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Tag: residential glass services

Time to Replace Your Patio Doors?

Written by Glassworks of Tucson on . Posted in Patio Doors, Residential Glass Services.

Patio doors have several important purposes.  Perhaps the most obvious one is to provide a view into your backyard, your garden, or your oasis.  These sliding glass doors are also meant to keep the draft and the moisture out of your house where they both belong.  We want these panels of glass to keep the warmth or the coolness consistent inside, no matter what the temperature may be outside.  As it turns out, your patio doors are an essential feature of your home.  How are yours holding up?  Just for fun, we’ll throw a little math into this discussion so you can rate your own doors.

That View – 25%

Take a minute to look out at your backyard through your patio doors.  Is there a clear view of your patio and the yard beyond? Or is the glass itself scratched and showing age?  Are there hard water or mineral deposits clouding your view?  Worse yet, are there any cracks in the glass?  Also, look around the room near the sliding doors.  Is the glass in place allowing adequate light in this area?  Assess the view inside and out by giving it a score from 1 to 25.

That Draft – 25%

We appreciate a nice, cool breeze when we’re sitting outside on the patio. That same breeze inside the house is not a welcome visitor.  When you walk by your patio doors, can you detect any air seeping in from the outside?  Is there a gap between the glass doors and the door jamb? How does the seal around the glass look?  Any sort of gap will allow a draft and perhaps some pests to enter your home. If there is any draft at all, your patio doors should earn a low score. 

That Moisture – 25%

Just like shower doors, condensation can often display moisture on glass.  We don’t have much humidity here in southern Arizona, but if you see any moisture on the inside of your patio doors, the seal is not doing its job.  If you have double-paned glass, is there moisture trapped between the two layers? Any moisture at all should make this score closer to 1 than to 25.

That Temperature – 25%

How efficient are your patio doors? If they’ve been in place for ten years or more, they probably are not as effective as those that now meet the current standards and ratings.  Check your monthly energy bills. What you are currently paying will give you an idea about the score your doors earn in this category.

Is It Time?

So, total the score.  Out of 100, how did your sliding glass doors do?  If your score is 85 or above, perhaps you don’t need new doors at this point, unless you’d like to modernize the look of the doors themselves.  Less than a score of 85, you might want to give us a call.  

What would be the next steps?  We’d schedule an appointment so that one of our glass professionals would visit your home and discuss the options you have.  We’d take some measurements and provide a quote for you, giving you an estimate of the cost involved.  The doors would be installed, and we’d clean up the surrounding area.  After our work is done, we’ll provide some tips for you about how to take the best care of your new patio doors.

So do the math and see if it’s time to replace your doors.  If it is, give Glassworks of Tucson a call at (520) 721-7893, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Hot or Cold about Double-Paned Windows?

Written by Glassworks of Tucson on . Posted in Residential Glass Services, Window Glass.

Perhaps you haven’t made a decision yet about double-paned windows.  Talk about hot or cold!  Southern Arizona is an area of extremes – and especially extreme weather.  For example, Tucson temperatures range from a low of 6º in 1913 to a high of 117º in 1990.  There’s not much defense against 111º of difference, but double-paned windows sure can help. Let’s take a look at the reasons why.

What is Double-Paned Glass?

Most windows are made from a single sheet of glass.  Just as it sounds, double-paned windows are two pieces of glass in one frame.  It’s not as simple as all that, though.  When the two pieces are fitted together, there is a spacer that keeps them apart with an invisible, inert gas – either Argon, Xenon, or Krypton – filling that gap.  This gas is an important element, because it creates an invisible, non-toxic, thermal barrier.  Should the gap only be air, the windows would not insulate the house as well.

Most often, Argon is the gas used for the insulation between the two sheets of glass.  This colorless, odorless gas is denser than the air trapped between the glass, providing thermal insulation.  In order to keep the windows cooler and closer to the temperature inside your house, a special low emissivity (Low-E) coating on the glass helps. 

What are the Benefits of Installing Double-Paned Glass?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the kind of windows you have definitely have an impact on reducing the cost of energy for your home.  For instance, heat gain and loss through your windows affect up to half of the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling.  Considering that we generally have 100 days of 100-degree weather in the Sonoran Desert, the savings for improving the window design of your home can be significant.  

Double-paned glass has another benefit that most consumers do not realize.  Noise reduction.  The ambient noise from outside your residence, such as traffic, rain, or noisy neighbors, will not be heard as loudly as when the windows are made of a single sheet.  

What about the Cost?

The initial investment of the replacement of single-paned windows with double-paned ones is significantly higher.  On the other hand, the long-term benefits of the installation of double-paned windows make it worthwhile.  Energy Star windows can save you hundreds of dollars annually on your energy bill.  In fact, statistics show that this investment will pay for itself within several years.  

When the glass is coated on one side of the dual-pane window, the surface of the glass can absorb or reflect radiant energy.  During the winter, heat loss is greatly reduced when the windows are Low-E and Gas Filled.  This glass can keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

What’s the Next Step?

Should you need to replace your window glass, contact us at Glassworks of Tucson.  We’d be glad to explain why it’s well worth it to consider double-paned glass.  This type of window will act as a barrier against the extremes of temperature throughout the year.  Remember, too, that these windows will reduce the ambient noise heard from outside your home.  

Single-paned glass can actually add to the cost of your annual energy bill, so it’s prudent to invest in the quality and the efficiency of new dual-paned windows.  Give us a call at (520) 721-7893 to book an appointment or visit our Showroom at 3847 N Oracle Road in Tucson. We look forward to seeing you!

Is Glass All Created Equal? Options for Your Shower

Written by Glassworks of Tucson on . Posted in Custom Glass, Shower Doors.

No, not all glass is created equal. So, when you decide to upgrade your bathroom and install glass around your shower, you’ve got some more decisions to make.  One of them involves the type of glass you’d like.  In a nutshell, you have four options for your bathroom shower:  clear glass, frosted and opaque glass, tinted glass, and textured glass.  So, let’s take a look at each of these and focus on the appearance and the appeal of each. 

Clear Glass

It’s just the right glass for those who want to be able to see clearly who’s taking the shower and who’s not.  Clear glass gives a crisp, clean look.  The glass used has a slight green tint to it that is hard to notice.  This choice makes the shower look larger since you can see right through to the outside wall.  The light from an overhead or a window adds brightness to the bathroom.  This classic selection of glass has global appeal.  That’s right – clear glass is the most popular choice for showers around the world, even though it is a bit challenging to keep it spot-free.

Frosted and Opaque Glass

Maybe you’d rather have more privacy.  After all, most folks take showers in the buff.  Frosted glass provides that.  This type of glass is etched by manufacturers with sandblasting or acid on only one side, giving it that translucent quality.  When you’ve got a large bathroom, an opaque door gives one the sense that your shower is another room tucked away, cozy and sauna-like.  Cleaning the smooth surface is easy-peasy, and the frosted side doesn’t display fingerprints and smudges like clear glass does.  Excellent choice for some privacy, but cleaning the frosted side can be challenging since the surface is not flat and even.

Tinted Glass

Now here’s where you can make some cool color choices.  Glass can be tinted with a number of hues.  Let’s say your bathroom theme is oceanic, decorated with beach scenes and underwater views of sea turtles and colorful fish.  Your shower glass can be tinted blue.  Tints can range from light to dark with green, blue, black, brown, or gray hues.  Darker tints provide more privacy, but they also block some of the light.  One drawback, though, is if you decide to change your bathroom’s theme, the tint may not be the right match.

Textured Glass

Here’s another way to spruce up your shower.  Add glass that has a pattern to it, like raindrops or bubbles, or other geometric shapes. Or perhaps you’d like the swirls of clear and opaque glass shown in the photograph above.  The design will influence the opacity of your glass, so it depends on how much light and privacy you’d like to have.  Some glass will have the design on just one side, so that’s another choice you can make.

Speaking of Choices . . .

We’d be glad to show you our selection of glass shower doors so that you can see for yourself that not all glass is the same. Call Glassworks of Tucson now at (520) 721-7893, and we’ll schedule an appointment for you.  Or, you can visit our showroom to find out more. Once you’ve decided upon the appearance and the appeal of the glass for your shower, we will be well on our way to transforming your bathroom.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Written by Glassworks of Tucson on . Posted in Custom Mirrors, Interior Design, Mirror Doors.

Want a bigger room?  No need to bring in a carpenter’s crew and pay big bucks for a remodeling job.  Just add a mirror!  That’s not the only reason to add mirrors to your walls. Let’s take a look at several ways mirrors enhance a home, so you can reflect on which reason would convince you to add a mirror.  

Space

When one has a somewhat cramped bedroom, a mirror closet door can create the illusion of double the square footage.  Not only does it double the size of the room, but this optical illusion doubles all within its view.  Closet doors are often unsightly, especially after years of use and abuse.  Not only does a mirrored door create a sense of more space, but the doors look modern and aesthetically pleasing.  Also, ironically, the inverse nature of the reflection provides a visual balance to the room itself.

Light

Mirrors reflect light, whether it be from a man-made source or by Mother Nature through a window.  By adding more light to a room, the area seems brighter with more ambiance.  A well-placed mirror can double the light in a room without any additional cost to the monthly electricity bill.  To increase this benefit, a mirror can also include its own source of lighting.  Apparently, the combining of mirrors and light has even inspired songs – Justin Timberlake sings that “the light on a mirror reflecting the light back at me…is the law of reflection.”

Decor

Mirrors can be like a piece of artwork.  Not only do we check our own level of beauty in a nearby mirror, but a beautiful mirror speaks for itself.  Mirrors can be framed, detailed, or even painted on.  Decorators have even enhanced an otherwise blank wall with a collection of designer mirrors.  A well-placed mirror can add beauty to an otherwise lonely and unadorned corner of the house or spruce up a bathroom. 

Mirrors aren’t just functional, although it’s handy to have one to double-check one’s appearance.  A well-placed mirror can braid space, light, and decor, enhancing the other qualities of any room in your house.  We can help you add mirrors in any shape or form.  Just call Glassworks of Tucson at (520) 721-7893 or visit their showroom to find out more. Once your mirrored surface has been installed, that room will become the fairest of them all.

Steam Away Your Worries and Woes

Written by Glassworks of Tucson on . Posted in Residential Glass Services, Shower Doors, Steam Shower Enclosure.

Do you ever have one of those days when things seem to go every which way and you just want to get away from it all?  You can do that without leaving town!  In fact, you won’t even have to leave home.  Here’s how.  You can turn your shower into a bathroom spa and use steam to relax your perspective and spruce up your mood.  Let’s take a look at Steam Shower Enclosures.

What is a Steam Shower Enclosure?

Most showers let steam escape, sometimes out of an open window, or perhaps through an exhaust fan.  You know the results.  You have to wait to see your true reflection in the mirror since the steam has covered it with condensation.  These showers are not completely enclosed.  They may sport a fancy (or not so fancy) shower curtain or be semi-contained with a pony wall, or the glass enclosure stops before it gets to the ceiling.

A steam shower enclosure traps the steam by being contained.  You step in.  You turn on the hot water.  And presto – you get the same benefits of being in the spa at a luxury resort hotel. So what are those benefits?

What’s So Good about Steam?

Not only does hot (not TOO hot!) water just feel good, it actually does magic and miracles to your skin.  With time and the elements, our skin gets clogged and dry.  We have skin pores for every hair on our body – all 5 million of them.  For our skin to look its best, we need to maintain it, cleaning the oil and debris from it.  When pores get clogged, everything gets blocked around the hair follicles with dead skin cells and dirt – and whose skin can look good after all that?  

Warm water makes your skin sweat, ironically enough.  The steam helps to open up your pores so that the trapped grease and grime can swirl down the drain.  In other words, the shower not only provides a quick way for you to relax before or after a long day, but the steam promotes healthy skin.  When you step into a spa shower, the steam actually hydrates your skin, increasing oil production and moisturizing you all over, and is also beneficial for your sinuses.

How Does the Steam Shower Enclosure Work?

This enclosure keeps the steam where you are.  Glass will surround you from floor to ceiling, and so will the steam.  Condensation is wasted on the bathroom mirror, but with a steam shower enclosure, you’ll reap the benefits.  Instead of washing yourself in a typical shower, you’ll find yourself in a spa-like steam room created just for you. 

You can adjust the amount of steam produced by opening or closing the glass transoms, like the one shown in the picture.  By adjusting the transom, you can moderate how much steam stays in the enclosure or escapes.  

You Don’t Need to Leave Home

You don’t need to leave home to have a spa experience in your home right there in your shower.  You also don’t need to leave home to have a steam shower enclosure installed.  Glassworks of Tucson can do this for you. Their expert designers will turn your shower into a five-star resort experience. 

Just call Glassworks of Tucson at (520) 721-7893 or visit their showroom to find out more. Once your steam shower is installed, you can steam away your worries and woes and revitalize your skin and sinuses.  Have the spa experience you deserve!