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Tag: shower door

Just the Facts, Ma’am

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

How well do you know your shower and your relationship with it?  Not to worry.  Many people don’t.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average American takes an 8-minute shower.  Some may take more or less time, but let’s use this number for our look at the facts.  Eight minutes times seven means that the average Joe spends 56 minutes a week getting sudsy and un-sudsy.  

Longer than 8 minutes at a pop may be too long.  According to a leading dermatologist, anything over 10 minutes is excessive and may cause some skin problems.  For those who struggle with the heartbreak of psoriasis or dry skin in general, too much hot water can literally put a person in hot water with their skin.  Natural oils on the skin keep us looking youthful.  Wash those away, and people may discover that their skin has a more pinched, wrinkled look.

A quick dash under the water flow may cause trouble, too.  In order to get the most out of the soap, we need more time to cleanse our skin, making sure that any normal bacteria and odor take a trip down the drain.  The shower needs enough time to give your skin a glow and your body smell sweet.

Avoid taking a hot-hot shower.  For one thing, you’ll notice a difference in your water bill.  Your hot water heater will be grinding away to make certain that you are parboiling yourself.  Best not to feel the heat when you find out how much you owe the city for that.  

Some recommend taking a cold shower if you’re having a rough time with the details of your life if you know what I mean.  You may think that an Arctic blast would tense up your body, but the colder temps actually help sore muscles relax. One cosmetic surgeon emphasizes that a cold shower in the morning can serve you well.  Apparently, the cold water will get your blood moving around more quickly and speed up muscles that are mad at you for your extreme makeover workout.

So, how often do you shower?  One study found that if you shower only once a week, you’re one of 1% of American shower-takers.  It turns out that half of us take a daily shower, but you know what experts tell us?  A daily shower or a scrub in the tub is really not necessary.  In fact, a daily shower may not even be good for you. You certainly don’t want to interfere with the skin’s protection against bacteria and then introduce dryness, irritation, and breakouts to the mix.

Okay.  What are all these facts leading to?  You’ve got a pretty solid and regular relationship with your shower.  Because of that, you want to make sure that you two are compatible and that you like each other.  If you’ve been together for a long time, you may even want to spruce her up a bit.  One way to do it is to get rid of the shower curtain for good and walk into the world of glass.  

For one thing, a shower housed in glass makes the bathroom look bigger.  It’s a way to showcase the pretty tile on the floor of the stall.  Not only that, but the view is two-way so you can check to see if anything else is going on in what the British call your comfort station.  The glass shower door will keep the water inside much better than any curtain would since it’s attached to the wall and the floor.  

Now that you’ve looked at the facts, go check out your shower.  For an upgrade that involves glass or not, contact Glassworks of Tucson at (520) 721-7893, and we’ll make sure that your shower is soon looking good!

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.

Shower Doors Matter

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

Shower doors can turn bathrooms from hum-drum into spectacular.  Imagine the difference between a faded vinyl shower curtain and this custom radius shower door.  That’s right – fancy shower doors can be made with curved glass.

Custom shower doors aren’t for everyone’s budget, though, but choosing the right one is not just a monetary matter.  Various considerations need to be made in order not only to create the ambience one wants but also to make the best fit for the bathroom area.  Let’s take a look at what a person must consider in order to select the right shower door for a bathroom.

First, Measure Up

Bathrooms come in all shapes and sizes, so one must take a close look at how much space there is and how that space is configured.  For instance, the most common shower enclosure takes up the least amount of space.  If a bathroom is of modest size, one wouldn’t want to select a shower enclosure that swings open, for instance, requiring more space to do so.  On the other hand, those with larger bathrooms often consider installing a walk-in shower.

Second, Keep the Water In

Evaluating the amount of usable area in the bathroom leads one to the next layer of decisions to be made.  Which shower enclosure will work best?  

When space is somewhat limited, the shower has often been built in a confined space.  In this case, a Bi-fold Door works well since the doors are inward-opening.  If there’s more space in the bathroom to create a contemporary focal point, a Sliding Door is an excellent choice for a stylish yet practical look.  A Pivotal Door shower enclosure can also fit into a more modest-sized bathroom, and the large grip handles provide easy access to the shower.  

With more space, one may select a Pentagon shower enclosure that fits neatly into a corner and tucks away the shower in a curved way maximizing space and creativity.  A Walk-in uses standing panels that create a splash-proof haven of light, air, and water.  A Quadrant enclosure also fits into a corner in a classic modern design.

Third, Where Does It Go?

Some bathrooms have more length than width; others are of ample size in both directions.  A trained eye combines the details to determine whether the ideal place for the shower would be in the corner, in the center of a wall, or encased by walls all around.

Shower enclosures come in different shapes and sizes that need to be matched with the positioning of the shower.  Without a major remodeling project, this choice of where the shower should go has already been made when the house was built.  Those in the middle of construction can make those decisions about the bathroom in their new house before the brick-and-mortar sets.   

And Last, Look Through the Glass

Glass comes in a variety of thicknesses.  Most showers use a thinner glass that is cost-effective but still keeps the water off the floor.  Some prefer to use thicker glass since it’s easier to clean and more durable.  Thicker glass, as you might have guessed, is heavier, though, requiring much more support because of its massive weight.  

Custom glass can also add a creative touch to the shower door.  Some glass is frosted for privacy.  Other glass can be etched with designs.  One style of glass appears to have raindrops trapped inside.  What is most important, though, is that the glass is sturdy and dependable.

Shower Doors Matter

Yes, shower doors do matter, and that’s why Glassworks of Tucson will send an expert from our team to your home to answer your questions when you make these decisions. We want every detail of your shower to be well-suited to your bathroom. More than that, though, we want you to be so pleased with the results that taking a shower will not just be a daily routine.