As a project advisor, one of the greatest challenges is working with the glass trade. Many design magazines boast glasswork from the European market; yet the product obtainable overseas is not widely available here in the States- creating confusion for homeowners (and professionals alike) who fall in love with these designs. In addition, there appears to be a great amount of room for interpetation from region to region on how a particular glass system works or how it should appear. With any refined trade, there are those who follow trends, those who are trend-setters and those who sort of lose touch with advancements in design. Not all glass and shower door companies are offering the same designs, so it can seem confusing for the layperson who may be lost with industry vernacular when consulting with these said firms. Shower doors seem to propose the greatest range of confusion. Especially with the frameless sort. Often plans which are depicted in architectural magazines are in fact designs that are installed in Europe, where they are fondly called \"screens\". The European bath varies drasticly from the American bath. Lets look at the European bathroom. Simply put it is a room fashioned to be exposed to water from showering. You have your drain in the shower area and frequently you have a drain in the middle of the bathroom itself. Everything is tiled (or covered with another \"waterproof\" material). The American bathroom is quite opposite. We want to bring our luxuries with us everywhere- including the bathroom. There are baths with wood floors, baths with TV\'s and stereo systems. And above all, we like to see water \"kept in it\'s place\"- and it\'s this definition that has made fitting the European styled door into the American bathroom a bit like putting a square peg in a round hole. The European photos display curbless designs with sleek glass appearances, but these enclosures will leak, however in Europe they anticipate this, whereas in the States we oppose this point. To work around this employment of polycarbonate strips are used to deflect the water from leaking. With that said, a limited shower area, where the person\'s body encompasses more than than 2/3 of the shower space a frameless door is not advocated as water will likely cast from the person\'s body to the voids in the shower hinges and cause water to escape. This is not avoidable. Consequently it is essential to realize that a frameless door is designed after the \"screen\" that appears on the European market with a very different function.The most wanted look for the frameless enclosure is the system that utilizes glass clamps versus the aged and more passee channel installment method. The clamps are composed of brass fabricated hardware, versus the lighter and less durable aluminum construction that appears with the channel method. In addition the higher end companies have in reality rebranded the channel installation methods as semi frameless as these enclosures do appear to be framed- with the exception of the door itself. All frameless shower enclosures should only be installed using either brass construction fittings or stainless fittings. A company who is advising use of aluminum fittings - such as in hinges- is offering a lower end product with less safety present. In searching for the best glass companies to use in the Westchester-Connecticut area, there is an abundance of glass and shower door agencies offering architectural glass services. Still, very few of these agencies are actually up to par with what would be viewed as preferred trends and capability. Even fewer filling the requirements of being declaired as remarkable. The company that appears to receive the higest praises in service and potentiality is ATM in Northern Westchester. They are one of the few companies in the area that have invested in technology and progresses within their trade. Of the companies I had searched, they provided the widest assortment of specialty glass, housed an vast amount of production machinery and offered the greatest array of specialty hardware. ATM also appears a great deal in international publishings with perceptivity and consult, making them an actual resource for architectural glass within their industry. ATM offers a distinct service and from what I have found, there is not a comparable firm in the county. Of the other companies in the area, various others are worthy of hiring as well. But I would contract any with forethought as glass can be dangerous if not installed by a well-qualified agent. Always ask for a list of referrals and when possible arrange a jobsite visit to see completed projects. You can often get a sense for the type of work that a company delights doing simply by visiting their website. If you have a vast project, seek a larger company and vise versa. A small company will not have the capability to manage a large project within a sensible time-frame. A larger company may consider a small job as something to place on the back burner. Withal, frequently the larger companies will have set staff members to serve the smaller jobs, whereas a lesser company is only operating with a small group of employees. Perpetually ask questions, seek referrals and see who offers the best fit for your project. Knowledge is key and with the advent of the internet, there is quite a bit of junk science being put forth. If you can ask a company a question and obtain a sound answer to your satisfaction, you are off to a wonderful start!

ATM Mirror & Glass, Westchester County-NY

Article Source: http://www.infoarticles.us