FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Below are some common questions we hear from our customers
Do you offer tours?
We hope to offer guided tours in the future, but unfortunately, at this time we aren’t set up for it. Be sure to sign-up for our emails to receive any notifications on this topic. In the meantime, there are videos throughout the site that show our processes in good detail.
Do you have patterns available of the glass work you feature on the site?
We have obtained permission from the artists whose work appears on our website to use the images. as we have. You need to do so also. Please contact the artist/studio that produced the work.
What does that mean — is there a Glossary on the site?
There are a number of terms you may bump into from time to time that leave you scratching your head. We have a glossary of glass terms that just might answer some of your questions.
Purchasing Questions
Below are some common questions we hear from our customers
Can I buy glass directly from you?
At this time, we do sell some products online and we may choose to expand that in the future. Historically however, a distribution chain has served us well and is in place for the majority of our products. Our continuous ribbon process allows us to produce large volumes of sheet glass that are packed into full cases per color. Because full cases of 48” x 24” sheets are not easily consumed, we have utilized a tiered distribution system to buy cases in bulk, break down that bulk, and move it to retailers who take the same process a step further.
Where can I buy your products?
At this time, Color Bar, Sample Sets, and Merch can be purchased online.
For all other products, please visit our dealer locator to find where you can purchase our products
Can I buy just one or two sample pieces?
Individual sample pieces are generally available through your supplier. For requests from interior design or architectural firms, please send us an email and we will assist you in locating samples of the products you are looking to view in person, or source.
Products
Below are some of are common questions about our products
What do your stock numbers mean?
Good question! It’s a bit of a long-winded answer, but many find it very useful to understand, so we invite you to read all about it here: Understanding Our Numbering Systems.
Why did you discontinue that product?
There are any number of reasons why we choose to discontinue a product. It is never a simple decision, and it’s always more complex than just “slow sales.” There’s usually a compounding production-related factor, such as raw material sourcing issues, or equipment/scheduling limitations, combined with poor demand for the product, that ultimately lead us to choose to discontinue a product.
Do you ever bring back discontinued products?
Certainly. There have been many cases of products being reinstated to the standard line. It usually means we’ve solved the production issues that originally led to its demise and feel demand is strong enough to warrant making it again.
Why are some of your products unavailable for extended periods?
Normally it’s due to our inability to accurately predict the future. The nature of our Continuous Ribbon sheet glass process requires us to run an extended color cycle. That is, the colors must be run in a set sequence, and it takes months to go through the cycle. So, when we make red, for example, we make enough to stock and sell for the entire length of the color cycle—until we get back to red production again. Sounds simple enough, but the longer the cycle, the harder it is to accurately predict sales volumes.
At other times, our capacities have been so overburdened that we’ve chosen to skip certain products in the cycle in favor of others. Knowing that we’re going to be out of something, we might to choose to produce Clear Waterglass® sheets but skip Orange as the Clear is in much higher demand. These are tough decisions but, fortunately, they are rare.
Raw material costs and sourcing can also affect the production choices we make.