So, we have done two Hot or Not 2019 blogs already, but in those two blogs we focused heavily on the hots… but not the NOTS. Because focusing on the negatives can be a major drag. But alas! We cannot have the positives without the negatives, so lets check out the dark side of glass and see what is NOT hot in 2019.

I’m going to find the lack of positivity in this post disturbing.

Regular Clear Glass

ultra clear glass vs. standard clear glass

Alright… we KNEW this one. But let us once and for all put this to bed.

Regular clear glass, the glass and mirror that we have seen for all of our lives – is green. It’s green. And it distorts the color of anything and everything that it either reflects or covers. Brand new tile? Green. Fresh painted walls? Green. It makes everything appear to have a green hue or tone to it, and it isn’t a great look.

So why is it green?

Cheaply made glass has high concentrations of iron in it. Iron? Yes, iron. And iron causes the glass to take on that green look. But higher quality, and better made glass, has lower concentrations of iron in it and that’s where Low Iron Ultra Clear lives. Low iron has a blue edge, but DOES NOT cause any color distortion. So if you use it for your shower enclosure, it won’t discolor the look of your tile or marble. You can use Low Iron Mirrors in your bathrooms and not reflect back a green cast. You can Back Paint the glass and have the color stay true to what’s in the can. You simply can NOT do any of that with regular clear glass.

Another way that regular clear glass causes a bad distraction – table tops. What’s wrong with a green table top Alex? Let me tell you.

The thick glass is, the more it reflects back on itself. So the thicker a piece of glass is, especially if it is heavy with iron, the GREENER it looks. We have a huge top in the back of our showroom that we use for ourselves, but it is regular clear glass, and yes, the green does take away from how pretty that table could be. The green in glass is honestly kind of gross looking – and MY FAVORITE COLOR IS GREEN!

This is also a MAJOR problem with shower enclosures and Glass Wine Cellars, especially when the client goes with our thicker glass options.

So when it comes to regular clear glass – it’s green and very, very cold.

Gold Framed Bi-Pass Sliders

Ok – let me take a deep breather here for a second and compose myself because EVERY single time I think about those flimsy gold framed bi-pass sliders – arson crosses my mind.

Guys that’s a joke – I promise I don’t light things on fire. The only reason I would light a shower on fire was to warm up its chances of ranking higher on the Hot or Not scale and not even that could help save this style of shower.

But back to those hideous, wretched shower sliders.

So why oh why do I hold such a grudge against this type of bi-pass slider? Outside of my personal struggle with them through my life, dealing with them getting stuck, breaking, and the WORKS – they are SO ugly. They are cheaply made and it shows in both looks and performance.

The extremely flimsy frames fall apart and separate after a period of use, and it doesn’t take long for the rollers to stop doing their jobs. Now the textured glass I don’t have SUCH a problem with – but it is still really cheaply made glass that, if it does unfortunately break, is not as easy as you would assume to replace. And you will probably end up damaging the frame trying to replace the glass resulting in having to buy a whole new unit – the whole thing is just a mess.

These showers were also quite popular… a long time ago. They are old. And dated. And ugly. Did I say that already?

Friends, it is high time that we all look to higher quality options rather than constantly replacing these lower quality items with the same exact thing. You’ll save more money that way. I promise.

Gold Framed Bi-Pass Sliders – DEAD cold.

Consider this black barn style shower door instead! You can even mix in your gold fixtures:)

Black barn style shower door

Glass Blocks

WHOA! You have never heard me talk about glass blocks before. Why? Well for one, no one asks for them anymore. And two, we can’t help with them anyways!

I won’t lie to tell you, but I thought that these guys had died out a long time ago. Up until yesterday. When I saw them in an office building I was waiting in. These were my exact thoughts upon seeing them.

“WHOA! I haven’t seen a wall like that in forever! It reminds me of – oh wow… that was a long time ago.”

Glass blocks! Cool, but not really.

Why do I say that? Because yes, they do look kind of neat, except that it isn’t the 80s or 90s anymore! But glass blocks go WAY further back than that. They were quite popular back in the late 1800s and early 1900s due to the fact that they were great for light but also thick enough to either not be seen through or create a solid barrier. Being used for both windows and walls, they were a great material! But they are dated. WAY dated. Glass blocks in shower enclosures is a sure giveaway of when a home was built, and I don’t suggest trying to put them in now. Really, they just carry that (((old))) vibe, and not in the nifty thrifty antique way. Nobody wants that. NOBODY!

Glass Blocks – Ice Cold!

Panel Showers

fixed glass shower panel frameless shower doorsYou may be kind of puzzled here. You may be saying, “Alex… I thought that this is a service that Builders Glass provides.” It is! Same as we still offer regular clear glass even though it is atrocious! Why? Because people still ask for it and well – we are here to please. But what is wrong with panel showers?

Hold on, I’ve got a list.

So for those of you who have never heard of panel showers, they are as they sound. They are a doorless shower with nothing but a panel of glass to enclose it. Sounds cool right? Well yeah! Except that they have a lot more draw backs than benefits!

The reason that people like these showers are because they can be easy access walk in showers. And due to their construction and composition of just being a pane of glass and minimal hardware, the upkeep is extremely easy! Cleaning them is nearly effortless!

Now those drawbacks I mentioned.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t particularly like being cold when I’m in the shower. To me it’s the worst part of having to get out of the shower because it means that I have a couple seconds to grab a towel before I start feeling cold. With a panel shower, the heat escapes out of it. It is quite literally, the opposite of an enclosed steam shower. So yes, the water might be nice and warm, but the rest of the shower won’t be so much.

The other problem – escaping water. The great thing about enclosed showers, is that they ENCLOSE everything. Like steam and water. Panel showers, due to there being an opening, does not help with that much. So the chance of water splashing out, or running onto the floor, is a lot higher than if you had an enclosed shower. Especially if the panel is not on top of a tub or bordered in by a curb. 

Something else to consider – the size of your bathroom. “But why is that important?!” Because it has everything to do with how big your panel can be!

Smaller bathrooms tend to lend to smaller panels. Now, while smaller bathrooms might help with your heat problem, you WILL end up with water everywhere with a smaller panel. You can be careful all you want, but water will escape. In a larger bathroom, a grander, larger panel can be used. YAY! However, now you have a lot of room for heat to escape. Bummer.

Basically, panel showers could be cool, but they unfortunately are either uncomfortable, or a hassle.

Panel showers – YOU will be the one that is cold. And having to worry about escaping water.

Now, I stand by my blogs on what is hot or not in 2019, but a point that I always try to make, especially on these kinds of blogs – if you like something, go for it. Because ultimately it is your preferences that matter. You are the one that will have to live with it, and what goes in your home should make you happy. So if you want that panel shower, go for it! Just make sure that it is Ultra Clear.

And now that we are here at the end of this blog, I hope that you take all of this information into consideration moving forward with your remodels. And as always, if you have any questions or would like to see what IS hot in 2019, you can check out these blogs linked here, and here, or come stop in and see us in our showroom! Who knows, you might even get inspired.