Q & A

Q. How long has San Marcos Glass been in business?
A. San Marcos Glass is a family owned and operated business that has been proudly serving San Diego County since 1989. We have always been located in the heart of San Marcos on Twin Oaks Valley Rd. Drop by sometime and say hello! Click Here to get directions.

Q. Why did my shower door blow up?
A. Unfortunately, this is the day you should have bought a lottery ticket! You have witnessed a very rare event! Tempered (and to a lesser extent untempered) glass is subject to “spontaneous explosion” when, for no apparent reason, it explodes. Glass manufacturing is not a perfect science. Nickel sulfide is an ingredient in all glass and on rare occasions, at a microscopic level, a concentration can exist that will trigger spontaneous explosion. It may not happen for 20 years, then one day, BOOM! It is an “inherant vice” since there is no way to control it or to prove that it happened. The bottom line is that your glass company will not warranty it and there is no way to prevent it from happening again. It is a common, although no more or less frequent, problem in car windows. One rule of thumb that is pretty good is that if the bathroom was unoccupied when it happened it is probably spontaneous explosion (think about it – a bathroom isn’t occupied that often). If the bathroom was occupied, the breakage was likely caused by the occupant, although not necessarily their fault and they may well not be aware of what happened.

Q. How thick should my shelves be?
A. There is no rating that we can give you that will assure the thickness of your shelves will be adequate. In most cases 1/4″ glass will adequately handle small loads. The way in which the shelf is supported makes a great deal of difference. Support on three sides greatly increases the ability of the glass to carry its load. Let us know what you intend to put on the shelf and we will do our best to advise you.

Q. Whats the difference between tempered safety and annealed glass?
A. Tempered glass and annealed glass are different in composition and applications. Tempered glass is the more popular but there are many uses for simple annealed glass. Tempered glass is valued for its safety and strength, but when neither of those factors is an issue, annealed glass is a good, less expensive choice.

Annealed Glass
When glass is annealed, it is slowly cooled to relieve any internal stresses. When not annealed, glass is more likely to crack when exposed to temperature changes. Unlike tempered glass, traditional annealed glass will break off into large, sharp shards when broken. This can pose obvious safety risks. Care should be taken when choosing locations to install annealed glass.

Tempered glass
Tempered glass is also called toughened glass. Unlike annealed glass, tempered glass breaks into small, square pieces when broken. This makes it less likely to lacerate a person that comes into contact with it. Tempered glass is one of the hardest types of glasses, several times harder than most others, including annealed glass. Creating tempered glass involves the use of chemicals and heat to give it its properties. These treatments balance the internal stress rating of the glass.

Q: Can I have my window repaired in the same day?
A: Yes and No. If you have a single paned, non tempered glass window and can bring it to our shop…then yes. You should always call ahead of time for a quote and to make sure we have someone on site to preform the work. If your window is tempered, dual/triple glazed or out in the field, we can not guarantee same day service.

Q: How long does it take to repair my broken window?
A: It depends on the type of window frame, glass and location. Labor is determined once we understand more about the window in question.

Q: How much will new windows reduce outside noise?
A: Well that depends on what type of new windows you purchase. If you are concerned with noise reduction, we recommend your windows being dual glazed with laminated glass on the outside pane. Dual or even triple glaze windows do not guarantee to reduce outside noise. Laminated glass and the overall thickness of the dual glaze unit are the important components to remember when shopping new windows for noise reduction.

Q: Do you sell glass directly out of the San Marcos Glass showroom?
A: Yes, we sell glass straight from our shop to you!

Q What types of product samples do you have in the San Marcos Glass showroom?
A: We have wide selection of glass samples in our showroom. Mirrors, decorative glass, shower enclosures, Mirror wardrobe doors, and more are on display.