Glazing Phrasing: Terms of the Trade

Not understanding your contractor, estimator, or workers!? This post will help better communicate with everyone on site!

Right now the Bay Area is booming in the real estate field and everything that comes with it. Many more homes are in a state of remodel, demolition, and reconstruction, all over San Francisco and the surrounding areas. As a homeowner these larger projects can be daunting, confusing, and sometimes frustrating, especially if there is a breakdown in communication. Communicating your needs and concerns can sometimes be difficult to a seasoned professional and vice versa. We here at California Shower Door want to make sure we are all on the same page and that we can all better communicate so that you can get exactly what you want. So we have compiled a list of commonly used terms with definitions so that you are better prepared for not only your new glass install but for any construction project!

• Glazing: the act of installing glass.
• Estimate: pricing given by an estimator that reflects your needs and wants with complete measurements (ideally).
• Lead Time: the time it takes for glazing to occur, starting from date of deposit. 
• Level: a horizontal line of condition, for example, on a curb or tub. 
• Plumb: the vertical surface is truly flat, using a level to determine.
• Curb/Tub Curb: the raised portion of an enclosure, located at the entrance.
• Slope: similar to plumb it is the angle of a curb, for example, going either towards or away from the drain. 
• Feature Strip: a special set of tile or change in tile, typically spanning horizontally on the walls of a shower. 
• Bow/Bubble: the space coming from or going into the surface of where we are installing. 
• Satin: another term for frosted glass.
• Lami: glass panels laminated and stuck together.
• Starphire: another term for low iron glass, which is glass with a minimum of tinting due to its reduced iron content. 

Now that you know the basic terms, you are better prepared for our visit for a free estimate!

As always, please feel free to look at our work, our other products, or contact us!

Going Coastal! Introducing the Gridscape.

We are proud to announce we are Northern California's provider for Coastal Shower Doors!

Over the past 5 years or so we have received many inquiries regarding shower door enclosures that resemble the old framed window pane look of warehouses. Until now, we have always been forced to recommend expensive custom metal fabricated units. These Gridscape units have a fantastic vintage look with a modern, sleek design. See below to take a look for yourself!

These units typically come in 1/4" glass of various types. The Oil Rubbed Bronze finish is a deep, dark bronze which can be almost be assumed black. They also come in a polished chrome finish. The amount of panes and their size is custom, so you can be free to get what you want  and how you want it. We are excited to be able to provide these wonderful units! 

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If you are interested in this product, or one of the many others we provide, please contact us for a free estimate!

No Paint, No Gain

Over the past several months we have been getting tons of calls asking for painted glass. There must be something in the air because I have personally done 3 this month alone. You can see in our gallery this isn't new territory for us but we keep getting surprised with new and interesting applications. Below is a job of mine where we did several painted glass boxes for the bathrooms and wet bars.

Painted glass niche.

Painted glass niche.

Painted glass kitchen back splash.

In order to maintain the color and have it not be obscured with a tint we use 1/4"-1/2" Starphire glass. 1/4" is typically used in back-splashes and boxes whereas the thicker glass is used for painted glass walls, table tops, and dividers. 

The entire process is as follows:

1. We first do our Free Estimate and take our measurements.  
2. A quote is then prepared and emailed along with a photo or physical sample of the requested color. 
3. Once a go-ahead is given, we order and dry fit the annealed glass. 
4. If all is well, we send it out to be tempered and then painted. 
5. We install the glass.

The whole process is different from our normal 7-10 business day lead time. It takes 4-6 weeks depending on scale. 

As always, please feel free to look at our work, our other products, or contact us!

Busy Haulin' Glass: A Quick Update.

Hello Clients, Contractors, and Citizens!

We have been very busy as of our last blog post. I wanted to welcome everyone to our site and to us as a business. As you may have seen, we have been in the glass game for over 85 years and haven't slowed down since! That being said I, Alex, have been unable to post consistently like I used to. Please be patient as I work on new posts that include past jobs, ongoing projects, and general info. If you have any questions regarding the site, the work we do, or just some general info, please call or email us. Despite the lack of content on the blog, we are a wealth of knowledge in our field and we want you to not only benefit from said knowledge but to also receive the best in glass products and customer service.

Thank you, from the myself and the rest of our fantastic staff. 

Curve your enthusiasm with bent glass.

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Bent glass railing in Hillsborough. Also pictured is resident photographer amateur Marcos Canizales. 

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Bent stair glass meeting floor railings attached to custom posts made in house. 

It should be no surprise to anyone reading this that we provide this custom, elegant, and stunning option to our glass. Bent glass is another service we provide on top of our overflowing pile of "things we do and excel at".

Having bent glass in the home is a great way of showing off your unique style and a truly original look to railings, frame-less showers, wine rooms, or whatever else you want! The options are limitless. We can add any hole, notch, or cut into the glass to best accommodate any situation to try and give you the tightest fit possible. 

Bent glass cannot be less than 3/8" thick, but it can be laminated and tempered. 

As always, please feel free to look at our work, our other products, or contact us!