Since tempered safety glass made it possible to create products that were both safe, beautiful and suitable for the humid bathroom environment, the use of glass has increased significantly. It provides much better lighting in the room and is relatively easy to maintain.
With nano surface treatment, this maintenance has become even easier.
Standard glass solutions
Standard solutions usually mean cheaper solutions, without compromising on quality. It is cheaper to mass produce than to make individual products, and bulk purchasing and transportation provide other economic advantages when done per container rather than per pallet.
The standard products are made of high quality safety glass to the dimensions most often used. Fittings, rods and handles are made of aluminum or chrome-plated metal (brass), and the necessary sealing strips, wiper strips and magnetic strips are included.
Shower doors are sold both as sets and as individual doors. The latter makes it possible to combine to achieve other dimensions than the standard set, or to combine doors and walls.
Other glass solutions
The dimensions you want in a glass product for the bathroom do not always fall into the category of standard dimensions. In a bathroom renovation, the dimensions for a shower enclosure may be different than what is standard today, or the space available for a shower enclosure may not meet the dimensions available.
That's why we offer the manufacture of glass walls, glass doors, mirrors and other glass products for the bathroom according to your specific measurements.
Nordkap Living also offers low prices when it comes to custom-made glassware. We utilize economies of scale to keep costs to a minimum, and offer custom-made solutions at prices that are close to what others charge for standard solutions.
- We provide fixed prices quickly after a brief discussion of needs and possibilities.
- The glass is produced as high-quality safety glass at the factory in Denmark.
- All fittings are supplied in the best materials: stainless steel or pre-carbonized brass.
- We usually deliver within 14 days after placing the order.
- A 3-year warranty is provided.
- Mirrors can be supplied with polished or beveled edges.
Curved glass doors are generally only available as standard products, as it requires the manufacture of a mold that determines the curve in the glass. These molds are expensive and take time to manufacture, which is why special products within this area are quite a lot more expensive, and the delivery time is very long.
If you need other glass solutions than those for the bathroom, it is also a good idea to contact our specialist in the field by phone 7027 2723
What should you look for in a glass product?
The first thing you need to make sure of is that the product is made with safety glass, like the glass used in, for example, car windows.
Safety glass used in these glass products does not have the membrane that holds a car window together when it breaks, but the glass will not form life-threatening splinters and large sharp surfaces that can cause deep wounds. Safety glass, when it breaks for any reason, will break into small shards that are not nearly as dangerous as large, heavy shards, and there will be no thin spears or needle-like splinters.
Color and transparency
Clear glass is not colorless. The glass will have a very faint greenish color, but must not be green. Some products are available in tinted versions, where the glass is smoky or blue-gray, but still transparent.
Other products have frosted glass that is either sandblasted on one side or has an inner “surface” that gives the same effect. Frosted or matte glass is also not completely white, but has the same slight tint that glass once had. This can be seen especially on the edge of the glass.
The edge of the glass in particular shows the green hue.
A sandblasted surface should normally face away from the water source, as water invariably contains limescale, and a smooth surface is easier to keep limescale-free than a sanded surface. You don't have that "problem" when the frost effect is inside the glass.
Sometimes a frosted (sandblasted) surface can be stained. This is usually due to a little grease on the sanded surface. A wash with acetone will remove the grease and restore the frosted look.
Glass thickness
For most products, the thickness of the glass is not very important. There is a relationship between the surface area of the glass and the minimum allowable thickness. This minimum allowable thickness is the thickness that prevents the glass from “vibrating” when it is touched hard. The larger the surface area, the thicker the glass should be.
That said, the glass thickness gives a “respectable” look. Nordkap Living supplies shower enclosures in 6 and 8 mm. thickness. A few products have a thickness of 10 mm. The smallest thicknesses are chosen to obtain a stable product. The larger thicknesses are chosen either because the glass surface is larger, or because the product “looks better” with a larger thickness.
In all products, the ratio between the glass surface and the glass thickness is a well-considered quality criterion.
Bracket
Nordkap Living uses aluminum and chrome-plated brass in its standard products where possible.
Aluminum is used for frames and is available either polished or matte. Other parts can be made of aluminum as well. Handles are now made of chrome-plated brass. They are much more durable than earlier handles made of plastic. Brackets can in some cases be made of stainless steel.
Some products include screws and wall plugs for brackets that are to be mounted on the wall, but you must always make sure to use wall plugs that are suitable for the type of wall the bracket is to be mounted on.
Wall brackets for shower doors consist of two parts that allow some adjustment in two directions. Similarly, the classic niche door is equipped with two three-point hinges that also allow minor adjustments.
Raise/lower fittings facilitate door movement and protect the wiper strip.
Shower enclosures with doors are often equipped with a lift/lower bracket that raises the door when it is not in the “closed” position. These doors can be opened both outwards and inwards, which can make better use of space in small bathrooms.
Products with variable mounting dimensions
Some of the curved doors can be set up with variable dimensions. The criterion here is that the magnetic strip determines how much you can deviate from the standard measurement. The magnetic strip itself in the strip is set at an angle that ensures that the strips close tightly when the doors are mounted in the standard position. However, the strips are flexible, and therefore allow a margin of up to 5 cm (See the drawings and recommendations on the individual product), which means that the strips still close tightly.
Transportation
Safety glass is strong and durable. However, glass is a “living” product and is vulnerable to impacts or blows on the edge, especially when we are talking about “sharp” (90 degree) edges. These impacts or blows do not necessarily cause the glass to break immediately. Glass can store internal stresses for a very long time, and a renewed impact (impact, blow or vibration) can unexpectedly release that stress at a much later time.
It is therefore important that glass is carefully packaged and treated with care during transport. For glass walls and certain other products, Nordkap Living manufactures racks on pallets, which ensure that the glass is optimally protected against shocks and impacts, as well as collisions during transport.
On the other hand, we have many customers who transport glass screens flat in a trailer. Unless the road home is full of potholes, it almost always goes well.
Self-control
Since glass is a "living" product and particularly sensitive during transport, it is important that you check whether the item has suffered any damage upon receipt.
As previously stated, glass can retain internal stresses for a long time, and damage may not always be immediately visible on the glass itself. Therefore, it is important to check that the packaging does not show any signs of impact or shock. If the packaging is not completely intact, take pictures and sign with reservations.