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.

Stand Off Mirrors Stand Out Like No Other Bathroom Element

The bathroom mirror in your home shouldn’t just reflect your image when you look into it, it should also show your design tastes and echo the motif of the space it occupies.  A mirror can be displayed in numerous ways to cultivate the look you want for your bathroom. For instance, a regal Louis XIV gilded frame hanging commandingly over a vanity is going to make a far different statement than a simple, unframed mirror fastened to the wall by austere chrome clips. Each style mirror has its natural place, although sometimes you might have the urge to take a risk. What about throwing that Louis XIV piece into a stripped down modernist bathroom setting? A statement would definitely be made – whether or not that statement is appreciated is another matter altogether…

A new mirror design trend has emerged over the past couple of years that you might have encountered on Pinterest or Houzz and the like. The “standoff” or “floating” mirror has taken off in a big way recently. This is generally a no-frills, unframed mirror thrust out from the wall anywhere from ½” to a few inches giving it the illusion that it is hovering in air. Because it does not lay flush with the wall, the sharp lines that inform the mirror’s perimeter are emphasized and the mirror achieves a presence that is not typical to unframed pieces as it breaks free from the wall plane.

Standoff mirrors rely upon special hardware or a surface built out from the attachment wall to achieve the “hover” effect. If you want to go the hardware route, metal pegs secure the corners through holes drilled into the mirror fixed to round fasteners on the mirror’s surface. This option is only possible for smaller pieces, otherwise the mirror’s weight places too much stress on the holes and crack-outs are likely. The built out approach is achieved by attaching addition material (extra drywall or 2x4s) to the surface behind the mirror and adhering hangers to the reverse side of mirror for mounting.

It’s possible to push the novelty of standoff mirrors even further by incorporating sandblasted elements and stark lighting, techniques that owe gratitude to the conceptual artwork of pioneers, like James Turrell and Olafur Eliasson. Sandblasting and mirror lighting play together winningly; creating a warm, diffuse glow as light filters through the opaque sandblasted portions. This effect can be used in a number of charming ways, such as “the framed look” or “counter-relief lighting”. Check out examples of each below.

Framed-Look/Counter-Relief Lighting

Of course, some people skip the sandblasting altogether and just let the lighting create the drama. Notice, in the photo above, how it spills out over the edges of the mirror like a morning sun breaking the horizon. Forgive the attempt at poetry, but this lighting does smack of the Epic. Now back to the mundane - if you want to produce as similar effect in your new bathroom, remember to talk to your electrician about how to ready the space for backlighting and what kind of lights will work best.

Stand-off mirrors can add a contemporary edge to a bathroom, especially when sandblasting or creative lighting is incorporated. They also complement other contemporary pieces, like frameless showers, perfectly. Whether this look will age a bathroom in the future remains to be seen. My hunch is that this style of mirror display will become a new classic. Either way, for the time being, standoffs standout like no other bathroom feature.

Broken Windshield... No Reason To Crack-Up (II)

The previous posting, we explored the benefits and drawbacks of windshield repair vs. windshield replacement. Today, we’ll pick off where we left off and walk you through the rest of the replacement process.

Making the Call

Once you have supplied your glass company with some basic information (policy number, vehicle make and model, etc.), one of two things will happen. Depending on your insurance company, your work may be finished at this point. Some companies allow us to take your information and file the claim for you – easy as pie. Other insurance companies employ a third party administrator (TPA) to register claims, and they make things a tad more complicated. Easiest case scenario, the TPA allows your agent to make a three-way call with us, leaving you off the hook. Other TPAs want to speak to the customer directly, so you’ll need to make the call with us, but don’t worry, we’ll give you the run-down on what questions to expect and how best to respond.

Your Right To Choose

There is one TPA that also happens to be a glass company, the largest auto glass company in the U.S. actually (which might seem like a conflict of interest, and that’s because it is!) Safelite frequently uses “steering” to try to persuade or frighten the insured into using their glass company or another company on their network. Their common approach is telling you they can’t warranty our work and that you may incur addition charges. The first claim is true, but irrelevant, because American Glass & Mirror offers its own warranty. The second claim is purely false. If you have full-glass coverage, you won’t pay one red cent over the cost of your deductible. You, the insured, have the right to choose whatever glass company you’d like, so don’t let yourself be intimidated by these industry bullies!

Your Appointment

After we’ve gotten the go ahead from your insurance company, we’re all ready to install. During your initial call, we set up a convenient time for your replacement. Depending on the windshield, this process takes about an hour and your vehicle needs to sit for another hour to allow the adhesives time to set up. We come to you, work, home, anywhere, so there is no interference to your schedule.

As you’ve discovered, windshield repair and replacement is nothing to fret about. It’s not a trip to the dentist or an audit, it’s even less demanding than an oil change because glass companies come to you, at your convenience! Next time your windshield catches a rock on a sunny day, keep the storm clouds at bay, remember that American Glass & Mirror is just a phone call away!

Broken Windshield? No Reason To Crack-Up...

It happens to all of us sooner or later. Cruising down a sun-drenched road, enjoying a blend of radio and warm summer air rushing through, when out of the blue,**CRACK!**, your trance is broken by a rock flung off a dump truck passing in the opposite lane. It’s a uniquely unpleasant sound, but immediately identifiable, especially when it leaves behind a spidery stamp of impact.

Insurance

Don’t let it ruin your day! If you have glass coverage on your vehicle, getting your windshield fixed is a completely painless process. Call American Glass & Mirror, or another reputable glass company (best to follow the “Goldie Lock’s Rule” – not too big and not too small to ensure great service and safe installation) and we will DEAL WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR YOU. If you’re not certain about your policy status, we’ll contact your insurance company and figure out if you have glass coverage.

Repair or Replace?

The first thing to determine is whether you need to have your windshield repaired or replaced. Repairs are an especially attractive option if you have a sizable deductible or lack full coverage. Additionally, if you are environmentally minded, you might prefer a repair since it greatly reduces energy waste and the need for windshield disposal. There are two basic criteria that need to be met in order for a repair to be possible. A) Following industry standards, the chip or crack cannot be in the driver’s line of vision. Take a piece of printer paper and hold it up vertically against the windshield at eye-level. If the damage is within this area, then the windshield will have to be replaced. B) The size of the fracture, including any cracks extending from the point of impact, should be no larger than a credit card.

If neither of these concerns apply to you, then you’re free to have your windshield repaired. Some people still opt for a replacement because it is not guaranteed that the chip will vanish completely. The resin injected into the fracture will prevent it from further spreading, but it doesn't always make the blemish disappear (this can be a problem particularly with old or complex chips.) That said, most simple fractures clear up nicely or are only noticeable from certain angles.

Once you’re ready to have your windshield serviced, call American Glass & Mirror, or another one of the “good guys” (remember your windshield is an integral part of your vehicle’s safety system, so choose a company that has sterling reviews, employs certified installers, and uses OEM parts), and we’ll take your basic information, including: vehicle make, model, and year, date of damage, etc. – so we’re ready to work with your insurance company and make the whole process as seamless as possible.

Next posting, we’ll pick up where we left off and walk our way through the rest of the process, so you can see how non-disruptive windshield service should be.

Be An Expert - The Easy Way...

There are quite a few details to consider when preparing your bathroom for a frameless shower enclosure. If you go about it the wrong way you could face significant leakage, soaring costs, or even worse, a malfunctioning shower door. Listed below are some simple tips that can help you avoid unneeded headaches and expenses.

Overhang

Breaking the monotony of patterned tile can be achieved with subtle flourishes like an overhang. While this might bring some welcomed visual dynamics to a shower enclosure, it can cause major problems for your door or glass panels. For knee walls, make sure there is no overhang on the hinged side of the door which might interfere with its range of motion. If you’re going with just a door, overhanging decorative tiles can disrupt its movement, so make sure your tile is flush. In order to reduce labor costs, avoid overhang on seats on which a fixed panel will rest. This eliminates the need for notching the tile where the panel meets the vertical portion of the seat.

Showerhead Placement

Some people are hesitant to go with a frameless shower because they imagine their bathroom floor turned into a tiled floodplain as endless water escapes through the gaps between the glass. This doesn’t occur in a properly designed and sealed enclosure. The main culprit of spray out is a poorly placed showerhead. Never position your showerhead directly across from the door since the hinge and handle side gaps are the only unsealed ones in the unit. This would allow water a straight shot through the 3/16” openings out of the enclosure. You want the shower stream flowing perpendicularly to the door so any water that does hit the gaps is coming at an angle, making the pathway for water loss negligible.

Panel Width

Whether you’re remodeling or starting from scratch, it’s fun to get creative with your shower enclosure design. Customers come up with some pretty elaborate layouts knowing that the glass can all be custom ordered to fit their unique design. One major logistical consideration to bear in mind when planning a frameless enclosure is that the minimum width of tempered glass panels is 3½”. Another point of note is that 3/8” panels wider than 38” are susceptible to roller distortion. Roller distortion is a wavelike aberration that occurs in the glass as a result of the cooling process. If it is present in panels around 38”, it will most likely be very subtle, but it can become quite extreme as panel widths substantially increase. If your design requires panels wider than 48” you’ll want to consider ½” glass for its resistance to roller distortion, as well as, safety concerns.

For an expanded guide, with many other tips and helpful illustrations, visit our BUILDER'S GUIDE TO FRAMELESS SHOWERS.

Window Moisture

Very few people ever take note of the window glass in their home, which is not surprising considering the nature of the material - it is there specifically NOT to be seen. It is, however, an important component of a building's exterior cosmetically and integral to its energy efficiency.

Insulated glass is a unit formed by bonding two glass panes together with a sealant (more on this later.) Generally, this material only gains the attention of homeowners once it starts to break down and make itself visible in the form of condensation build-up. We've all seen it, water droplets forming a halo in the middle of a window - it might even strike you as beautiful at first, but as time passes the moisture becomes permanent and eventually gives way to an ugly chalky build-up that muddles your view and reduces the value of your home.

In this two-part blog posting, we'll take a look at the make-up of insulated glass units (IGUs), what causes moisture infiltration, and what cost saving measures are available for restoring your windows to their original clarity.

What Am I (Not) Looking At?
Like I mentioned above, the basic components of an IGU are two pieces of glass separated by a spacer and held together by sealant - not exactly exciting stuff, but important to energy conservation in your home. Let's look a little closer at the individual parts and how they can effect your energy bill.

Glass
IGUs found in homes typically use 3/32" to 1/4" glass. The thicker the glass, the less thermally conductive the unit. When the temperature outside drops thinner, more flexible glass bows inwards, decreasing the distance between the two panes thus facilitating heat transfer. In some extremely thin units the panes actually flex so severely that they touch in the center.

Another important feature to note is low-E coating, which is an add-on component, not found on every IGU. This reflective coating, applied to the glass during manufacturing, greatly reduces the heat absorbed through the unit by deflecting a portion of the sunlight, keeping your house cooler during the summer months. Low-E is applied to the inside of the exterior pane so it can provide the most protection possible without allowing it to degraded by the elements. Low-E is particularly useful in windows located near a valuable piece of furniture or a treasured family heirloom, because it blocks out harmful UV rays.

The last thing to bare in mind with IGU glass is whether or not it is tempered. Tempered glass is heat strengthened and therefore less susceptible to breakage due to heat stress. You'll know your glass is tempered if you find a small block of white print in a corner referred to in the glass industry as a "bug". Like low-E, tempered glass will substantially increase the cost of the unit.

Spacer
As the name would imply, the spacer is used to separate the glass panes, but it also plays a role in reducing thermal conductivity. Spacers are typically made from either aluminum or structural foam and there are advantages unique to both. Aluminum is a durable material but also highly conductive when there is no barrier between it and the glass. Our company uses aluminum, but the units are dual-sealed with butyl tape which forms an insulated barrier between the materials and resists energy transfer. Structural foam is able to achieve the same low thermal conductivity, but lacks the strength of aluminum.

In the diagram above, you'll notice that the spacer is hollow and packed with minuscule balls. This highly-absorptive material is called, desiccant, and prevents moisture build-up in the unit.

Around the perimeter of the spacer and between the edges of the glass, a polysulfide sealant is used to hold the unit together and further insulate it against energy exchange.

Air/Monatomic Gas
The space between the two panes is filled with either dry air or a gas that has low thermal conductivity. The most common gases used for insulation purposes are argon and krypton; argon has 67%  the thermal conductivity of air, while krypton has half the conductivity of argon. These gases can increase the energy efficiency of your home, but you definitely pay for that benefit up front.

Next posting: What's causing moisture build-up and what can be done about it.

High Water Marks - Two Brands Giving the Best Value in Glass Protectant

A few months ago, American Glass's Lite Revelations gave you the skinny on the clarity retainment  product ClearShield that can keep your glass shower enclosure looking lustrous and pristine. Today, we’ll explore another worthwhile answer to the mineral etching and scummy build-up that can taint the pièce de résistance of your designer bathroom.

SHOWERGUARD

Showerguard is a permanent coating ionically-bonded to the glass which seals the surface and assists in preventing chemical corrosion and scale build-up. The limits of human eyesight allow us believe the surface of glass to be smooth and uniform, but place a fleck under an electron microscope and you’ll see that an amoeba would tell you otherwise. As you'll notice in the photo above, at this level of magnification the material is anything but even, with plenty of crags for coercive elements to nestle into and produce that milky etching that takes over an unmaintained shower door. Showerguard effectively seals the glass surface with a thick coating, filling the microscopic crevices, and offering protection from foreign elements. The coating is densely fused to the panel during the tempering process, which provides permanent protection, never calling for retreatment.

SHOWERGUARD VS. CLEARSHIELD

Bottom-line, which is the best product for your shower door? Well, with both sealants adding the same maintenance and hygienic benefits, that largely depends on the size of your enclosure. ClearShield is a flat fee up to 44 sq. ft, while Showerguard is priced by the square foot, so if you just need a door, or a door and a small panel, Showerguard might be the way to go. For anything beyond that, the pricing scale of Showerguard will greatly surpass that of ClearShield.

Other factors that might weigh into your decision are warranty and environmental concerns. With a lifetime-warranty, Showerguard is the clear winner in that category, compared to the ten-year warranty of ClearShield (although both are impressive.) In regards to the environment, both products eliminate the need to use astringent cleaners that end up down the drain and in our water supply, but only ClearShield highlights on its website the fact that it uses only non-hazardous materials. Now, that’s NOT to say that Showerguard does use harmful materials, it’s just reassuring that ClearShield states unequivocally that it is a safe product.