GLASS BASICS

Please start here if you are considering a glass purchase and have not ordered glass before.
These are the 4 things you should know and other things to consider to select the perfect piece of glass.


1. USE: Identify the application for the glass.

The most common uses are 1/4" glass covers to protect surfaces from scratches or water spots.
Other common applications for glass are for windows, glass railing, glass for patio furniture, glass for soundproofing, and glass for technical applications.


2. SIZE: Know the exact size of the glass you need in inches and fractions as small as 1/16".

Please make any deductions necessary (for example, if you don't want the glass to go all the way to the edge of the table)
before ordering as the glass size ordered will be the exact glass size cut.


3. THICKNESS: Know the thickness of the glass you need.

Glass protector tops are almost always 1/4" thick and glass table tops are usually at least 3/8" thick.
Use the descriptions for glass protector tops and glass table tops to help you decide the thickness.


4. EDGE: Glass protector tops and glass table tops will always have polished edges.

Do not confuse the edge with the corners. The corners on all custom cut glass will have dulled 90 degree angles unless advised otherwise.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN FRAMELESS & SEMI-FRAMELESS SHOWERS


Semi-frameless and frameless showers can be installed behind a tub, or as separate units.
When they are installed behind a tub, they have an L-shape or a "window-box" shape. L-shape showers are also called corner showers.
The glass on L-shape showers faces away from the back wall and one sidewall, hence the L-shape name.
Window-box showers are also called alcove showers. They have glass on three sides.
The fourth side is the back wall of the shower and is typically tiled.
You can also be creative in the type of glass you use for either a semi-frameless or a frameless shower.
For example, instead of using all clear glass, you can use etched or frosted glass with patterns or designs for a peek-a-boo effect.
Thick, architectural-quality glass, ranging from one-quarter to one-half inch in thickness, is often chosen to make the shower strong and sturdy and to help prevent leaks.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FRAMELESS & SEMI-FRAMELESS SHOWERS


A frameless shower gets you as close as possible to having a shower that is entirely made of glass.
Doors pivot and are void of handles and hardware on frameless showers, while doors on a semi-frameless shower might have a thin metal edge along the door and on the edge where the door meets the facing wall.
You can also opt for a door-less design on a frameless shower to accentuate the all-glass and minimal metal appearance.
Frameless showers have metal or stainless steel L-shaped clips on the floor, typically at a midpoint, and at the top of the shower to support the glass.
Semi-frameless showers typically have an L-shaped metal frame that runs from the base of the floor to the top of the glass.

TABLETOPS


Identify the application for the glass.
The most common uses are 1/4" glass covers to protect surfaces from scratches or water spots called glass protector tops.
Other common applications for glass are for windows, glass railing, glass for patio furniture.