dt glass blog


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Call: (503)650-6373 or
Email: glass@dtglassinc.com

 

Welcome to the DT Glass blog, where you’ll find information, education, and inspiration about residential interior glass!

 

When to Use 1/2” Glass

When it’s time to select the glass for your frameless glass shower or interior partition, you might wonder if ½” glass would be a better choice than the more common 3/8” glass.  Usually, the underlying question is if the thicker glass will provide greater strength and stability, or produce a higher quality result.


6 Foot & 7 Foot Shower Layouts

Designing the glass enclosure for your average 5 foot shower is pretty straightforward. Use 30”+/- for the door, 30”+/- for the panel, and you’re all done. Designing for a 6-foot or 7-foot opening takes a little more thought.

Cabinet Hardware Causes
7 Years Bad Luck!

Look behind any standard wood cabinet knob and you’ll see a crescent-shaped indentation in the wood.  Wood reacts by denting.  Glass reacts by breaking.


2023 Hardware Color Trend

Brilliance Black Onyx? Vibrant Titanium? Black Stainless Steel? Hard Graphite? Black Stainless?
Even though no one can agree on a name, the finish itself is much more consistent than gold has ever been, and it’s a great match for our shower hardware from CR Laurence in Gunmetal.

Frameless Shower
Door Swing

Hinged shower doors swing open and closed.  How hard could that be?  Could it really make up a whole blog post?  I assure you it can!  Every aspect of shower design has hidden pitfalls that we work to expose. 


Textured Tiles & Overhangs

Finding the right tile for your bathroom includes a search for all of the right aesthetic qualities, plus keeping in mind the right fit for the situation.

Neo Angle Shower Design

A neo angle shower is any layout where the walls meet at 135° angles instead of standard 90° corners. They're often used for very small spaces, but that's not the only reason to use this design.

Hardware Color Conspiracy

I don’t want to alarm you but choosing a hardware color is not as easy as you might expect, especially when the colors are conspiring against you!


Glass Wine Displays

For wine lovers, wine isn't stored, it's displayed as art. We understand the bond between wine lovers and their wine. They don’t just love the wine, they love the connection to it, and appreciate anything that enhances that relationship.

Shower & Tub Rooms

Locating the tub and shower together, then enclosing the entire space is a Japanese inspired design trend that could elevate your space AND your bathing experience!

Tub Shower Style

Having a tub shower doesn’t automatically mean you need to abandon your sense of style.  Whether it’s your kid’s bath, guest bath, or even a primary bath that doesn’t have room for a separate tub, you can give your tub shower the respect it deserves.


Barn Door Sliders

Not long ago, having to install a glass sliding door in your shower was almost a curse... Until barn door sliders came along!

Goodbye to the ugly, bulky metal track that was used to hide the glass support. Hello to the sleek bar and exposed industrial rollers that are the pinnacle of style and functionality.

Glass Coating for
Easier Cleaning

Clear glass is beautiful.  It shows off the shower tile, it lets the light shine through, and it creates an open look and feel.  But glass stained with water spots, soap scum, and mineral deposits can be an eyesore. 

Glass coating is the answer. All the benefits of clear glass without the drawback of dirty, hard to clean glass.

Out of Level,
Out of Plumb

If your shower was custom built, the glass should be too. That’s where custom cut frameless glass comes in. We’ll get your measurements, find any out of level or out of plumb issues and install frameless glass that makes you believe it was built perfectly from the start.



Oversized Glass Panel Support

Most people think of glass as a stiff and solid material that would break if it bent.  However, it really has quite a bit of flexibility, and the larger the panel, the more noticeable the flex.  Within reason, it’s fine for glass to flex, but it can still be unnerving for the shower user.  We identify oversized panels and add support so that homeowners can not only feel safe, but also comfortable.

Frameless Shower Door Placement

When we’re helping our customers design their frameless glass showers, the first thing we look at is where to place the door. Your swing door may operate over 1,400 times per year! A safe, secure, and accessible door is an important part of creating a shower you'll appreciate every day.

Towel Bars & Robe Hooks on your Frameless Glass Shower

Through-glass towel bars and robe hooks can be a great help when you need a place to keep your towel and you have more glass space than wall space. Sometimes the smallest details have a big impact on how much you enjoy using your shower day-to-day and year-after-year.


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Benches, Pony Walls & Gables In Frameless Glass Showers

One of the best things about building custom showers with heavy glass is the ability to cut notches and angles to fit virtually any space. Whatever the design need might be, it’s nice to know that the glass is ready to adapt and bring it all together.



Water Management for
Frameless Glass Showers

What could be more important in a shower design than water management?  Done right, the result is enjoying your shower without excess cleanup afterward.  Done wrong, the result could be sopping up water, or even water damage and dry rot.

Learn how to manage water, and also manage expectations, as you create systems that work together to create a functional and enjoyable shower experience.

Steam Showers:
Enhancing Your Shower Experience

Ready to elevate an everyday task to a luxurious experience? “Steam Therapy” boasts many benefits, from relieving stress, cleansing skin, and even improving circulation and burning calories! I’m not a doctor and I have not evaluated these claims, but I can tell you firsthand that it just feels great to be enveloped in the warmth of steam.



Avoiding Trip-Ups:
Curbless Shower Design

From their humble beginnings as a means for accessibility, curbless showers have moved quickly past acceptance to preference. It is possible to create a curbless shower that meets your mobility or aesthetic goals and also retains a majority of water.

Will Your Walk-In Shower Fill You With Bliss or Regret?

If you're not creating a walk in shower for mobility purposes, but because you love the aesthetic, you might want to consider the trade-offs. 

DT Glass Helps Create National Glass Assoc. Installation Guide

NGA has assembled a group of shower professionals to create a guide that will provide the glass industry standards for installation. The previous Design guide was featured in the March 2022 issue of Glass Magazine. 


Code Requirements
To Consider

When Designing Your Bathroom

Determine the choices you’ll have to make to meet code requirements, then the rest of the decisions will be the ones you want to make. Local building departments are there to help.

NKBA FREE WEBINAR Replay now available

Last February we were honored to provide a live presentation on NKBA’s national webinar series.  This webinar was designed to help Designers, Contractors, and Builders understand the capabilities of glass so they can create beautiful, functional, and safe showers for their clients without any “gotchas” when it comes time to install the glass.

Shower Glass: Beyond Clear

Clear shower glass is a beautiful way to show off your fixtures and tile. But what if your glass could take front stage in your bathroom? From even clearer clear, to subtle patterns, to dramatic printed images, in this article we explore a whole world of options. Are you ready to take your shower to the next level…beyond clear?


Panel Attachment Methods for your Frameless Glass Shower

Which look will you choose for your dream shower?  DT Glass can help you decide on the right aesthetic for your space and your installation.  You can create a shower that you love, while maintaining the safety and security that you and your family will appreciate for years to come. 

4 Reasons to Choose a Semi-Frameless Glass Shower

Frameless showers get all the attention, but the #1 selling feature for frameless glass showers is aesthetics, whereas the #1 selling feature for semi-frameless showers is practicality.  If you have concerns about water leakage, a tight budget, or fiberglass walls, a semi-frameless shower might be the right choice.  Read our latest blog to make a well-informed decision.

What makes a frameless glass showeR…frameless?

Do you really KNOW what a frameless glass shower is?  Or did you hear the name and make up your own definition?  Please read our latest blog so that some day I can stop repeating:  “This IS a frameless glass shower!”




the glass is here!
The glass is here!!!

(Posted December 3, 2021) Christmas has come early for DT Glass because we’ve received 3 full containers of glass, and future deliveries are on their way.

What does that mean for our customers? NO MORE GLASS SHORTAGE!

DT GLASS OPENS FABRICATION PLANT

(Posted June 26, 2017) For almost 20 years DT Glass has sold and installed residential glass, particularly heavy glass showers.  But now, unlike every other glass shop in the Pacific NW, we will be taking control of the entire fabrication process in our new 24,000 sq ft facility.

THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN PORTLAND

In the January 2017 edition of the Home Building Association's HBA News, Shannon McKinney, co-owner of DT Glass gave some excellent insights on why the cost of doing business in Portland continues to rise.



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The Essential Guide to Frameless Glass Showers