How Custom Glass Enhances Your Home: An Interview with Brian Lebold of Shea's Glass

Please tell us a little bit about your company and the services you offer.

Shea's Glass is an 88-year-old company specializing in both residential and commercial market. We offer residential clients custom mirrors and shower enclosures, replacement windows, patio slider doors, and custom dining room tabletops.

Our commercial division caters to owners, construction managers, and general contractors building new or renovated commercial and industrial buildings as well as those buildings needing special glass needs, i.e. banks, hospitals, and schools.

What is custom glass? What are some of its most popular uses in Florida homes?

Custom glass is the name used for specific and sometime custom cut or framed glass to suit a unique need. Part of living in Florida is the great weather and scenery. A lot of homeowners want as much glass as possible to give them the greatest view of Mother Nature. Custom glass walls with special UV protection and glass structures with impact-resistant strength are all part of the Florida glass requests.

Can you briefly explain how custom glass compares with the other options out there?

Glass in comparison to brick or traditional wood structures has several advantages. Besides the most obvious, viewing the surrounding landscape, many glass options are less expensive and can last as long if not longer than traditional products. Glass is definitely a value-added proposition.

What is one of the biggest challenges with designing and installing custom glass?

With anything you are designing, understanding the client's wants and needs is always the biggest challenge and goal. Some size restrictions for single glass pieces must be considered but options exist to give a continuous look composed of multiple pieces.

What are some of the top benefits of having custom glass installed in your home?

There are many benefits of custom glass in your home and the most obvious and visual are the beauty, unique customization, sustainability and energy efficiency, price to value ratio, and the unattainable views and exposure to the surrounding landscape is unmatched.

Can you share an example of any project where custom glass made the house really stand out?

Most but not all of customization is internal, visible to the homeowner or guests. Some recent examples are connecting dining and kitchen areas to outdoor patio areas to increase livable house space. Floridians want to spend as much time outdoors or as close to the outdoors as possible. Expanding livable home square footage is a big opportunity. Customized shower enclosures in personal living space is also a great place for unique uses of glass.

What's the best way for people to contact you and your company?

To contact us people can use whatever method is most convenient to them. Our phone number: 352-372-4353, our website:www.sheasglassco.com and our showroom: 1313 NW 4th Place in Gainesville. Shea's Glass gives free estimates for any type of new or renovation project and works with homeowners, interior designers, and general contractors.