Tim Janssen, Author at Janssen Glass

Janssen Glass’s Quick Spring Cleaning Guide

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the flowers are blooming. Spring has finally made its way to Kansas City!

Cue the cleaning supplies and rags, it’s time to freshen up and spring clean your home. Spring cleaning can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. The team at Janssen Glass put together a handy checklist to help you spruce things up.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Where to Start:

Work your way from top to the bottom. We recommend starting with the ceiling and making your way down to the floor.

Cleaners to Use:

Today there are so many different types of chemical cleaners used. However, many people are now turning to non-toxic homemade cleaners. They can clean the dust and grime and still leave your house fresh and safe. For those who prefer the chemical-free route, the Janssen Glass team put together a DIY guide for creating your own glass cleaner.

What Materials to Use:

Another tip for cleaning ceilings and walls is to use a sponge mop to help you reach higher areas. As for glass, use a squeegee or a microfiber rag. To clean the glass, use a circular motion, then go back over wiping vertically.

Where to Clean:

Think of all the places in your home where dust or dirt can collect. Cleaning these areas will not only look better but by cleaning areas where you don’t necessarily notice dust and dirt, you will help improve the overall quality of your home’s air. We recommend cleaning these areas:

Ceilings
Walls
Baseboards
Floors
Windows & window screens
Mirrors
Light fixtures

Looking for more glass cleaning tips? You can find them in this glass care article. For help with your home’s glass, call Janssen Glass & Door at (913) 677-5727.

Don’t Make These Common Mistakes Caring For Your Glass

Glass is a beautiful component to a home, whether it is for functional or decorative purposes. Oftentimes, however, homeowners aren’t sure how to properly care for their glass. Knowing how to clean and care for your glass is essential to keeping your class features looking great. Janssen Glass shares our top tips for doing just that!

Glass + Paper Towels = A No No

A common misconception when it comes to cleaning glass windows is that you can use paper towels. Because paper towels are fibrous and delicate, they tend to leave behind a lot of lint, which can leave you with a bigger mess than when you started. While you can use newspaper instead, as it is unlikely to produce any loose fibers, keep in mind that some newspaper inks can leave behind streaks. Your best option for cleaning your glass? A microfiber cloth.

Ditch the Ammonia

A common misconception is that using ammonia is good for glass. However, ammonia can actually leave behind a film that collects dust. We recommend using Sprayway glass cleaner, because it works as a protectant as well as a cleaner. Another option to consider is creating your own glass cleaner using common cleaning supplies. The Janssen Glass team put together a DIY guide for creating your own glass cleaner here.

Mirror Musts

When cleaning mirrors, be sure to never use abrasives. Abrasives, as with glass, can scratch and seriously damage the mirror. Keep in mind that you never want to apply the cleaning solution directly to the mirror itself because it can pool and damage the frame and backing.

Tips for Glass Tabletops

Glass tabletops look beautiful in a home and caring for them is actually quite easy. Remember, they are fragile, so take care not to set heavy or objects with sharp edges on the table. Always use coasters and tablemats to protect your glass tabletop. Don’t forget to clean these tabletops often, as they collect and show off dust and fingerprints more than most surfaces.

How to Spruce Up Any Old Coffee Table

A coffee table is a must for most living rooms and family rooms, but do you really need to break the bank when choosing one? Not with Janssen Glass’ tips for sprucing up your old coffee table! Below are the must-haves that we would add to your standard wood coffee table.

Paint Your Table

First things first, you will want to paint your coffee table. Follow these simple steps:

Remove Old Paint: If you’re using an old coffee table with existing paint, you should first remove the old paint so that the wood is exposed. We recommend using paint stripper with a putty knife.

Remove Stain/Finish: If your coffee table was originally stained then you will need to use a different method to expose the wood. We recommend sanding by hand with an 80 – 100 grit paper. The higher the grit of the paper, the smoother the wood will be.

Prime: If you’re using a table that isn’t wood, you will want to first prime it. We recommend using the same method to apply primer that you are using to paint the table.

Paint: Now it’s time to apply the paint! Some paints require multiple coats, so testing on a scrap piece of wood beforehand will give you a good indication of what to expect. Trending today: chalk paint, grays, and whites.

Add a Glass Top

Being a glass company, we believe that glass makes anything more elegant. To really spruce up your coffee table, have a custom glass top made for it. Not sure how to do that? Use this step-by-step guide from the Janssen Glass team.

Style Your Table

Lastly, you will want to style your table. Using magazines and candles or drink trays and plants, there are numerous ways to style your table. Try these tips from Good Housekeeping.

Voila! Your coffee table has now gone from drab to fab. Looking for more helpful tips? Stay up to date with Janssen Glass’ Tips & Tricks for Homeowners.

Moving with Mirrors: Getting Your Mirror Moving Day Ready

When relocating to a new home, there are a number of different items and personal belongings to pack during the process of loading up your old home. One of the main challenges that comes with moving is transporting a mirror or glass without breaking it. To ensure that the product is protected and stays intact, the Janssen Glass team wanted to share a few important tips to follow to prevent it from shattering.

Step 1: Masking Tape & Wrapping

One of the most important steps of properly wrapping a mirror is to cut masking tape and place it in an X shape over the glass to protect it from breaking. You can also fit cardboard over the corners for added protection and to prevent scratches from developing. Then, use more cardboard to cover half an inch on the back and front of the mirror. Use thick towels or sheets on top of the cardboard and wrap it with packaging tape to secure the linens. You can also use bubble wrap after you’ve wrapped the mirror with the packing tape, which will offer extra padding on the mirror and prevent damage.

Step 2: Styrofoam & Boxes

Styrofoam is one of the best materials to use when wrapping a mirror before moving it to protect it from shattering. This can be added on top of any towels, tape, or cardboard that is used. Additionally, you can place the mirror in a fitted box for added protection that will allow it to remain secure as it’s transported to a new location.

Tip: Label the box “fragile” to ensure that professional movers or other people in your family are aware that the item needs to be handled with care!

Step 3: The Handling

If the mirror is awkward in its shape or size, ask a friend or family member to help you move the product when lifting it into the moving truck for proper support. Use gloves to ensure that you have a good grip and that your mirror won’t slip out of your hands.

When packing the mirror into a moving truck or vehicle, it’s important to avoid laying it down flat for transporting. This can cause extra pressure to be applied to the glass, from other boxes and items that are packed, possibly resulting in a shattered mirror.. Instead, place the mirror on its side and avoid packing too many items close to the product to avoid excess pressure on the item. The mirror should be easy to slide in and out, not jammed into place.

If you do happen to break a mirror or glass, no worries! Janssen Glass provides custom glass cutting services. Just give us a call, at (913) 677-5727.

How to Turn any Frame into a Bathroom Mirror

Remember when bathrooms featured a mirror the length of a wall? What about the classic click-in mirrored medicine cabinet? Well, those days are gone! Today’s trend features customized framed mirrors. Yes, this means you’re not stuck with the frame that the mirror comes in at the store. Janssen Glass breaks down the steps for turning any frame into a trendy bathroom mirror.

Step 1: Find the Perfect Frame (or Two)

The beauty of this trend is that you can take any frame and turn it into a mirror. You know that frame at the craft store you’ve been eyeing? What about that frame you have had around the house for years with nothing to put in it? That will make the perfect mirror frame! If you have two sinks in your bathroom, consider finding two of the same frame to add mirrors to. Below are a few of our favorite frames – rustic, industrial and vintage!

Step 2: Pick a Glass Partner

Your next step is to find a company who can make a customized mirror. We recommend doing a quick Google search for your area, or if you live in the Kansas City metro, giving us a call. Mirrors are made out of silver glass. Typically, mirrors have a thin sheet of glass in front of a thin silver, copper film. All of this is in front of a painted layer. Because of this, most custom glass companies should be able to produce a customized piece of glass for your bathroom frame.

Step 3: Hang the Mirror (Properly)

Sure, you’ve hung various items on your walls before, but were you doing it the right way? Improper mirror hanging could cause a couple of messes, for example, running a nail into an electrical wire or pipe. Here are a couple of handy tips:

Find a Stud: Studs are the wooden structural supports for a wall. You should use a stud as the anchor for your mirror to ensure added support. Finding a stud can be done by knocking for a non-hollow part of the wall, using an electronic stud finder, or looking for signs of a stud such as windows, outlets, or molding nails.
Use an Extra Pair of Eyes: Line up your mirror with a family member or a friend to be sure that you are hanging it evenly. When doing this, it is important to know what type of hardware you will be using so that you can measure and mark your wall accordingly!

Hardware Dos and Don’ts: Be sure to account for the weight of your mirror. Heavier objects will require brackets for support. With wired mirrors, you will want to use hooks to hang the mirror onto.

Step 4: Make Your New Bathroom Mirror Shine!

When it comes to cleaning your glass or mirrors, we recommend using Sprayway. It is ammonia free, meaning that it will not taint the film or tint of glass and mirrors. Be sure when you clean any glass surface that you are using a lint-free cotton cloth. This will help to get that streak-free finish! Looking to create your own home remedy, check out our DIY glass cleaner.
Are you interested in a custom cut mirror for your bathroom? Give the team at Janssen Glass a call today, at (913) 677-5727, and we will get you taken care of!

2016 Shower Trends to Update Your Bathroom

Whether you’re planning a complete remodel, or you just want to make a few minor updates to liven up your old bathroom, 2016 is bringing lots of exciting trends and ideas to the world of bathrooms. Here at Janssen Glass, we do a lot of work in bathrooms, so keeping up to date on trends is part of the job. Here are some of the top bathroom trends we are seeing for 2016 that will be perfect in your Kansas City master bathroom.

Minimalist Showers

Clean, simple and elegant designs are here to stay, especially in bathrooms. We’ve seen this trend in the kitchen for a couple of years, and now bathrooms are headed in the same direction. Monochromatic looks, with all white, grey or black are uber popular. You’ll also see showers and shower doors staying on trend with minimalist designs. Heavy glass shower doors, are paired with minimal and simple hardware. Soaking tubs are either non-existent or simple white stand-alones.

Related Read: How to Fix a Dripping Shower

Universal Design

Exclusivity is out and inclusivity is in in a big way. With an aging population and a more disabled-aware public, home design trends are following suit. This means usual problem areas for the senior and disabled, like kitchens and bathrooms, are catching onto a new trend: universal design. Universal design makes bathrooms work for everyone, regardless of age, size and ability, ensuring that your shower will serve you well for years to come. In bathrooms this means zero entry showers, with an open concept design. You won’t see any ledge to step over in the shower, and nozzle heads will be adjustable or handheld.

Square Shaped Fixtures and Showerheads

It’s actually good to be square – at least when it comes to bathroom design in 2016. Geometric inspired square faucets and fixtures are finding their way into master baths and powder rooms everywhere. Angular designs are making appearances in bathtubs, shower heads, tile design and soap dishes.

Water Efficiency

Rising water bills and increasing water supply concerns are influencing bathroom design in a big way. Water efficient appliances and designs are going to be big in 2016. Appliances like low flow toilets, water efficient showerheads and water saving bathroom faucets are going to be everywhere.
When it comes to bathroom and shower design trends, you can count on

Janssen Glass & Door to help you create a space you’re going to love. Call us today at (913) 677-5727 to help you get started.

How to Fix a Dripping Shower

Leaking Shower Head Drip, drip, drip . . . It has to be one of the most annoying noises to a homeowner. Other than leaving a rag at the bottom of the shower, how do you fix it?! While installing a new shower will fix the problem, it isn’t always the most cost effective for everyone. So, the shower experts at Janssen Glass & Door did their homework to help you fix that dreaded drip! Most single-handle, cartridge-style faucets can be repaired in an hour or less with basic tools. You’ll need a 4-in-1 screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. Here’s how to do it:

Remove the Shower Handle Cap

First things first, turn off the water supply to your shower. Turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valves or at your home’s main valve. Next, pry off the handle cap so that the internal handle screw is exposed.

Take out the Cartridge

Next, pull off the stop tube. Pry up the cartridge retaining clip with a small screwdriver. Remove the handle washer and then twist the cartridge stem loose and pull it out with pliers. Virtually every faucet manufacturer has a different method of securing the cartridge to the faucet body. Look for a clip or spring and remove it. Cartridges are often difficult to pull out. Some manufacturers include a removable cap with new cartridges. Align the cap with the old cartridge ears and try to twist the cartridge loose. Then pull it out with pliers.

Look on the handle or trim for the faucet brand or manufacturer. Take the old cartridge with you to a plumbing parts store or a home center to find an exact replacement. A sales associate at a plumbing parts store may be able to identify the brand and model from a photo.

Install the New Cartridge

Turn the hex screw by hand until it bottoms out. Snug up the hex nut by hand and tug on the cartridge puller handle. If the cartridge won’t pull out, hold the puller handle steady and tighten the hex nut two full turns. Pull the cartridge out of the faucet body. Buy an identical replacement cartridge, align it properly and reassemble the parts.

And that’s it! Some faucets will require different instructions. In that case, it’s best to contact the manufacturer. If you decide it’s just time to get rid of that old shower and faucet, contact Janssen Glass & Door at (913) 677-5727. We can help make the new bathroom of your dreams a reality.

How to Create a Mesmerizing Gallery Wall with Mirrors

Custom Mirror Wall Decoration One of the latest interior design trends that has caught fire is gallery walls. A gallery wall is comprised of several pieces of wall art (mirrors, paintings, photographs, objects, etc.) arranged in an appealing or provoking manner on one wall. Whether the point of the gallery wall is create balance or draw your eye to a certain view, you can make this trend work in your home with your favorite custom mirror from Janssen Glass & Door. You can even create a gallery wall with all mirrors! Be sure to pick mirrors of different sizes, reflective properties, and styles for the most interesting wall.

Pick a Focal Point

When creating a gallery wall for your Kansas City area home, be sure to pick a point of focus. Using a custom mirror makes a great focus for your gallery. The reflective properties of mirrors make for a great juxtaposition to matte paintings and objects.

Create Balance

Next, decide how to balance your gallery wall. A great idea is to lay out all the pieces on the ground just below the wall to see what it will look like. Play around with it to find the right balance. All pieces on both sides of the focus point don’t have to be completely balanced in size and placement for it to look right, though. Think of it more in terms of overall mass on either side of the focus of the wall.

And if your room isn’t quite balanced, with more furniture on one side than the other, use an unbalanced gallery wall to create a visual balance to it.

Once you know exactly how you want the gallery wall to hang, outline all of the pieces with construction paper and tape them to the wall where you want to hang each piece. This will make hanging the wall much less stressful.

Be Creative

When it comes down to it, a gallery wall is meant to be creative. There are no hard and fast rules. Show off your most visually provoking and captivating art pieces that will draw visitors’ eyes to your gallery wall. Then, continue to add to it over the years. It’s like a supersized scrapbook for your life that’s always on display.

Call Janssen Glass & Door today at (913) 677-5727 to help you create the perfect custom mirror piece for your gallery wall.

Glass Cleaning Dos & Dont’s

How to Clean Glass Right

Cleaning glass, whether it’s your beautiful windows, your custom glass shelves, or a mirror piece can be frustrating. It seems like no matter what technique you use, you end up with a streaky mess that is sometimes worse than before you cleaned it. The glass and mirror experts at Janssen Glass & Door have four tips to get the glass in your Kansas City home crystal clear and truly clean.

Use Distilled Water to Dilute Your Glass Cleaner

You may think that the tap water you are using to dilute your cleaners is clean, but that’s not always the case. Tap water from your sink can be chock full of minerals and metals that aren’t visible with the naked eye, but can create a streaky film when dried on a surface like glass. If you’re diluting your glass cleaner, consider using distilled water instead of tap water.

Use Vinegar for Streak-Free Cleaning

Vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner for your home. Whether you’re out of your usual glass cleaner or you’re just looking for a cheaper option, vinegar can do wonders for your windows and mirrors. Try mixing a vinegar-water solution (50/50). Just spray or wipe it on like you would any other cleaner. Yes, there is a smell, but it will fade quickly and you’ll forget about it when you see your perfectly streak-free glass and mirrors.

Minimize the Use of Suds

Suds can leave your glass full of streaks. If your glass coffee table is dirty and you’re adding soap to the solution, remember to go easy. It doesn’t take much soap to get that grime, and using too much will result in a sudsy, streaky mess.

No More Paper Towels

Leave the paper towels as napkins. Paper towels leave streaks and linty bits on your glass when used to wipe away cleaner. Your best bet is to use a microfiber cloth, a squeegee, or, even better, a handful of newspaper. It’s a well-known trick in the glass industry. If you go with the newspaper, be sure to wear gloves to protect you hands from the ink. But don’t worry. That ink residue won’t end up on your glass or mirrors – it’s really like magic.

If you’ve tried these steps and still find it hard to get your glass windows or pieces clean, they may have cracks that are allowing moisture inside that can make them appear dirty. Call Janssen Glass & Door today at (913) 677-5727 to replace any damaged glass or mirrors in your home.

Why Choose a National Glass Association (NGA) Company?

We at Janssen Glass & Door know there are plenty of glass companies in Kansas City that can offer our same services, but what sets us apart from the competition is our dedication to the mission and code of ethics of the National Glass Association (NGA).

What Does It Mean To Be A Member Of The National Glass Association

As members of the NGA, we receive world-class education, training, technical, and business products and services, promote best practices, safety and ethics in the workplace, and protect the interest of our industries through legislative, regulatory, and inter-industry advocacy.

We proudly adhere to a code of ethics that engenders public confidence in the integrity and service of glass professional everywhere and agree to the following statements:

Promote and encourage fair and ethical competition.
Fulfill all contractual obligations and respect the contractual obligations of others by not inducing breach of existing contracts.
Use safety glazing materials whenever possible, and to refuse to sell unsafe products.
Maintain a safe work area which provides adequate inventories of glass products and to sell these products at a fair and non-discriminating price.
Maintain the highest industry-wide standards of professional and personal conduct.
Promote the advancement of the association on both the local and national levels, supporting its goals and objectives.

To learn more about Janssen Glass & Door, please give us a call at (913) 677-5727.

Author: Tim Janssen