Skylights to Bring in Sunlight

Skylights to Bring in Sunlight

Natural light lifts spirits, makes spaces appear larger, and reveals our world in its true colors. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, it also reduces eyestrain, increases our productivity and lessens electricity consumption. Skylights are available in a variety of sizes that will easily integrate into your ceiling and roofing construction. Introducing more natural light into your home from one or more skylights will make your rooms feel more spacious, expansive and more beautiful. The increase in natural light can help decrease your overall energy costs. Skylights that open up can also provide ventilation in rooms that may not be well-ventilate.

Positioning

Skylights must be located where the sun can shine on them directly. A skylight foe not produces a useful amount of daylight if it is shaded by adjacent structures or foliage. Similarly, skylights are not worthwhile in areas that have heavy cloud cover for a large period of time. In single-floor buildings, skylights may provide a large fraction of illumination requirements. Sunlight is so intense that skylights can provide virtually any illumination level that is required. There are agencies which specialize in skylights. You can even get them custom fabricated. Skylights are commonly made from glass, glass composites, plastics and plastic composites. All these materials can be treated to reduce light transmission and cooling load, either by adding dyes that absorb light or by adding a reflective surface. The advantages of glass include unlimited life, high light transmission, hardness and rigidity.

Decorative Glass

Decorative Glass 

Decorative glass is a great way to spruce up any living space without too much expense; it’s an easy way to allow natural light into your space without sacrificing privacy. Whether you are renovating your home, building a new home or just looking to add a special touch to your existing décor, decorative glass can be just the thing for you!

At Dwight’s Glass & Mirror, we offer a variety of shapes, sizes, finishes, colors, tinting, textures and edgings for you to choose from. The experts at our showroom can guide you through your choices and help you determine the type and style of glass that will accomplish the goals you have for your space.

No matter what you have in mind for your space, if you can imagine it, we can create it!

Whether you’d like decorative glass for a shower door, entry door, window, sidelight panels, cabinet doors, glass showcases in Albuquerque or any other application you can think of, the experts at Dwight’s Glass & Mirror can help bring your dreams to life with decorative glass that is created custom for your space!

With over 4 years experience, our experts can not only help you choose the best type of glass for your application, but provide professional installation so that your decorative glass piece provides your home with beauty for years to come.

Cutting Your Energy Costs With New Windows

Cutting Your Energy Costs With New Windows

It seems the cost of heating or cooling your home is starting to get rather expensive. One sure fire way to help cut the cost down somewhat is to replace your existing windows with new, more energy efficient ones. But the lurking question remains, what types are out there and which one is the best for my home? Sit back, relax, and hold on for a ride through the new window tour.

First there is toughened glass. This type is also known a tempered glass. This window type is created by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its overall strength and durability. If this window does break it will shatter into small fragments similar to a broken car window. This type also greatly enhances thermal resistance. Major uses for this type of glass are in ovens and baking apparatus as well as automotive applications.

Next we have laminated glass. This type is also known as safety glass and will not shatter when broke. It will hold its form. It is made up of an interlayer (two or more layers of glass). It is commonly used in skylight glazing and automotive windshields. It is also seen in exterior storefronts as well as curtain walls and windows. Multiple laminates and thicker glass is use for bulletproof applications.

Next we have tinted glass. This is also known as window film. The advantage to this type is it reduces heat and radiation from the sun. The film used is either dyed or metalized in order to convert incoming solar radiation into infrared radiation and then refracted back through the glass to the exterior. There is a trade off with this type of glass though. It can cost 10 - 15% more than regular glass but can reduce energy loss by30 - 50%.

Art Glass Windows and Doors

Make Your Home Stand Out From the Rest With Gorgeous Art Glass Windows and Doors!

Whether you're bored with your home's plain facade or you're interested in adding even more charm to your whimsical Victorian, art glass windows are a great way to give your home character and style. Encompassing both beveled glass windows and stained glass windows, art glass is a gorgeous way to add architectural detail and interest to your home.

Art glass isn't just for churches anymore! From commercial applications to residential homes, art glass can help your building look great with eye-catching color, sparkle, and appeal. Available in a huge variety of looks and styles both contemporary and traditional, these stunning windows can be designed to suit almost any home and decor. Your area glass company can help create a custom stained glass or beveled window for just about any part of your home. The most popular locations for these beautiful accent windows include:

•Entrance doors

•Transoms, arches, and eyebrow windows

•Accent windows (round, oval, octagonal, etc)

•Bathrooms

The Effect of Poorly Insulated Glass in Your Windows

The Effect of Poorly Insulated Glass in Your Windows

The Department of Energy estimates that over 20% of the heat loss or gain in your home may be due to radiation which comes through poorly or non-insulated glass. It is not uncommon for apparently well-built homes to have windows that measure a high (U) Factor (which is undesirable). To reinforce this point, here is a direct quote from a Department of Energy publication:

"Windows can be one of your home's most attractive features. Windows provide views, day lighting, ventilation and solar heating in the winter. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill. During the summer, sunny windows make your air conditioner work two to three times harder. If you live in the Sun Belt, look into new solar control spectrally selective windows, which can cut the cooling load by more than half." (Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy and Money at the Home)

The Department of Energy publications are replete with advice on how to reduce the cost of energy in your home, a major factor of which relates to inefficient windows. If you check your windows now and find the glass is single pane, you probably would have been wise to replace them sometime ago.

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows to Decorate Your Home

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows to Decorate Your Home

In this article, we will be discussing some of the magnetic facets of stained glass windows.

Stained glass windows are the patterns of transparent mosaic that are composed of panels of colored and dyed glass and it is then organized to create an abstract design or pictorial image. As we are aware of the fact that the such windows have gone through the tests of time and some of them have showcased a prominent feeling than others. If you ever across a real antique stained glass window, you should take into consideration various steps to renovate the same as it has a priceless feeling attached to it. With the help of refurbishment of such a window, you can give a fresh look to the stunning window. You will definitely enhance the beauty of your house with its presence. Stained glass windows are the windows that truly have a magnificent effect and certainly make you feel that you are living in another world. When the bright shining sun takes a glimpse at your house, you will get a feeling that air of your house has become kaleidoscopically enchanting.

At times, you view the work of art in antiquated buildings in the old country that is in a state of dilapidation. It would not be wrong to say that it is an art that is slowly and gradually vanishing as people are getting more inclined towards the use of other materials. They are on the verge of discontinuing the expensive glass that was vigorously exploited by medieval artisans.

Laminated Glass As Replacement Glass is the Answer For Broken Window

Laminated Glass As Replacement Glass is the Answer For Broken Window

Laminated glass, popularly known as the safety glass is one of the most marked inventions of its time. It was accidentally discovered by the French chemist during his experimentation. The benefit of the discovery of laminated glass has since then made life literally very convenient. Laminated Glass was also used during the First World War. One of the classic features of laminated glass is that when it is severely damaged, it doesn't break in to small pieces. This produces a characteristic "spider web" cracking pattern when the impact is not enough to completely pierce the laminated glass.

Laminated glass  is widely used in automobiles and building structures to prevent damage during accidents and unforeseen contingencies. Such glasses cannot cause any severe damage due to breakage, as they do not shatter into small pieces. In times of breakage, replacement is easily available. Replacement glass is available in all shapes, sizes and combinations. Of late, a lot people prefer using a variety of glasses as replacement glass for their broken window and doors. Instead of ordinary glass, laminated or frosted glass is used as a tougher replacement glass. Broken window is now no more a pain to worry about. It is very easy to find a replacement for your broken window.