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So you’ve decided to add a skylight to your home. Great choice! There are so many benefits to having a skylight installed. Between reducing your energy usage to various health benefits, there are so many great reasons to on why a properly placed skylight could be an asset to your home. But which skylight should you choose? It mostly depends on your personal preference and what it is you’re looking for. No need to worry because you’re not in this alone! The specialists at Armstrong’s Glass and Mirror are here to break down the different types of skylights for you.

 

• Fixed: This is one of the most popular options. Typically used in areas with low light, this skylight does not open and is made mostly of glass.
• Tubular: A more recent addition to the skylight family, the tubular skylight is about 10 to 15 inches in diameter with a dome and consists of a silver finish with reflecting qualities. The dome covering the top collects the light and even distributes the light in the room.
• Ventilated: If you’re looking to constantly maintain a flow of fresh air in while providing sufficient lighting, this is the option for you.

These are just a few of the many options that you have. And the more you know about your options, the easier it is to choose the best skylight for your home. So when you’re considering getting a new skylight installed, be sure that Armstrong’s Glass and Mirror is the first name that you think of. Give us a call today 817-937-6267. We’re to help you through the entire process, from start to finish!

Besides there being a crack or having it completely shattered, there are plenty of other things to look out for when it comes to window issues. So if you’re asking yourself that burning question, “Do I need a window replacement,” the experts at Armstrong’s Glass and Mirror are here to help you.

• Drafty areas: Although the best windows on the market may allow a bit of air to penetrate, it should never be something that is extremely noticeable. Normally when people feel a draft, their first instinct is to check out issues with the weather stripping, that heavy draft could be a result of something more.
• There’s a spike in your energy bill: If you’ve noticed that your heating and cooling costs are rising, higher than it’s ever been, there may be an issue with your windows. If you know that you have an older property that has never had its windows replaced it may prove to be more cost effective to have them changed out. Energy efficient windows pay for themselves over time by lowering your energy costs.
• You have problems moving your windows: Not being able to open or close your windows is an obvious sign that it’s time for a window replacement. With older windows, you can experience problems with the balance, which allows the windows to stay up when they are opened. And when it comes to metal or wood windows, if they haven’t been adequately painted or begin to rust, they can begin to experience malfunctions.

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call 817-937-6267 to reach the pros t Armstrong’s Glass and Mirror. There’s no one better to turn to if you find yourself in need of a window replacement in Fort Worth, TX. We are the glass specialists you can depend on.

Skylights are a fantastic and luxurious addition to a home. These let in more light to your property. In order to keep these fixtures at their best, it is a good idea to complete maintenance regularly. This will help prevent any problem that may arise and allow you to call a repairman when your skylight needs repair.

Skylight Maintenance Checklist

• Gear Functionality – Some skylights are outfitted with a motor or hand crank for opening and closing to allow airflow through the home. This should be inspected to make sure it is functioning properly and has minimal wear.
• Glass Safety – Cracks in the glass on your skylight can lead to leaks and other damage. These appear due to debris and other weather related damage. If you notice any cracks within your skylight’s glass, make sure you have an expert repairman complete service for best results.
• Seal Inspection – Checking around and on your skylights for leaks is very important. Leaks are one of the biggest problems skylights have. If you notice any bulging or irregularities, it may be time for a repair.
• Shade Motor – Like the gears used to open up, your shade may have a motor in order to control the light within your home. It is important to test this system. Any abnormal wear will cause problems for your system and require repair.

Of course, keeping your skylight clean is very important. Do this at cooler day temperatures for best results. If your skylight needs repair in Fort Worth, TX, call Armstrong’s Glass & Mirror today at 817-937-6267!

Most people think of mirrors belonging in a bathroom or hung on the back of a closet door. However, mirrors can add a fantastic element of design to many other rooms in your home. Depending on your space, you could go big or use a small mirror to achieve the desired effect. Here are a few tips for decorating with mirrors.

The Entryway

Placing mirrors in locations with more natural light is a great way to add light to your home. The entryway is an ideal place for this, especially if you have a glass door. When the sun comes in and bounces off the mirror, it will give your house a feeling of warmth. You can hang a mirror on the wall or rest one atop a narrow table. Try playing with dramatic frames or filling a large space for a real statement. This also gives you a last-minute chance to make sure you aren’t covered in cat hair before dashing off to work!

A Dining Room

If you host dinner parties often or have a small dining area, a mirror is a must-have decor element. It’s an easy way to make a room feel larger and less claustrophobic. A mirror can also add an extra level of class and drama to a room. Picture a beautiful tablescape, full plates and bustling conversation. Create a stunning reflection of that scene by a large mirror on the wall, or even multiple, symmetrical mirrors. Whether you only use your dining room for Thanksgiving dinner or host a bash every month, give the space a boost by decorating with mirrors.

Small Spaces

It’s a tried and true trick: mirrors can quickly and effortlessly make any small space feel larger. Try this in a tiny bathroom, small bedroom, or living area and you’ll love the feeling of extra space. Play around, too, with different shapes and styles of mirrors. An enormous, distressed mirror can add an old-world, classy vibe while simple, frameless mirrors can look more modern. Plus, mirrors can If you want to cover a large portion of a wall, you might need a custom mirror.

If you need custom mirror installation in Fort Worth, TX, call Armstrong Glass at 817-937-6267! We can help you with tips and various products when it comes to decorating with mirrors.

There are a hundred different tips and tricks out there for cleaning glass, but some of them are more damaging than helpful. Don’t waste money on a hot new cleaning product or damage your glass! Here are a few tips on how not to clean your glass.

Magic Erasers

The iconic white sponges are known for removing all kinds of tough stains from various surfaces. Although many bloggers and websites swear by this trick, Magic Erasers are not advertised to work on glass. Just as many people who recommend them report that they scratch glass and cars. The scratches may be fine enough that you might not notice right away, but they can worsen over time. If you decide to clean glass with a magic eraser, be warned! We suggest using vinegar as a natural, harmless cleaner for hard water buildup.

Paper Towels

If you want streak-free, shining, clean glass, step away from the paper towels. Paper products will leave behind lint and paper particles as well as streaks. Many like the way an old T-shirt cleans glass, but a microfiber cloth or squeegee are the best ways to get pristine, shining glass after a good cleaning.

Regular Water

If you want to get a rogue glob of toothpaste off the bathroom mirror, a quick wipe with a damp towel will do. However, if you want to make your glass and mirrors sparkle, avoid tap water. The minerals in your water can leave behind deposits and streakiness. This is part of the reason why shower glass gets so dirty! When diluting a vinegar or other cleaning solution, try using distilled water for the purest solution.

Harsh Chemicals

From Rain-X to Bar Keeper’s Friend, there are countless cleaners on the market that become cult classics. Some actually work and won’t cost you a fortune. However, you must be careful when using these chemicals! Some have extremely strong odors, some may be toxic to children and pets, and others just don’t work that well. Take extra care the first time you step in the shower after cleaning it; some cleaners can make the floor very slippery! If you prefer chemical cleaners over vinegar, follow the instructions carefully and use them sparingly.

For all your glass and mirror services in Fort Worth, TX, call Armstrong Glass at 817-937-6267 today!

When you’re searching for home service providers these days, it’s easy to see all those distinctions and badges and wonder what they really mean. After a while, you may consider whether they’re really all that important. But it’s worthwhile to understand what some of these designations represent, and why hiring a contractor or service provider with said designation is actually worth it.

Home Advisor is a trusted site that has been around since 1998, with the intention of efficiently matching up homeowners with the home improvement professionals they’re seeking. It’s free and with over five million reviews, it’s a tremendous resource for consumers. That being said, when you see a badge on a company’s website for a Home Advisor designation — such as Top Rated or Screened & Approved — it truly means something. In fact, these visual indicators are all about providing value information to consumers so they can safely shop for professionals online with far less legwork.

The Home Advisor Screened & Approved badge tells you several things about the company you’re researching:

• Criminal and background checks have been run on the principles/owners associated with the business
• Insurance coverage is in place
• Principles of the company are screened for history of bankruptcy, liens, and state legal judgement in the prior 3 years
• Social security number for the owner is verified
• State business filings are verified
• They’re licensed for the services they provide

While this list doesn’t encompass every single aspect of risk when it comes to hiring a pro, it certainly gives you a degree of peace of mind to know that an unbiased third-party has already done this work for you. Of course, these checks are performed when a company joins Home Advisor, so it’s always a good idea to re-validate that licensures and insurance coverage is still active.

So do you have to hire a professional service provider who is Home Advisor certified? Not necessarily, or certainly not any more than you’d also look for Better Business Bureau rating and real-life customer reviews. That’s consumer choice at it’s finest, and what a great set of tools to have at your disposal as you acquire the services needed to get your home in tip-top shape!

If you’re looking for a Home Advisor Top Rated service provider in Fort Worth, TX, look no further than our amazing team at Armstrong’s Glass & Mirror! We are glass repair experts, and you can count on our level of service. Just check out our ratings on Home Advisor!

Sunlight may brighten up your home but it brings in glare and heat as well. Installing solar screens is a great way to reduce the heat in your home this summer. Here are some of the benefits of installing solar screens for better efficiency and comfort in your home:

Energy Efficiency

Deflecting heat away from your home is a great way to reduce the use of your air conditioner. This helps keep your A/C unit in good condition while saving you money on your energy bills. Solar screens can save you up to 35% on energy used for air conditioning and reduces the need for maintenance for your air conditioner.

Privacy

Window screens allow you to still have full visibility of the outdoors while giving you more privacy during the day. Because of the way solar screens reflect light away from the house it prevents people from seeing inside your home.

Home Benefits

Using solar screens will help prevent annoying glare caused by sunlight bouncing off of television and computer screens and can further improve visibility. It can reduce the temperature in the house by up to fifteen degrees and blocks up to 90% of harmful UV rays.

If you are looking for solar screen installation in Fort Worth, TX, contact Armstrong’s Glass & Mirror today. We have a team of professionals with experience in window and screen installation. Call now to find out more information about solar screens and how they can help lower your energy costs and make your home more comfortable.

Stained glass adds a beautiful, fanciful element to any window. It has been around since the 12th Century, but the process was brought to America by William Jay Bolton in 1843. He made his very first window for a New York church, then returned to England a few short years later. It took fifty years before an American revisited the process, traveling to Europe to study their masterful stained glass work.

Stained glass windows are basically mosaics of colored glass, held together by strips of soldered lead. The colors of the glass are attained by using metallic oxide pigments. Each small pane of glass is merely 1/8 of an inch thick, but packs a huge visual punch when sunlight shines through its vivid colors.

Today, there are more options than ever when it comes to adding stained glass details to your home. Nothing adds character like a brilliant stained glass feature on a door, window, or sidelights. These features can be as small or as large as you like, and they come in vivid jewel tones, subtle pastels, and everything in between. If you intend to sell your home someday, stained glass could be the one quality that sets your home apart from others in the buyer’s mind.

At Armstrong’s, we are glad to answer any questions you have about specialty glass installation and repair. Give us a call today!

Condensation, or sweating, occurs when hot, humid air meets cold air. Single-pane windows are prime candidates for condensation, since they tend to let in drafty air from outside to mingle with the indoor air. If your windows are producing more condensation than usual, use the following tips to clear them up.

The one thing you will need to do is reduce the amount of humidity in your home. This can be accomplished by:

• Airing your home by leaving a door open or cracking the windows. This allows the humid air to escape your house.
• Using exhaust fans for a longer period of time. Run the exhaust fans in your home’s most humid rooms, like the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room.
• Adding houseplants to absorb the moisture in the air. Plants can improve your indoor air quality while they thrive off of the humidity.
• Upgrade your single-pane windows. If condensation is bothering you, it could be time to trade in those single-pane windows for a more modern and energy efficient model. The new insulated windows are made from high quality materials, and some even have edge-heating technology.

If you have questions about reducing the condensation in your home, give us a call! We can discuss your options and see if a replacement or an upgrade would benefit you.

As every homeowner knows, cleaning glass windows, tabletops and shower doors can be a real pain. Even after spending hours wiping down your home’s glass with specialty cleaning products, you can still be left staring at streaks across your windows and mirrors. Time and time again you might spray down your glass and wipe away the cleaner only to be left with streaks.

The glass specialists at Armstrong’s Glass & Mirror want to offer your a few tips to beat this annoying occurrence and keep your glass crystal clear. This brief guide can help you learn how to clean glass without leaving streaks. The secret isn’t as much in the work you exert but the cleaning materials you employ.

Clean Your Glass With Distilled Water

Normally, the mineral content of water is of no consequence when cleaning. However, glass reveals every impurity and choosing distilled water can make a big difference – especially if your tap water is hard water.

Vinegar is a Viable Solution

Vinegar is one of the most versatile products commonly found in homes across America. It’s many applications include everything from salad dressing bases to powerful cleaning agent. A mixture of half water and half baking soda creates an effective glass cleaner.

Sometimes, Less is More

When using soap to clean a glass surface, avoid using too much soap. Soap leaves behind suds and residue that is one of the main culprits of streaking.

Don’t Wipe With Paper Towels

While paper towels are an excellent tool for picking up little messes around your home, they should not be used to clean glass surfaces. Paper towels inevitably leave streaks as well as lint behind on your mirrors and windows. Instead, wipe down your glass with a microfiber cloth or squeegee.

Buff Out Any Lingering Streaks

If a few small streaks persist after cleaning your glass surfaces, lightly buff them out using a rag, microfiber cloth or chamois cloth. Keep the rag dry and buff over the streaks and watch as they disappear.