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Tag: shower glass

Get Rid of that Shower Curtain!

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

Just look at the bathroom above.  Nicely done, until you notice the shower curtain.  Admittedly, shower curtains are useful.  They keep the spray on you rather than soaking the surroundings.  Often, depending on the tilework and wall coverings, they can match quite nicely.  Even still, these curtains age your bathroom and in that way, devalue your home.  Other options might brighten and lighten up the area, making this room a more pleasant one to visit.

Practical Matters

Speaking of visits, it turns out that we spend quite a bit of time each day doing just that.  According to the Bathroom Habits Survey Research (MaP Toilet Testing) the average American spends 30 minutes a day in the loo.  That’s more than 182 hours a year, and depending on how long one lives, that could equal 1 to 1-½ years, just taking care of business.  Based on that, sprucing up your bathroom is a worthwhile investment.

Back to shower curtains.  Shower curtains come in all sorts of lengths, widths, and textures.  Some use a plastic liner – the “real” shower curtain – with the outside curtain being more of a pretty covering than anything related to keeping water in its place.  People often purchase ornamental specialty hooks to hold up the curtain.  Nonetheless, a shower curtain is still a shower curtain and a remnant of bathrooms from decades ago.

Oddly enough, after all these years, scientists still have not figured out why shower curtains blow inward when the water is on.  So, people still put up with having the liner cling to them if they get too close.  Ironically, we step into the shower to clean ourselves off, and we might be stepping into something dirty.  Shower curtains that have not been properly maintained are breeding grounds for mold, mildew, and bacteria.

Something Better

Get rid of that shower curtain.  Instead, invest in a glass shower panel.  Your bathroom will get an immediate facelift, the glass allowing more light into the shower area.  The glass panel will also showcase the stone, tile, marble, and other wall coverings you have in your shower.  These panels also do a much better job of keeping the water where it’s supposed to be.

Shower panels modernize your bathroom, sprucing up your other bathroom interior design.  Glass is more hygienic, needing only quick maintenance to keep the glass clean.  A fixed panel adds style and functionality to a traditional shower door or an old-fashioned shower curtain.  Your upgraded shower will add a touch of elegance to your bathroom, making the room seem bigger, brighter, and more open.

We’d be glad to help you pitch your shower curtain.  Either come visit our showroom at 3847 N Oracle Road here in Tucson or invite us to your home so we can discuss options and take the necessary measurements. Contact Glassworks of Tucson at (520) 721-7893, and together, we can upgrade your bathroom once and for all.

Oh, and did you know that the average person spends an hour a day in the kitchen?  We’d be glad to show you how a breakfast island or a glass top for your table could make a dramatic difference in that room, too . . .

First things first.  Let’s just take care of the shower curtain.  Call us at (520) 721-7893 to schedule an appointment.  We look forward to working with you!

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.