores. As the warmth seeped from flesh to bones, so did the revelation that no other shower could offer me such holistic therapy. I knew I would never again be fully satisfied by my morning rinse until I possessed this pinnacle of indoor plumbing.

Fortunately, being in the glass industry, it didn't take long to make this dream a reality. Now I enjoy the benefits of my own steam shower:  melting away the coating of sleep each morning, helping me decompress after a vigorous workout, or unwinding the coil of a stressful workday. Its nurturing ways are always there for me when I need it most. There are times when I'm forced to slum, a quick scrub down in a second-rate motel bathroom or haphazardly washing off whatever is floating in the community pool, and I'm always left feeling sullen and unsatisfied. These transgressions only serve to reinforce my adoration for the elegant steam shower, queen of my clean and rejuvenated heart.