Tim Janssen, Author at Janssen Glass

Remodeling Your Bathroom Is a Safe Investment

When remodeling your home, it’s smart to do some research ahead of time to see what offers the best return on investment. When you do this research, consider the most trafficked areas in your home, what rooms need the most attention, and the ROI that could come from upgrading these individual rooms. We have found that no matter the city or market you live in, a few investments can always be made to the home, including new house siding, a new roof, a new hardwood floor or tile floor, a new kitchen and bathroom upgrades.

Invest in Your Bathroom

According to Remodel Magazine, bathroom remodels can return more than 100% of your initial investment. Yes, you read that correctly. More than 100%. As we cannot promise this for all remodeling projects in the future, it is more likely to happen than other projects in the home. It’s important to keep in mind the value of your home and the value of the homes in your neighborhood. When you do this, you will prevent dumping a lot of money into your bathroom when the overall value of your home isn’t very high. Do your homework, make a plan and budget appropriately. Then be very strategic in your updates that offer you the best return.

What to Do and What Not to Do

When it comes to deciding on upgrades or updates, make sure you are picking the right ones that are worth both your money and time. Roughly 10-20 years ago, the biggest trend was adding whirlpool luxury tubs into the master bathroom of your home. Now, this is extremely dated and unnecessary. Most people don’t even have the time available to take baths anymore. Knowing this, you should spare yourself the time and money and instead install a walk-in shower with heavy glass shower doors. These are really showing the best ROI in the remodeling world.

Take Your Desires into Account

Make sure not to forget that you are the one living in the house. Just because the latest market survey tells you that you should remodel part of your home, doesn’t mean you have to. Make sure your remodeling project improves your everyday lifestyle, comfort, and happiness inside your home. These updates should be something you’ll enjoy seeing and will love everyday.

If you have any questions on how you can remodel the bathroom inside your home, give the experts at Janssen Glass and Door a call at (913)677-5727 or schedule an appointment online.

3 Things to Remember When Choosing Your Glass Shower Door

A common misconception is that choosing a glass shower door is an easy decision, but there are many different things to consider before making your final decision. Before this investment is made, read a few tips the experts at Janssen Glass came up with to help you make this decision.

Keep it Custom

If you spent the time and money to make the interior of your shower custom, then the shower door should match. Most homeowners spend lots of money upgrading the inside of their showers and then drop the ball when it comes to the shower door.

A generic door would not only look out of place but will also have a negative effect on the look of your entire bathroom. Choosing the right glass shower door and keeping it custom will raise the level of beauty in your bathroom.

Don’t Cut Corners

Don’t overlook the edges. This is often overlooked and can have a direct impact on the quality of your glass shower doors and your bathroom as a whole. Most assume this won’t matter or is too small of a detail to matter, but you will notice the edges of your shower door.

More times than not, the edges on frameless shower doors tend to be darker the thicker the glass. To ensure you love your final product, make sure to ask your local shower door professionals about your options.

Related Read: Go Frameless & Show Off Your Shower Door

Shower Doors are NOT 110% Water Tight

Glass shower doors are much more efficient when it comes to keeping water in the shower than a curtain, but they aren’t 100% watertight.

When you are installing a glass shower door, you should consider the placement of your shower head. You will want to make sure your shower head is installed and directed away from the opening of the shower to eliminate any possible water getting through and onto your floors.

Thinking of installing a glass shower door? Give Janssen Glass a call at (913) 677-5727, or schedule an appointment online. For more tips from the professionals at Janssen Glass, check out our blog here!

The Most Popular Bathroom Trends for 2020

Towards the end of 2019 and leading into 2020 we witnessed a few different trends taking place. Bathrooms were becoming more modern and providing more of a comfortable feel to it. This is done by adding space which ultimately adds functionality. Anytime we can take part in a bathroom remodel, we do so, because it is always exciting seeing the finished product. If you are remodeling your bathroom this year, consider updating to heavy glass and keep these trends in mind as well.

Open Concept Plans

Newer bathrooms are being designed to have an open and breathable space. These open concepts make smaller rooms feel much roomier. There is no longer a need for those clunky cupboards full of junk. New modern bathrooms have just enough cupboard space to hold the necessities. This shelving is often times tucked away in the corners or installed higher on the walls. They also have been moving away from framed glass doors and have been installing heavy glass shower doors. These let a decent amount of light into the room because they no longer have any frames blocking the view. With the absence of shower frames, it gives your eyes the perception that the room is larger and more spacious than it actually is.

Neutral Tones with a Pop

Neutral tones add a relaxing and timeless feel to any design. Current styles lean toward more natural stone and wood surfaces with matte textured metal fixtures and paint. However, complementing these neutral tones are accents of color that can be seen along a single wall, a backsplash, or mingled with the tile. Small murals, a section of wallpaper, potted plants or a framed painting can add a nice focal point without making the room look too busy.

Water Space

A “Water Space” is the section of the bathroom with a floor drain that is usually dedicated to a bathtub or open shower. This spot is typically walled off with heavy glass shower doors. These glass shower doors help with the open concept idea by keeping the look open but also containing the water.

If you are interested in remodeling your bathroom into one of these 2020 trends or have another idea to make the bathroom of your dreams, contact us today! You can call us at (913)677-5727 or fill out a form online.

4 Ways to Decorate your Windows for the Holidays

The outside of your house, Christmas tree, and living room shouldn’t be the only things decorated in your home this year. Give your windows some attention too.We took the time to gather a few of the most creative and beautiful window decorations we found on Pinterest. Here they are to share with you!

Birds of a Feather

Whether you prefer to use an authentic branch or buy one from the store, it doesn’t matter. Take this branch and set it in a glass vase. Fill this glass vase with some artificial snow. Now it’s time to decorate the branches themselves. If you get the artificial branch bedecked with berries, perfect. If not, buy fake berries and strategically place them around the ends of the branches. Finally, attach the cardinals with small wire and add a small nest with another bird to create a cozy woodland scene.

Snow Covered Pines

By far the easiest DIY project to decorate your windows. Simple cut foam boards into tall triangles and use glue to attach them together. This will build a forest scene. One the boards are glued together, string small white pom poms with fishing wire and tape them to the window frame. This will create the illusion of it snowing. If you prefer more color to be involved you can use green triangles and dust the tops of them with fake snow.

Elegant Wreath Duo

If you have a bare double window, this is your best option. Take a tension rod, and slide one end of the red curtain over the rod. Now you can string it through the wreath and then slide the other end of the curtain on the opposite end of the rod. Repeat this step for the second wreath and you’ve got a simple way to make your windows look festive. This idea can be done on both the inside or the outside, that is up to you.

De-Vine Inspiration

Finally, an idea that can only be done to the outside of your house. Weave some lights into some grapevine. With the addition of lights, it will create an enchanting glow. This will look great on any window but it actually made for a window on the front of the house. A window guests will walk by directly as they enter your home.

We hope you enjoy this simple list of ways to decorate the inside and outside of your home this holiday season. If you have any questions, give us a call at (913)677-5727 or schedule an appointment online!

Don’t Update Your Bathroom Without This!

If you’re looking to bring your outdated bathroom into the 21st century, the best way to do it is with heavy glass doors. In the past few decades, shower doors have seen a complete revolution. Now that heavy glass doors are available, style framed shower doors are a thing of the past.

What Is Heavy Glass?

Shower doors used to be thin and flexible, wrapped in a metal frame which ultimately gave them support when being opened and closed. The frame was really used to make sure the thin, fragile glass wouldn’t break. With heavy glass, the shower doors are no 3/8” to 1/2” thick. This allows them to stand alone without the support of the metal frames. These heavy glass doors are sturdy, feel solid, and look upscale. What’s not to like? No more wiggling when they open or close. You’re going to love them.

Framed Shower Doors Look Dated

The majority of shower doors we replace are framed. The reason for this is because those were the only kind of shower doors available until a decade ago. If you are updating your bathroom, make sure to upgrade by installing glass shower doors. Yes, framed shower doors are cheaper, but they also look like it. With heavy glass doors, you can get that modern, sleek look without all the hardware.

Heavy Glass Means Less Hardware

Thicker glass actually allows for more freedom when it comes to design. Unlike thin glass doors, heavy glass doors need much less hardware. We can actually attach heavy glass shower doors with simple clips, handles, and channels reducing the visual intrusion of the metal framework. Now your beautiful tile work will no longer be hidden and other features you have spent a good amount of money on can be shown off.

Frameless Shower Doors Make Bathrooms Feel Bigger

Heavy glass doors will give your bathroom more of a modern look but that is not even the biggest impact they have. When updating your shower doors to heavy glass, it will give off the feel that the bathroom is now bigger than before. Especially in a room that is already really small. This will allow guests to focus on more beautiful, more important aspects of your bathroom instead of your outdated shower door.

But My Bathroom Has a Tub

Another trend we have begun to witness is families ditching the tub behind for a larger shower. Many homeowners have found they no longer use their bathtub. Think about it, if you already have another tub in a different bathroom, do you really need more than one? Treat yourself by upgrading to a shower enclosure only. Expanding your shower can really enhance a bathroom. No worries, our designers can help you visualize a larger shower!

TIP: Just don’t replace your only tub. They do come in handy for soaking/cleaning large items.

If you have a bathroom that is in desperate need of a renovation, we highly consider updating to heavy glass shower doors. Check out our shower door gallery. Call us at (913) 677-5727 or contact us online and let us create the shower of your dreams.

The Easiest Update to Make to Your Home before the Holidays

Don’t blink! The holidays will be here before you know it. You only have a few months left, before all the family and friends start to gather for celebrations. If you’re looking for a way to spice up your home before turkey and stuffing fill your dining room table, start with the areas of your home that will be used the most. Your bathroom is always a great place to start. Our experts here at Janssen Glass & Door can install beautiful new glass shower doors which will both modernize your home and impress your guests.

When it comes to glass shower doors, we have an array of options. The biggest decision you have to make is whether you want to go heavy or light shower glass doors. Here is how they differ:

Shower Door Installation

Heavy Glass Shower Doors

3/8″ – 1/2″ thick glass
Do not require support of metal frame
Simple hardware reduces visual intrusion of metal work

Light Glass Shower Doors

3/16″ thick glass
Requires metal wrapped framework
Easily customized with metal framework, hardware, and accessories

Janssen Glass & Door technicians can easily and quickly install both heavy and light glass shower doors in your home before the holiday season. See real examples of our glass shower doors in area homes.

If you are looking to modernize your home before the holiday season, all you need to do is give Janssen Glass & Door a call at (913) 677-5727 or (816) 472-5330 for a glass shower door consultation.

Top 3 Shower Door Styles

Your shower is your sanctuary. It’s your refuge from the chaotic busyness of the world around you. It’s where you wash away sleep’s residue or the stress of a long day. It’s your personal mini-spa, where you go to relax, unwind, and recharge. The timeless design of our specialized glass shower doors can be customized to match the fit and style of any shower. Our three most popular shower door styles include frosted, patterned, and heavy glass.

Frosted Glass Shower Doors for Privacy

Our top shower door style for privacy is the frosted glass shower door. These doors are light enough to allow light to pass through the glass, preventing a darkened shower experience, yet the blurred visual effect provides a degree of privacy regardless of your home’s foot traffic. Our frosted glass shower doors can be customized to create a unique look for your bathroom. Whether you’re looking for fully-frosted glass, half-frosted, or patterned frosted, we’ll combine your imagination and our experience to create the perfect look for your shower.

Patterned Glass Shower Doors for a Unique Style

Your playful personality or unique sense of style will appreciate the look and feel of these patterned glass shower doors, with designs ranging from extravagant floral patterns to simple ripple designs. With a broad array of patterns to choose from, we’ll find the perfect fit for your bathroom’s personality. The pretty patterns offer just a touch of privacy and a whole lot of personality.

Heavy Glass Shower Doors for an Open Modern Look

If you’re searching for a timeless look that won’t go out of style, heavy glass doors are what you need. Our heavy glass shower doors are our most popular style. Because these doors are made of thicker glass, they don’t have to rely on a metal frame for support so they offer a modern, minimalist appearance. Sometimes referred to as frameless doors, the open, clean, look that they provide adds an upscale feel to any bathroom.

Call Janssen Glass & Door to help you create the custom bathroom that you’ve always wanted. You can reach us at (913) 677-5727.

7 Quick and Easy Shower Door Cleaning Tips

While glass shower doors add a sense of elegance and beauty to your home, they are sometimes a pain to regularly maintain. Knowing this, our experts at Janssen Glass threw together a list of 7 tips to keep your glass doors streak and mark free.

1. Squeegee After Showering

Everytime your shower is used, hard water particles have the chance to attach themselves to microscopic pores in the glass shower doors. This can be prevented by investing in a squeegee and regularly using it.

This easy action can effectively remove water droplets from the glass, that would ultimately leave streaks. It’s important to keep in mind squeegeeing must take place directly after you shower. Start top to bottom. Don’t forget nooks and crannies, as they can sometimes store excess water droplets.

2. Use Sprayway Glass Cleaner

Our experts recommend using Sprayway. Sprayway is our favorite glass cleaner because it does more than just cleans your glass, it cares for it too. Sprayway glass cleaners are ammonia free, which means it won’t taint the window tint.

This cleaner is universal. It can be used for pretty much any glass in your home. It will leave a spotless finish on glass windows, glass shower doors, glass cabinet doors, and more! Always start cleaning from the top of the glass and work your way down. This will save you time by keeping clean sections of the window away from parts of the window still needing attention. Bottles of Sprayway can be purchased at Janssen Glass in Overland Park.

Insider cleaning tip: Clean your windows on a cloudy day. If you clean them on a sunny day, the sun’s rays will evaporate the cleaning solution before it has a chance to work its magic.

3. Use the Right Equipment

When it comes to cleaning glass, the right equipment can really make a difference. Sure, old rags seem logical, but they will also leave behind lint, tarnishing the beautiful finish you are trying to achieve.

Stay away from using washrags or paper towels. We recommend using a lint-free cloth or even a newspaper if you have the option. Don’t worry; the ink from the newspaper will not stain the glass. Residue may be left over on your hands but it will leave your glass streak-free.

If you want to be really thorough, use a squeegee like professionals do.

4. Remove Stubborn Debris (or Stickers)

If you find yourself with stickers stuck to your glass give this a try: Wet the window and debris (sticker) with the window cleaner. Then, take a brand new 1” single razor blade and gently scrape the debris.

Before attempting this, make sure your glass is non-coated. Be sure to use the flat edge, and never poke at the window. Doing this will leave long term damage and scratch your window.

5. Use Glass Coatings for Shower Doors

Using glass coatings is one way to make sure your glass stays clearer. We have found two separate coatings to be beneficial. While both effectively serve the same purpose, one just has a longer lasting effect. These coatings seal glass pores and keep minerals like calcium, magnesium, and other elements in hard water from attaching to themselves.

Cardinal 10 or C10, is a spray foam that is applied when your glass shower doors are installed and then buffed. This will come with a 10-year warranty.

ShowerGuard is permanent and is applied during the manufacturing of your glass shower doors. The reason ShowerGuard is permanent is because it’s system seals the glass surface with a patented ion beam process. Unlike the Cardinal 10, this comes with a lifetime warranty.

6. Properly Clean Shower Door Tracks

Door tracks can be gross, unappealing, and flat out plain annoying to clean. They can easily be forgotten. Here’s a quick summary of how you can easily clean all the shower tracks in your home.

Tools You’ll Need for the Homemade Shower Track Cleaner

Vinegar
Paper Towels
Old Toothbrush for Scrubbing
Q-Tips for Tight Spots
Water Spray Bottle for Rinsing

Get Those Shower Tracks Sparkling Clean

Begin by pouring some vinegar onto one of the paper towels. The paper towel needs to be soaked. Then lay this onto the tracks and let it sit for about 30 minutes. You should have enough paper towels to cover the length of your shower tracks. As you leave the room, flip the exhaust fan on so it removes the strong smell of vinegar over time.

Once your 30 minutes is up, remove the paper towels, and take your old toothbrush and rub it along the tracks. The residue should brush right off. For the corners and areas with screws, use the Q-tips. Whenever you are done scrubbing, take the spray bottle and rinse all the vinegar off the tracks.

7. Get Rid of Shower Door Tracks

If you’re sick and tired of cleaning shower door tracks, you should consider installing heavy glass shower doors. These types of shower doors typically swing open, and don’t normally require as much hardware including tracks. Check out our gallery of heavy glass shower doors to see the difference.

DIY: Make Your Own Glass Cleaner

Here are a couple of do-it-yourself solutions from your friends at Janssen Glass & Door. These easy mixtures can save you a little money, and are made with all natural everyday ingredients. You can feel safe using these cleaning solutions around your kids and family.

Scented White Vinegar Glass Cleaner

This cleaning solution takes a little prep time, but it’s worth it. Vinegar is a natural cleaning and detoxifying agent, but it is known for having a strong scent.

Two weeks before you need the solution, soak citrus peels of your choice in a fourth of a cup of vinegar.

After the two weeks are up, strain the citrus from the vinegar, and pour it into a spray bottle. Mix in a gallon of water and stir. Then, spray away!

Vinegar and Dish Soap Glass Cleaner

This cleaner also uses the super cleaning agent, vinegar, but requires less prep time. Mix one cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of dish soap of your choice, and a gallon of warm water. Mix the liquids together, and pour into a spray bottle. That’s it!

Stained Glass Goes Digital

Digitally printed glass is making the look of stained and etched glass affordable and achievable for modern buildings. More people are learning about digital printing capabilities on non-absorbent, rigid surfaces and this interest is driving the popularity of digital printing on glass. Architects and building designers will now have the freedom to develop truly creative and distinctive buildings with this new technology.

Advantages of Digitally Printed Glass

While the technology has been available for two decades, it is now gaining traction. Until now, the only way to get colored glass in patterns was to create the pattern by using pieces of colored glass and arranging them in the desired pattern – what we know as stained glass. Obviously, creating a stained glass piece is very time consuming and expensive. Digital printing has serious advantages over stained or etched glass.

Achieve any design replication
Precisely flexible transparency and opacity ratios
Lower cost than traditional glass design methods
Digitally printed glass can affect the SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) of the building
Much lower cost to repair

Digital Designs on Glass Are Limitless

The sky is the limit on the capability of digitally printed designs on glass. Basically, anything that can be imagined can be digitally printed. Designers can achieve results that are equally as stunning as stained glass works of art. Besides beauty, there are other factors to consider. Does your use of glass coincide with a hot or cold natural environment? Which orientation will the glass be fronting? Depending on the opacity and pattern of the digital print, the printed glass can shield the structure from UV radiation, thus keeping the room cooler.

Digitally Printed Glass Makes the Design Extremely Durable

Digitally printing glass is much cheaper than using traditional stained glass methods and the finished product is extremely durable. The chosen design is digitally printed very precisely using an innovative ceramic ink. The ink is heat cured into the glass. Once the glass is thermally cured, the design is permanent. It will not fade or peel. Here are some qualities you can expect from designs that are digitally printed on glass.

Weather durability
Scratch resistance
UV resistance
Permanence

Digitally Printed Designs Can Set a Mood

When designing, architects consider the internal environment the occupants of a building will need. Use of digitally printed glass can create moods that vary depending on the intended use of the building. A medical facility might want digitally printed glass of aquarium fish and calming nature scenes to reassure waiting patients. An automotive body shop could opt for glass digitally printed to an opacity that discourages internal heat gain but also allows inventory such as tires and rims to be visible from outside the shop. Now that digitally printed glass is available, look to see it popping up in all kinds of places.

If you’d like to learn more about how digitally printed glass can improve the look and feel of your home or business, call us at (913) 677-5727 or contact us online.

Easy Trick for Clean Shower Door Tracks!

Yes, what you’ve been ignoring all year is still there. It’s the gunk in your shower door tracks. You use your shower every day, so it can’t be avoided. Luckily, here at Janssen Glass & Door, we have the recipe for a super simple, homemade natural solution to clean your shower door tracks. You probably already have all the ingredients sitting right at home, so no more excuses!

Shower Track Cleaning Tools:

Vinegar
Paper Towels
Old Toothbrush for Scrubbing
Q-tips for Tight Spots
Spray Bottle with Water (for rinsing)

Let Time and Vinegar Do the Dirty Work

Vinegar is your friend. It may smell strange, but it does a great job of cutting through gunk without harming the finish on the metal tracks. The trick is to give it time. Soak a paper towel with vinegar and lay it on your shower tracks for approximately 30 minutes. Cover the entire expanse of the tracks. (Note: If the smell of vinegar gets too strong, turn on your exhaust fan during the process)

Break Out the Toothbrush

After the 30 minutes are up, remove the paper towels and begin using an old toothbrush to scrub along the tracks. Within minutes, you should see the gunk in your shower tracks start to dislodge and clear with little effort. Once you have gotten the majority of gunk out of your shower tracks, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

Use a Q-Tip to Get in the Tight Spots

Take a Q-tip and run it across the tight spots such as corners, screws, and edges for a sparkling-clean finish! Once done scrubbing, use the spray bottle of water to clear away the vinegar. You can also leave the exhaust fan on for a few more minutes to clear the smell of vinegar.

Congratulations, your shower tracks are as good as new! See, wasn’t that easy?

If you really hate this task, contact Janssen Glass & Door today to switch to frameless heavy glass shower doors. They’ll update your bathroom and you’ll never have to clean shower door tracks again! Call us at (913) 677-5727 or contact us online!

Author: Tim Janssen