Five Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Window Installation Service

Installing new windows is a job best left to the professionals – and having the right team on your side makes a world of difference. By asking potential contractors the right questions, you can confidently choose one that will go above and beyond expectations. Here’s what you should ask every window installation contractor you call:

1.   Are You Licensed and Insured?

Asking about licensing and insurance should always be the first question you ask potential contractors. To become licensed, a company must meet state standards. Insurance, on the other hand, goes a long way to keeping you protected if problems arise during installation or in the future. 

For your safety and peace of mind, both qualifications should be a requirement – not a recommendation. A reputable window installation contractor will be happy to show you proof of that. If a contractor hedges on this question, it’s best to walk away.

2.   Do You Charge a Fee for the Initial Consultation?

Most professional installers provide a complimentary consultation and estimate – any contractor who charges you for a consultation is likely to overcharge for their services too. 

During your free consultation, the contractor should provide a clear breakdown of their services, what they cost, and how long the project should take. If the estimate seems confusing or doesn’t give you firm pricing information, that’s another good reason to walk away.

Likewise, remember to ask if they charge any additional fees and what happens in the event costs exceed the estimate. 

3.   Can You Show Me Examples of Your Past Work?

Contractors with a long list of quality examples – preferably with pictures and references you can call – have proof that they have the experience you’re looking for. These stylistic examples also give you better insight into what the workmanship of the finished product might look like.

If you’re assessing your installer based on a friend’s referral, consider asking them for a better look at the project. You can also validate an installer’s claims by going online. Check out Angie’s List, Yelp, social media, or the Better Business Bureau to see if their past clients have been satisfied or not.

Doing this bit of research can help you find the best contractor for the job. You can also check North Carolina’s contractor licensing site or call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM to check a contractor’s status with the NC Attorney General’s office. Remember that a business license is not the same as a license for a trade such as electrical or plumbing work. 

4.   How Long Will the Project Take?

Whether you need a shower door for a home-bathroom remodel or a window installer for your business, always ask for precise estimates on the project’s completion time. A poorly planned project can cause a lot of undue stress, and this is doubly true for larger tasks like window installations for whole-room or house remodels.

Contractors who can provide a detailed timeline for the project will help you keep better track of their performance. Conversely, installers who only give vague details and estimates should raise a red flag. A lack of specifics shows that they’re not confident enough to make more specific claims. 

Alternately, they may be trying to find wiggle room to abandon your project for days or weeks to work on a higher-paying project. 

5.   How Will You Protect My Property During Installation?

What safety measures will the contractor employ to keep your property protected? Will they cover up your floors, walls, and furniture before starting the project?

It’s also a good idea to ask if they will handle the cleanup afterward. If not, you’ll have to do it yourself or hire a separate cleaning company – which is another expense.

Consider Oak City Glass

Looking for a place to start your search for the best window installation service in Clayton, NC? Consider Oak City Glass. Their team is focused on giving each client the best possible service and support. Whether you need a glass repair service or a bathroom remodeler, they only use high-quality products to ensure a long-lasting fixture with a beautiful finish. 

For more information about window installation services, please contact Oak City Glass of Clayton, North Carolina at (919) 710-8662 for a free estimate. You can also check out examples of their work on Facebook or Twitter.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/five-essential-questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-window-installation-service/

Clayton, NC, Glass Installer Creates Beautiful Bathrooms Remodels

The team at Oak City Glass offers turnkey bathroom remodels for the Raleigh area. They provide a range of different services, from changing a simple loose tile to a complete bathroom remodel. The team of professionals is courteous, punctual, and highly competent in their field. Areas of expertise include tile, granite, painting, flooring, carpentry, trim, wood rot replacement, real estate punch lists, and sheetrock.

The bathroom is arguably the wettest room in the home with multiple sinks, a tub, a shower, and a  toilet. When a shower or bath is taken, the room is exposed to an immense amount of moisture. Showers are often connected to a tankless water heater for unlimited hot water, lending the shower sauna-like features. As a result, the bathroom, one of the smallest rooms in a home, is a mold spore’s utopia.

Hidden Water Damage in the Bathroom

The potential for water damage in the bathroom is considerable because of the extensive plumbing and many possible leak points. Many of the potential leaks may be hidden or hard to spot. Here are some examples where, if a leak occurred, it would be difficult to notice.

1. Sink plumbing located behind the wall
2. “P-trap” pipe concealed under a cabinet
3. Sink supply line and faucet connection
4. Toilet tank and supply line
5. Toilet wax ring
6. Shower plumbing located behind a wall, such as the showerhead connection and the hot and cold supply lines
7. Shower drain
8. Shower floor cracks
9. Shower door
10. Skylight roof leaks

How to Spot Signs of a Hidden Water Leak

Though the leak may be “hidden,” evidence of the leak is detectible. Here are several tips on how to spot a hidden water leak in the bathroom.

Visually inspect the bathroom. Look for stains on the ceiling, walls, and floor. Look for pooling water under the cabinets, beside the toilet, and next to the shower or tub. Look for black, brown, or green discolorations under cabinets, behind furniture, under rugs, and around the toilet tank. Periodically check in the crawl space under the bathroom for leaks. Inspect the insulation for moisture and wetness.

Listen for sounds of dripping, pouring, splashing, or spraying water. The room must be quiet, but water does make a distinctive noise.

Conduct a sniff test of the bathroom. A mold infestation may be detected by its pungent odor before visible signs appear. Sniff for moldy or mildew odors in rooms that share a wall with the bathroom.

Has anyone experienced eye, nose, throat, or skin irritation? Was there an asthma flare-up? Sometimes brain fog and nausea can signal a mold infestation.

If suspicions of water damage or a mold infestation are aroused, contact a plumber or general contractor to carefully inspect the situation. Water damage repair and mold mitigation may be required to make the room livable and safe again.

Allowing a water leak to continue can lead to advanced secondary water damage, which may be more extensive than the initial damage. Wet sheetrock can degrade and must be replaced rather than simply dried and repaired. Wall studs may warp and crack. Baseboards can suffer a similar fate as the wall studs. No longer salvageable, the baseboards may need replacing. If not quickly and thoroughly dried, flooring may require extensive repair or replacement. If the leak is not halted, subflooring will eventually absorb the water, warp and expand, and need to be removed and replaced. If extensive water and mold damage has occurred, the entire bathroom may need to be gutted and repaired. Acting quickly can save time and money on repairs.

Turn a Bad Situation Into a Dream Bathroom Remodel

A worst-case scenario may actually turn out to be a best-case scenario, especially if homeowners insurance will pay for some or all of the repairs. Working with a competent remodeler, such as Oak City Glass, who knows insurance could result in the best of both worlds. The damage repair is paid for by the insurance company. Strategic planning with the contractor and the bathroom design team could parlay the damage repairs into a fabulous bathroom remodel project.

The Oak City Glass bathroom remodelers have over ten years of experience installing a variety of glass shower enclosures, including framed, semi-frameless, hybrids, 3/8 custom, serenity (barn door style), and bypass shower enclosures.

Customer satisfaction is a core value of this small, family-owned and operated business that strives to be known for its hard work, best quality, and family-friendly business. For more information about how to turn a bathroom water damage disaster into a dream remodel, contact Oak City Glass at (919) 710-8662.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/clayton-nc-glass-installer-creates-beautiful-bathrooms-remodels/

How to Incorporate Glass Into a Kitchen Remodel Project

Oak City Glass, a small family-owned business serving the metro Raleigh area, focuses on providing customers with high-quality products, services, and support when installing residential and commercial glass and fulfilling remodeling needs.

Glass is a versatile building material with many applications for every setting and price point. For homeowners desiring to incorporate the design element into a kitchen or bathroom remodel, there are many options to choose from. Oak City Glass offers three simple tips to enhance a kitchen remodel using glass as a design element.

Design Tip: Indoor picnic atmosphere with glass panels for a sun-filled kitchen area

Let the sun shine in through glass panels to create an open, airy indoor living space centered around a spacious kitchen table. Recent events have caused lifestyles to shift to a more home-centered emphasis than in past decades. School, business, and recreation now take place in the great room or dining area around the kitchen table or work area.

Removing traditional windows, enlarging the existing spaces, and filling the areas with any number of glass options to fit any budget can provide ample amounts of sunlight and vitamin D without compromising energy efficiency or breaking the remodeling budget. Some employers will reimburse employees who make renovations to their homes to accommodate work-from-home employment. The design team at Oak City Glass can take an idea and bring it to life.

Design Tip: Glass tabletop

A glass tabletop may give some homeowners pause, but it offers many advantages. A glass tabletop is an affordable option to add space and depth to a kitchen or work area. A glass tabletop lends a casual, relaxed atmosphere to work, virtual school, or play. The surface is easy to clean and adds an elegant dimension to the kitchen. A tempered glass product is sturdy and safe. Consult with the experts at Oak City Glass for more options.

Design Tip: Open shelving with protective glass panels or glass cabinet doors

Show off prized collectibles and heirlooms, such as formal dinnerware that has been in the family for generations or antique teapots collected over decades of searching.

Installing an open shelving solution with glass panels or glass cabinet doors will enable the heirlooms to be displayed and enjoyed while keeping them dust-free and safe. An open shelving design element will make the kitchen seem larger and more inviting. Including everyday items in the glass door cabinets carries the added bonus of not having to open many drawers and doors to find the items needed for meal preparation.

Glass Options

The technology involved in manufacturing glass is impressive, and the options available to homeowners and businesses are wide-ranging and usually very affordable. Incorporating glass in the remodel project with the help of the design and installation professionals at Oak City Glass can open up new opportunities to bring light and life to any home environment.

Gas-Filled Window Glass

Gas-filled windows are a favorite because of the superior performance of the thermal efficiency. An inert gas is injected between the panes. The gas-filled windows can reduce the amount of heat that escapes from the home through standard windows. The high-performance of gas-filled windows comes at somewhat of a higher cost than standard glass, but the energy savings and sustainability are a reasonable tradeoff for the added expense.

Insulated Glass

Insulated window solutions are an excellent choice for homeowners desiring cost-effective energy efficiency. Insulated windows are comprised of two or more glass panes or panels with an air space between them. The panes are sealed along the edges specifically for insulation purposes. Many modern building codes require insulated glass because of the added energy efficiency. Insulated glass is economical because of the simple construction feature, making it a popular choice for the budget-minded.

Heat Absorbing Tinted Glass

Heat absorbing tinted glass is suitable for the sunny, southern climate. Metro Raleigh is sunny about 220 days per year. This type of glass will work well in this region but is extremely well suited for an intensely sunny desert climate. A technologically advanced glaze enables the tinted glass to absorb heat energy, which reduces the sun’s glare in the home. This application is very cost-effective for the cost-conscious homeowner or business owner.

Low-Emissivity Coatings (Low-E Glass)

Low-e glass has low-emissivity coatings that reduce the flow of heat from the home. The innovative technology keeps rooms warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Windows and glass panels with these coatings can reduce the heat loss by as much as 50%. This technology adds a noticeable cost to the price of the glass, but the upfront expense has a positive tradeoff. In the long run, low-e coatings reduce energy loss and save money on power bills.

Spectrally Selective Coatings

Glass with spectrally selective coatings is desirable for warm, sunny areas, much like heat-absorbing tinted glass. This glass technology allows the full amount of sunlight to pass through the glass. The spectrally selective coatings significantly help to reduce the amount of heat in the home. These coatings serve to keep rooms cool during days of intense heat without reducing the amount of light entering through the glass. This type of glass performs well and is well worth the very reasonable cost.

Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is an incredibly strong type of glass. It is specially manufactured to withstand high winds and thermal extremes. Tempered glass crumbles when broken, making it a safe option for the home. Tempered glass is moderately priced and worth the price for the added safety feature.

Reflective Coatings

This glass has reflective coatings that reduce solar radiation entering the home. This filtering of solar radiation makes this glass product popular with larger buildings. Reflective coated glass is very affordable for the benefits it provides.

The versatility, beauty, and affordability of glass over other building materials invite creativity and ingenuity. Call and schedule a consultation with the experienced glass masters at Oak City Glass. They are more than skilled installation technicians. They are artisans who combine an old-world standard of craftsmanship with the innovative technologies of modern glass manufacturing.

For more information about using glass for a kitchen remodel, custom shower enclosure, or other home improvement project, visit the Oak City Glass website at oakcityglass.com. Contact the office by phone at (919) 710-8662.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/how-to-incorporate-glass-into-a-kitchen-remodel-project/

Local Glass Installer Offers Tips for Interior Designers

Glass, a versatile material, offers unlimited potential to transform a living space, making it more useful and beautiful. Technological advances have expanded these possibilities even further. Glazing is not only a practical part of architecture and construction, but it also plays a significant role in interior design.

At Oak City Glass, a Clayton, NC, company that specializes in custom glass and shower door installation, the professional team of glaziers are skilled artisans who cut, install and remove glass. Glaziers often work with windows, doors, shower doors, mirrors, tabletops, skylights, ceilings, storefronts, display cases, facades, and interior walls.

To understand the benefits that glass offers, the professional interior designer or the homeowner seeking to upgrade their home must acquire a basic appreciation for the art and skill of glazing in structural design. The best designers understand the importance of working with architectural glass installers. Oak City Glass highlights some of the benefits of incorporating glass into an interior design.

Invite the outside in

While interior design focuses on the interior environment of a space or structure, this does not mean that designers must limit themselves to aesthetics that are only drawn from the industrial, the modern, or the architectural. One of the great advantages of glass over wood or brick in interior design is that glass makes it possible to invite the outside world into the living space, be it a kitchen, sunroom, or great room.

“Inviting the outside world in” gets used frequently in architecture and design discussions, sometimes without much thought. It does not necessarily offer any insight as to what is intended by the designer or homeowner who wants to use glass to give a home a brighter, more open atmosphere. Glass enables interior designs to draw upon the outside world as a visual stimulus. Designers use glass to create a seamless link between the interior of the room or home and the external world.

Provide additional visual real estate

Given the tendency toward minimalism, glazing can give interior designers additional visual real estate with which to work. Designers need not focus as much on creating the illusion of roominess when they work with a space that has an aesthetic flow between the indoors and the outdoors. A small room with lots of glass instantly becomes a room as big as the great outdoors. The glass walls or windows of the room become living, flowing, swaying murals that compete with any painted masterpiece or vibrant wall tapestry. What is the price of fine art? When the canvas is a large, bay window or a glass-enclosed porch, the world’s finest art, the great outdoors, becomes affordable.

Draw from nature

Another one of glass’ benefits is its ability to connect with the outdoors, allowing the interior designer or homeowner to draw from nature. While it is not necessary to make the use of wood or stone a part of a design plan that seeks to link to nature, a large glazed installation such as a bay window or a glass wall can become a visual focal point that unifies the interior.

By offering a view of something like a water feature, a butterfly garden, a treescape, or another natural element in an outdoor setting, glass can enhance designs that draw from nature by granting a view of the landscapes that inspired the design. This same principle also applies to urban environments. Views of everything from the tall buildings of downtown Raleigh to well-landscaped townhouses can be used to harmonize a modern interior aesthetic.

Shift focus from inside to outside

Glass has more than the ability to bring the outdoors inside; it enables designers to shift the focus from the interior to the exterior. There are many different options available, and technology allows for more innovative and practical solutions than ever. Listing a few of the most popular glass options that bring something unique to interior design may help generate design ideas that are truly outside the box. These options include:

• Glass doors
• Glass windows
• Glass walls
• Skylights/glass roofs

Conclusion

Glass is the clear solution for designers and homeowners who want to bring the outside in, expand the horizons of their design capabilities, and exceed the limitations of their living space.

For more information about the benefits of glass for interior design, visit the Oak City Glass website at oakcityglass.com. Contact the team by phone at (919) 710-8662.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/local-glass-installer-offers-tips-for-interior-designers/

Six Advantages of Glass Shield Counter Barriers

In the wake of COVID-19, one of the more visible changes in the way Americans do business is the explosive increase in the number of shield counter barriers. People expect and regulations require sneeze guards in restaurants at the buffet and salad bars. With COVID-19, shield counter barriers have become mainstream.

The sudden appearance of glass shield solutions in retail, hospitality, and many other industries has caught people by surprise. The instant demand has kept the custom glass industry extremely busy as both essential and non-essential businesses have sought to upfit to accommodate new demands for social distancing and employee and customer protection. The designation of the counter shield as a COVID-19 best practice gives assurance to people on both sides of the barrier that they are safe.

The Advantages of Glass Shield Solutions

Counter barriers can be manufactured using tempered glass, plexiglass, or acrylic. Overnight, shields made of sheets of plexiglass or acrylic glued or taped to boards sprung up by the thousands, if not tens of thousands, all over the US. The makeshift shields were attached to counters with nails or deck screws. The crude shields were temporary until more permanent and attractive solutions could be implemented.

Counter shields made of tempered glass have many advantages over plexiglass and acrylic.

1. Glass has a greater visual clarity than plexiglass or acrylic and boasts scratch-free optics that are clear and sharp. Glass has a more professional and permanent look and feel than either plexiglass or acrylic.
2. Stronger and more durable than its rivals, tempered glass is less likely to be scratched or cracked.
3. Tempered glass is shatter-proof. Non-glass competitors can crack and split, creating a safety hazard for people on both sides of the barrier. If tempered glass is damaged, the whole plate safely shatters so that no one is cut or injured by large shards of glass.
4. Tempered glass used in the counter barrier is safe. “Touched” or “eased” corners have been lightly sanded, so they are not sharp. Rounded corners on a square or rectangular piece of glass have been cut with a radius to form a curved outer edge, which can then be polished or beveled for further protection or to improve the appearance of the barrier.
5. Tempered glass retains fewer germs and is easily cleaned and sanitized. Glass is also more resilient to the disinfectants that may be used to kill bacteria and viruses.
6. Tempered glass can be customized with branding, text, or any graphic design. Oak City Glass can create a unique viewing experience with Satori, an in-glass printing solution that allows clients to transform a shield counter barrier into a masterpiece.

While plexiglass and acrylic have their advantages in certain applications, these materials lack the visual clarity of glass and may damage easily. They are also more prone to receive scratches, chips, and gouges where bacteria and viruses can collect and thrive. Removing these germs can be difficult. Strong disinfectants are needed to kill germs that remain after a general cleaning solution and scrubbing have been applied.

Mounting Options

Counter barriers do not have to be cumbersome and unfriendly. Flexible mounting options make counter shields customer-friendly and movable for easy cleaning. Barriers can be hung from the ceiling or an overhead mount and when professionally mounted, are barely noticeable. A barrier can be installed on very stable feet that allow it to be fully removed for cleaning. The feet can be anchored to the counter so that the barrier cannot tip over. Alternatively, the barrier can be securely and permanently mounted to the counter.

Conclusion

Whatever the new normal looks like, protective counter barriers are a part of it. A recent article in Today featured the headline “Walmart, Kroger and more install sneeze guards to help protect customers, cashiers.”

The article explains the extent of the effort to keep cashiers and customers safe, saying, “As many grocery retailers race to meet the rapidly rising demand by hiring new employees amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, their corporate teams are simultaneously implementing new procedures to help keep people safer and healthier. One of the latest measures includes installing large sneeze guards to protect cashiers and customers from spreading germs while completing transactions.”

Over the next several months, thousands of protective shields and counter barriers will be installed. The experts at Oak City Glass have the experience and knowledge to make any workspace safe, clean, and beautiful.

For more information about glass shield counter barriers, visit the Oak City Glass website at oakcityglass.com or call (919) 710-8662.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/six-advantages-of-glass-shield-counter-barriers/

3 Advantages of a Glass Sneeze Guard

The current global pandemic has greatly heightened public awareness of the spread of infectious diseases such as the flu, common cold, and COVID-19. In response to the national emergency, the federal, state, and local governments have shut down schools and non-essential businesses, limited public gatherings, and restricted travel. Some restaurants are offering curbside service if their dining areas have been temporarily closed.

There has been a shift in the way that many Americans think about hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitation. People are paying closer attention to cleanliness, safety, and protection when they shop or eat out.

The invention of the sneeze guard is an example of ingenuity and problem-solving at its best. On March 10, 1959, John Garneau, an inventive restaurateur, filed his patent for the “Food Service Table.” This food shield became known as a “sneeze guard.” It was intended to protect food on display from bacteria and other germs that may be spread by sneezing, coughing, or breathing. It did not take long for the device to capture the attention of government inspectors. By the early 1960s, the FDA mandated the use of food guards, and similar regulations were subsequently adopted by all 50 states.

What are the basic guidelines for the installation of a sneeze guard?

Sneeze guards or similar food guards are a universal requirement for restaurants, food carts, and other venues where food is displayed or served. Each state sets its own guidelines, so foodservice vendors need to have a professional installer who knows the laws and guidelines. NSF International, a trusted name in food safety, offers very detailed instructions for food shields.

The following basic guidelines apply across the board:

1. The height of any food guard needs to be tall enough for the average customer, who is between five and six feet tall.
2. A buffet sneeze guard should blend in with the decor of the restaurant. Frame color, shield size, and installation affect the appearance of a restaurant. This consideration could have a dramatic effect on how a customer perceives the cleanliness and sanitation of a restaurant establishment. Positive perception is essential for repeat business. An experienced commercial glass installer can match sneeze guards and other food barriers to the restaurant décor.
3. All sneeze guards, including custom-made sneeze guards, must not be movable by the customer or staff. Swinging sneeze guards cannot protect food.

What are the advantages of a glass sneeze guard?

A sneeze guard is a small glass partition wall, and its many applications include use in restaurants, buffets, coffee shops, snack bars, and food carts. Sneeze guards are mostly made of clear glass so that the customer can see the food. The clear tempered glass typically used on sneeze guards has the following advantages:

#1. Durability

Tempered glass is significantly stronger than standard annealed glass. This added strength is recommended since customers sometimes do some strange things or have heavy objects fall out of their pockets or are unsafe with the utensils provided to serve the food.

#2. Hygiene

Smooth surfaces are easy to wash and sanitize, and glass stands up well to the strong cleaners and disinfectants that are used in restaurants.

#3. Appearance

Glass can dress up the buffet line. It pairs well with the sneeze guard’s metal components. A skilled glass fabricator and installer can custom design and install sneeze guards that complement the décor, protect the food, and allow the customer and the food service worker to access the food behind the sneeze guards.

In these times of heightened hygiene awareness, the sneeze guard is indispensable for restaurants and other settings where food is prepared and served for the public. For durability, hygiene protection, and appearance, the sneeze guard is an affordable, attractive solution. An experienced, knowledgeable custom design and installation company can create or renovate a sneeze guard design to match and even enhance any décor.

For more information about commercial glass sneeze guards, contact the glass specialists at Oak City Glass at (919) 710-8662.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/3-advantages-of-a-glass-sneeze-guard/

Choosing the Best Vanity Top for a Bathroom Remodel

Functionality and durability are primary considerations when choosing a kitchen countertop. While bathroom countertops do not have the same requirements as kitchen cabinets, they still need to be durable and resilient to certain activities and chemicals.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association offers the following expert advice: “If you’re looking for a bathroom countertop—usually called a vanity top—look for something that will stand up to water, soap, toothpaste, cosmetics, and alcohol- and acetone-based liquids.”

What does this advice mean for the bathroom countertop? Functionality is still important, but design and style can be more at the forefront when selecting that perfect bathroom countertop for a new installation or remodel. Bathroom countertops are generally custom-made, leaving the style and design options wide open to personal taste. Vanity countertops can make a fashion statement and still be practical while providing additional workspace. The selection of a particular material can establish the tone of the bathroom. High-quality stainless-steel countertops are low maintenance and look fabulous in a contemporary bathroom. Aging enhances the look and beauty of stainless steel. Glass can also be striking and modern, but keeping it clean may be challenging. One alternative is to use glass tiles.

Aside from appearance, other factors to consider are price, maintenance, and compatibility when investing in a bathroom countertop. Consider the following popular ideas when investigating and deciding which countertop is perfect for a bathroom remodel in Clayton, NC.

Granite

Granite is the Rolls-Royce of countertops. This rock material is durable, stain-resistant, and beautiful. In the past, it was the surface of choice for high-end bathrooms. Today, granite is gaining in popularity across a broad spectrum of home styles. The most durable of countertops, granite is the easiest to care for of any of the natural stone materials. Though relatively expensive, granite provides an elegant, luxurious look that is unmatched among its countertop competitors. If a solid granite slab is over budget, consider more affordable granite tiles.

Maintenance is somewhat challenging. Granite countertops need to be sealed every six months to a year. Clean the countertops with warm water and liquid detergent, and avoid abrasive cleaners that will scratch and dull the finish. Small chips and scratches in the granite can be polished down.

Manufactured Quartz

Manufactured quartz mimics the appearance of granite, limestone, or marble. This product is made up of 90% quartz particles. The synthetic composite comes in a wide variety of colors and thicknesses, and it is more resistant to scratches and stains.

Quartz is the material to use when considering a countertop with a specialized edging. Practical for the bathroom, quartz is easy to clean, durable, and does not require sealing.

Tile

While tile has always been a popular material for bathroom countertops, homeowners often complain about the need to clean the grout. However, tiles are now available in much larger sizes, which eliminate the need for numerous grout lines. Through-body or unglazed porcelain tiles are stronger than granite and about a third of the price. The wide variety of types of ceramic and porcelain tiles, including ones that have a metallic look, allow for incredibly beautiful designs. Tiles also work well with other materials such as glass or concrete. The beauty of using tile is that there are so many choices.

The grout complaint can be resolved in several ways. Using a colored grout that does not show dirt as easily and which plays off the color of the tile is one solution. A terra-cotta tile with a dark gray grout provides a striking contrast and also does not show grout issues as readily. In terms of general maintenance for tile, grout lines need regular maintenance and cleaning even with the use of different colors of grout. The tiles can be easily cleaned with any household detergent.

Solid-Surface Materials

One of the most popular countertop options available, solid-surface materials, is more affordable and easier to clean. Designed to look like natural stone, this countertop medium is an easy-to-maintain synthetic product that can be molded to fit any design specification. Using a solid-surface material is great if there is a concern about mold or mildew since the nonporous, hypoallergenic surface inhibits the growth of these allergens. Solid-surface materials are usually known by a brand name, such as Corian, Staron, Gibraltar, or Avonite.

The aesthetic boundaries for bathroom countertops are less confining than for kitchen countertops. Pull out all the design and style stops; the options are prolific. Consult with an experienced bathroom design and remodel specialist to discover the wide selection of bathroom vanity tops for the ideal bathroom remodel.

For more information about bathroom remodeling, glass shower enclosures, or residential glass, contact Oak City Glass at (919) 710-8662.

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source https://oakcityglass.com/press-releases/choosing-the-best-vanity-top-for-a-bathroom-remodel/