maryland Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Shower Door Experts

Maryland Day 2021

Posted on March 28, 2021April 1, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Happy Maryland Day! We’ve been a proud Maryland-based business for 30 years! Although we install shower doors in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and DC too, Maryland has a special place in our heart. This past Thursday was Maryland Day, so we challenged our local customers on Facebook to tell us what they liked best about the state. Here’s what they had to say…

Carroll Creek in our neighboring city: Frederick, Maryland.

“So many fun places to go and special things to do Ocean City, Maryland The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland Crabs, fantastic bay and ocean fishing The cute town of Frederick”

“Maryland is a small state but absolutely beautiful and so charming. Friendly people and such lovely parks and the mountains and the beautiful Ocean. Proud to be a Marylander.”

“I love the 4 seasons, the ocean, the mountains, the Chesapeake Bay and most of all our blue crabs!”

“I love Maryland’s diversity not only of its people, but neighborhoods and styles of homes. You just have to know what you want, it’s here.”

We agree with all of that!

Times are Changing in Middletown

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Chrome Hardware in Middletown, Maryland

As we spring forward this weekend, let’s lighten things up! Recent picks for shower door of the week have been dominated by dark hardware. And there’s no doubt that matte black, in particular, is a trend that’s going to stick around. But shower door design isn’t just about following the latest trend. Your bathroom should reflect your style. We enjoy geeking out about design and helping make your vision come to life!

So, behold: the chrome hardware on this panel-door-panel corner unit is completely in keeping with the overall neutral and light look of the shower space. The ladder pull handle adds a modern touch and pairs well with that elongated handheld shower head. Also note the corner bench for storage and, ladies, somewhere to rest your leg while shaving. This shower is stylish and functional… we love it!

Please do feel free to stop by our showroom in Jefferson, Maryland to get an idea of the different units and hardware you could choose to upgrade your shower space. We’re open! You can just stop by, but we do encourage you to call ahead to schedule a time when we know we can give you our undivided attention.

In other Shower Door Expert news, stay tuned for the epic interview with our fearless leader, Tom Huck. He started this family business 30 years ago and has made some memories along the way…

Headers Up Keedysville!

Posted on February 13, 2021February 21, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Oil Rubbed Bronze Header in Keedysville, Maryland

Me: Hey, experts! What can you tell me about the shower door of the week?

Emmarose: It’s a ORB GAP PDP CAR01 hinges. with a SQ6x6!

Me: …

Noah: It also has a custom WMZQ and an 80” LMNOP!

Me: Thanks, guys.

Do you see what I’m working with here!? Good thing you have your faithful blogger to demystify shower doors! Kidding aside, we really do try to take all the jargon out of the buying process and get right down to what’s important to YOU! Investing in a shower remodel is a big deal and should last you many many years if not generations. That’s one great reason to go with a timeless look. In that spirit, our shower door of the week is delightfully modern in a way that will certainly stand the test of time!

Minimalism is the trend in shower design. Think glass, glass, and more glass! But this custom shower in Keedysville, Maryland proves that you can have a dark header – in this case, oil rubbed bronze – and still keep that simple elegant look. The hardware is almost like a picture frame for the shower, showcasing that lovely tile.

We are always happy to chat about shower door design – jargon free. You can catch us over on Facebook and Instagram, where we share all our lovely pics and also fun bonus stuff like our own web comic. Look forward to hearing from you!

Serenity & Privacy in Middletown

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Serenity Unit with Sandblasting in Middletown, Maryland

The Serenity shower door is a single slider with a low-profile design. It’s a smooth and sturdy door with anti-derailing fittings on the bottom rail to ensure stability. It’s minimal hardware makes the glass appear as if it’s almost floating. What we’re saying is that it’s already kind of a magical shower door. But the custom touches on this shower door of the week go past serenity straight to nirvana:

Sandblasting

Our friends at Rowland Glass Studios never disappoint! This is another great example of custom sandblasting in the middle section of the door for style and privacy. As we’ve said before: an entirely textured door limits the amount of light that gets into your shower space. When you opt for sandblasting you can enjoy both privacy and light. Genius!

Low Iron Glass

Low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass, which has a slight greenish tint. For these Middletown clients, we recommended low iron against that lovely white tile and paint. It gives the shower space a kind of brilliance that goes perfectly with the lightness of the Serenity unit.

Custom Design

It’s happens in every blog post: now we get to the shower door geekery! For this custom unit we installed a notched return panel to accomodate that partial knee wall beside the vanity. Sounds a bit technical, but the takeaway is that we always measure carefully and create custom solutions for every single shower space. No angle too acute for us!

In other shower news, last Wednesday was National Rubber Ducky Day! There’s still time to name this ducky for a chance to win a rubber ducky and one of our collectable tee shirts! Just head on over to our Facebook page and let the creativity flow.

Expert Advice: Custom Finishes

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Door and Panel with Custom Brushed Bronze Finish

Custom finishes were a big topic of conversation in 2020, with matte black reigning supreme! Bathroom fixtures with custom finishes can be maddening to match with shower door hardware. Fortunately, this wasn’t our first rodeo. These Silver Spring, Maryland clients were looking for a custom brushed bronze to match their bathroom, and we made it happen!

Shower door with custom brushed bronze hardware

The most common custom finishes we use to match your bathroom:

matte black
brushed bronze
satin or polished brass
satin or polished nickel

Matte black and polished nickel are still somewhat uncommon, but they’re becoming more easily accessible. We will usually have them in stock already. Which is a good time to note: custom hardware can add a week or more to your lead time, but trust us – it’s worth it! We will be super-clear in the early stages of the installation process how custom parts and finishes could affect the production phase and the overall timeline of the project.

Get in touch if you have any questions about custom finishes or anything else. We’re on Facebook and Instagram too, where we share comics, coloring pages, and all kinds of weird…I mean… fun stuff! See you over there.

Let the Sun Shine In!

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Minimalist Panels in Frederick, Maryland

One of the major advantages of frameless glass versus a shower curtain is natural light. Our pick for best photo of the week illustrates this wonderfully! It’s especially important in the winter that we get as much sunlight we can. Natural light improves your mood and keeps you in a healthy circadian rhythm. And it’s just beautiful!

As our poll showed the other week, we’re seeing a solid trend in minimalist shower design. We might need to rethink the company name if doors go out of style! Kidding – they never will, but they certainly are optional for some layouts. We’re always happy to give feedback on how minimalist you’re able to go with your enclosure.

In other shower door news, we had a couple comments this week on our Facebook page about keeping glass clean. Love the glass look but worry about maintenance? Bottom line: new glass that’s been sealed is ridiculously easy to take care of. We offer glass sealant on all our doors, and then you only need a microfiber cloth to keep your door all sparkly clean! Here’s a full write-up on the process, and we include a maintenance card with every installation. And, as always, just give us a call if you have any questions, anytime.

Sunny & Sandblasted in Knoxville

Posted on November 15, 2020November 15, 2020 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Sandblasted Glass to Glass Door & Panel in Knoxville, Maryland

Two things we love, love, love about this shower: the sandblasting and the sunshiny color! We can’t take credit for the paint choice, but how great would that be first thing in the morning? But back to the sandblasting…

Having the middle section of your shower door sandblasted is a pretty genius way to get privacy without reducing the light that makes its way into your enclosure. Textured glass like acid etched or rain are visually interesting, but keep in mind that they also limit the light that can pass through the glass. One solution, if you want a fully private and/or textured glass is to supplement your shower space with additional lighting. Bonus expert advice: we love a good dimmer switch for maximum lighting options. So, if you need more of a shower cave than a sunshine island, turn that dimmer switch waaay down until your eyes are fully open.

Oh, right, some of you are here for the technical details. Here we have one panel and one door, and what we in the biz call “glass to glass.” The Cardiff pivot hinges connect the panel and door where the glass meets. So if you like the look, that’s what you can ask for. We can also give you some recommendations for folks we’d trust to do your sandblasting, if you’re inspired. And, as always, we’re happy to answer literally any question about shower doors. Get in touch!

In other Shower Door Experts news, it’s that time again…

2nd Annual Hand Turkey Contest!

To celebrate Thanksgiving, we’ve brought back a favorite holiday tradition from childhood: hand-traced turkey drawings!

The Rules

Draw a turkey. The one requirement is that you trace your hand to create the turkey body. Other than that? Get creative! You can use crayons, markers, glitter, etc. – but the most elaborate turkeys won’t automatically win. Big points for personality!
Name your turkey. The name of your turkey will be evaluated alongside your drawing. So if your turkey doesn’t look like a Phil? Don’t name it Phil. And nameless turkeys will be disqualified from the competition, obviously.
Post your turkey. To officially enter the competition, you must take a picture of your hand-drawn turkey and post it to our Facebook page by Thanksgiving. We will announce the winner on Friday the 27th!

The Winning Turkey Gets…

Unique prizes! First place: gold medal. Second place: turkey hat. Third place: turkey glasses.

But the true reward is eternal turkey glory!

Again, get in touch if you have any questions or just want to talk turkey!

Hagerstown Neo Angle in Aquamarine

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Neo Angle in Hagerstown, Maryland

Our pick for this week’s shower door was unanimous – that tile is stunning! This neo angle unit is clearly (ahem) an example of why you would go with frameless glass if you’ve invested in eye-catching tile. Heavy metallic frames would detract from what’s unique about this shower space.

Technical details for our fellow shower door geeks! Of if you just want to know what to ask us about. (Please do get in touch! We looove to talk all things shower doors.) This is a neo angle unit with an additional in-line panel. The extra panel supports the weight of the door without adding any extra hardware. For hardware, you’re seeing prima pivot hinges and beveled clips for a smooth look that complements the frameless design.

Another design note: we often counsel that optically clear low iron glass works best against light-colored tile. Here it’s the opposite! Regular glass, which has a slight green tint, actually brings out the blues and greens in this aquamarine tile. (We’ve been debating – is “aquamariner” a word!?) The frameless design + glass choice really come together to make this tile POP!

Let us know what you think – and check out our fun Halloween pics! – on Facebook and Instagram. And stay tuned for our Second Annual Hand Turkey contest! You heard it here first…

Custom Renovation in Columbia

Posted on October 16, 2020October 14, 2020 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Custom Corner Shower Renovation in Columbia, Maryland

This job was a custom renovation by our local friends at Covey Construction, and they asked us to install the glass shower door. Because, you know, we’re the experts! Teamwork makes the shower dream work.

Technical information if you want to discuss something similar:

This corner unit has a panel-door-panel design, with the door swinging on pivot hinges. Glass-to-glass pivot hinges allow us to put the hinges adjacent to the knee wall without having to drill into it. If you love this exact look, ask us about Cardiff hinges, Coda pull handle, and Coda robe hook. All in chrome. If you’re still pondering your options, feel free to look at our hardware options and online brochures.

Also ask about low iron glass. These Columbians opted for this glass that is more optically clear – no green tinge – and looks fantastic against lighter colored tile. It’s not a “must,” but if you’re serious about a shower renovation that makes you oooh and aaah, it’s definitely worth considering.

We’re always happy to chat about design and recommend contractors for your renovation. And you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for design inspiration – and upcoming spooooky Halloween content…

Modern Matte Black Shower in Maryland

Posted on September 28, 2020September 28, 2020 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Matte Black Panel-Door-Panel Corner Unit in Boyds, Maryland

Matte black is having a moment in bathroom design! Last week we shared a framed shower door in chrome, and our Facebook friend Monica commented, “Needs black instead of metal and it would look better.” Well, Monica, this one’s for you! The matte black hardware certainly takes center stage, but two other design elements play supporting roles. The first is white tile that contrasts with the black for a crisp modern look. The second is low iron glass, which is more optically clear then regular glass. That means the black and white palette isn’t dulled by a greenish tinge. We highly recommend low iron glass for clients who invest in eye-catching and/or light-colored tile.

On the practical side of this design, the single-sided towel bar on the panel over the bath tub adds valuable bath real estate for wash cloths and towels. The interior robe hook is great for a loofah. We’re guessing they’ll go for a black loofah?

We’d love to know what you think about this design – really! Matte black: yea? nay? We are quite active on Facebook, and you can also get in touch the old fashioned ways – well, not carrier pigeons but, you know, phones and email! We’re also on Instagram where we share even more shower door pics for design inspiration.

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