A full-service installation and glass repair shop, Across Town Glass & Mirror serves the Chicago area since 2009. They feature showroom quality and focus on avoiding the showroom prices. They offer installation services that include storefront doors and windows, custom glass bookshelves, mirror repair and installation, and more.
Specializing in handcrafting, Armand Lee & Company, Ltd. focuses on restoring, fabricating, and replicating custom mounts, fine art frames, and more. Founded in 1940 and based in Chicago, they maintain procedures and techniques that have been recognized by museums with sensitive treatment.
Specializes in restoration, design, and fine custom glass, Art Class Chicago Inc. focuses on excellent customer service, enticing designs, and high-quality art forms. The artists and staff work and design in fine materials, wood, and glass with over 15 years of on the job experience. They provide services that include window applications, stained and decorative glass, installations, repairs, custom wood and other art forms, and more.
Family owned since 1974, Ashland Glass & Mirror Design serves the Chicago and surrounding areas and focuses on working closely with architects, designers, and homeowners to provide custom glass for every project with excellent customer service. They specialize in custom shower enclosures, but also offer a variety of other glass products that include glass walls, closet doors, insulated windows, entrances and storefronts, vanity mirrors, and mirrored walls. They hold the Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2014.
Family owned and operated since 1972, Creative Mirror & Shower serves the Chicago and surrounding areas with services from design to installation for mirrors, glass, and shower doors. They focus on delivering high-quality, outstanding values, and expert craftsmanship. Other services they offer include decorator framed mirrors, sliding glass doors, glass wall partitions, shower enclosures, custom mirrors, and more. Their glass products are manufactured in their company-owned fabrication plant that features expert craftsmen and state of the art machinery. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
Founded in 1972, Curran Glass Studio offers complete art glass services to residents in the Chicago and surrounding areas. Based in Elmwood Park, they focus on restoration work, beveling, bent glass, and designs for leaded and stained glass. Other services they provide include fabricating services, sand etching, hand beveling, glass bending, and more. They hold the Nicholas Award and the Cavalcade of Pride by Oak Park, Illinois.
A full-service residential building and remodeling contractor, Edgebrook Construction serves the Chicago and surrounding areas. Founded in 1988, they focus on keeping costs low, providing high-quality craftsmanship, and delivering customers’ renovations and remodels on budget and on time. They are associated with the Edgebrook Chamber of Commerce Chicago Historic Bungalow Association, hold awards that include first place in 2009 for small kitchen ASID, and hold the 2006 Best Chicago bungalow interior renovation by the Driehaus Foundation.
A glass installer company founded in 1977, GlassWorks combined with Arcadia Residential, Inc. and now offers the full line of Arcadia windows and doors. Based in Glenview and serving the Chicagoland and surrounding areas, they specialize in backsplashes, table tops, mirrors, shower enclosures, and specialty glazing products and commercial glass. They also offer architectural glass services, retail products, glass railing systems, insulated glass reglazing, corporate glass design, and more.
Serving the Chicago and Highland Park areas, Lakeside Glass & Mirror offers a full range of glass services for residential and commercial clients. Founded in 1947, they focus on providing high-quality services with excellent customer service. Their services include cabinet glass, fogged window repair, windows and screens, mirrors, glass tabletops and shelves, and more.
Specializing in custom stained glass windows, installation, and restoration, Mulligan Stained Glass Studio serves the Chicago and surrounding areas since 2004. Their specialty extends to historic Chicago bungalow window designs and late-1800s Victorian style windows. The owner, Jesse began working for a stained glass studio in 1997 to help pay for school and has been working with glass ever since. They focus on using traditional building techniques and high-quality materials for the construction of each window.
Offering a full range of commercial glass and storefront services since 1903, Peterson Glass Co. serves Chicago and the surrounding areas. Family owned for four generations, they focus on providing timely and quality work. They offer walk-in services and other services that include glass tabletops, reglazing of doors, storm windows, aluminum doors and windows, and more.
Founded in 2000 and serving the Chicagoland area, Star-Tech Glass, Inc. is located on the Northwest side of Chicago. The company focuses on offering high-quality products and services with a diverse range of experience with challenging needs customers may have. Services and products they provide include signage and sandblasted design on glass, stairway glass, glass entrance system, aluminum entry doors, glass shower enclosures, mirrors, and more. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
By incorporating mirrors and glass into your home, you can add decoration and functionality. When used effectively, these decorative items can amplify natural light and bring an increased sense of depth to any room. They can also improve visibility, enhance lighting, and create the illusion of more space. If you’re thinking about adding one or both of these popular design elements to your home, learning more about their form, function, and upkeep can help you choose the ideal products and hire the right professional for the job.
Modern mirrors are typically made from clear glass that’s coated on one side with a thin metal film to form a reflective surface. When rays of light hit this reflective surface, they bounce back at an identical angle. Your eyes then see this reflected light as a reverse, or mirror, image.
Mirrors are made through a process known as silvering, which involves spraying metals such as aluminum or silver onto the back of a clear glass pane. The metal, which is typically heated in a vacuum, bonds to the cooler glass to form the reflective surface of the mirror.
The accuracy of a mirror depends on the purity, flatness, and thickness of the glass pane, and the evenness and quality of the reflective coating. A higher-quality mirror provides a more accurate reflection, while a lower-quality mirror may distort the image.
Mirrors are expensive because they’re constructed from glass panels and coated with a tarnish-free metal, both of which are costly. High-quality mirrors tend to be particularly expensive because they can't be mass produced. To ensure accuracy, high-quality mirrors must be custom made from expensive materials such as borosilicate glass or Corning's Ultra-Low Expansion Glass.
First, remove tough dirt using rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Then, spray your mirror evenly with a cleaning fluid that’s specially formulated for glass. Using a microfiber cloth, work downward, zigzagging until all streaks are removed and the mirror is completely dry.
Mirrors should be packed in specially designed mirror boxes, which adjust to reduce shifting. Before boxing your mirror, affix cardboard to the front and back, and wrap it securely, first in packing paper and then bubble wrap. Fill any empty spaces in the box with crumpled packing paper, and then tape it closed.
Using a soft cloth, apply rubbing alcohol to each sticker, and let it sit for several minutes. The stickers should then peel away easily. If part of the sticker remains, you may carefully remove it using a handheld razor blade.
Glass is made from liquid sand. More specifically, most commercially made modern glass is made from sand, which is primarily composed of silicon dioxide, mixed with recycled waste glass, limestone, and soda ash. When heated, these elements combine to form a completely new substance.
To make glass, a mixture of waste glass, limestone, and soda ash is heated to a temperature of approximately 3090 degrees. Once molten, chemicals may be added to change the glass’s appearance or properties. It’s then blown into shapes, poured into molds, or floated on top of molten tin to make flat sheets known as panes.
Tempered glass is a type of safety glass that’s made using a high-pressure cooling procedure. It’s typically about four times stronger than ordinary glass, and when shattered, it breaks into pellets rather than sharp-edged shards, reducing the risk of significant injury.
While your stove is cool, use a sponge or microfiber cloth moistened with water or white vinegar to thoroughly wipe the glass surface. Difficult stains may be removed using a handheld razor blade or by applying a paste made from vinegar and baking soda and covering it with a warm, moist towel.
Archeological evidence suggests that glass was first manufactured in Egypt and Eastern Mesopotamia at around 3500 B.C. However, other records suggest that glass may have been made in and around Syria as early as 5000 B.C. Prior to that, people used naturally occurring glass to create tools, jewelry, and money.
You can remove superficial scratches from glass using white toothpaste. After wiping down the damaged area, apply toothpaste to a damp rag and rub the scratched glass for about 30 seconds using a circular motion and gentle pressure. Then, using a clean rag, wipe away excess toothpaste. Repeat the process until the scratches disappear.
Sea glass is broken glass that's been worn smooth and frosted by years of exposure to ocean waves and currents. Sometimes referred to as beach glass, these small pieces of glass come in a multitude of colors, including green, brown, white, and blue. They’re often found on the beaches of oceans, bays, or large rivers.
First, clean the damaged area using dishwashing liquid and a damp cloth and let the glass dry. Mix two-part epoxy and apply it with a putty knife, working it into the crack. After it cures, scrape away excess epoxy using a handheld razor blade. Remove any residue using a rag moistened with acetone.
Depression glass is colorful glassware that was mass-produced between the late 1920s and early 1940s by companies such as Hocking Glass and MacBeth-Evans. This collectible glassware came in a variety of patterns and colors, and was often iridescent. Because of its low production quality, it often included defects such as bubbles and mold marks.
