When you want to hire a tempered glass company for your commercial project, you should consider your options carefully so the finished product will turn out exactly how you imagined it—maybe even better! But first you need to know what to look for in a tempered glass company to guarantee you'll make the right choice.

1. The company does more than just temper glass.

Glass fabrication and glass tempering companies shouldn't just perform a few of the necessary processes to furnish your glass. If that were the case, your lead times could be lengthened because the company would be sending your glass to other facilities in order for other functions of fabrication to be completed.

2. The company communicates with you.

An honorable glass company communicates with their customers throughout the entire fabrication process—and they aren't  afraid to allow their customers to speak with upper-level management either. This way, you stay informed on how everything is going, and you learn more about the unique properties of glass and the steps it takes to complete your project. Plus, you could come away inspired.

By understanding the glass fabrication and tempering processes, you’ll understand why each stage is so critical and why some steps take longer than others. Plus, when you get to speak with various people at different levels of the company, you’ll see how much (or how little) enthusiasm and knowledge they bring to the task.

3. The company expects the unexpected and exemplifies efficiency.

A company that has only one tempering line isn’t going to be as efficient as another that has two. The former is out of luck if its sole equipment ever stops working, because it can significantly disrupt the project timeline they initially gave you. A company that has limited fabrication machinery is going to face similar obstacles as well.

For example, if a glass fabricator is in the middle of a big project and their only edging equipment breaks down, they are likely to get considerably behind schedule, which means that you won't receive the glass you ordered on time. However, if the company has multiple machines that perform the same function, there won't be a problem.

4. The company has the ability to maintain the tolerances of glass.

When you temper glass, there’s always going to be a little bit of bowing, warping and wave distortion. This is inherent in the tempering process because the glass is being heated really quickly and then suddenly cooled down. For this reason there are standard tolerances the industry puts forth for tempering companies to abide by.

An inadequate tempering company may not be able to consistently maintain these qualities, which will likely result in a finished product that is outside of the allowable tolerances of bowing or wave distortion. And while an average company will meet these tolerances, an exceptional tempering company will utilize their modern equipment and decades-long expertise in order to exceed these tolerances and make sure that you are more than impressed with the quality of their work.

Learn more about glass bowing and warping tolerances.

5. The company makes sure that the glass is cleaned before it ships. 

When you're considering a particular tempered glass company, ask how the glass is handled when it comes time to ship. If the company says it cleans the glass thoroughly before shipping it, removing any signs of fingerprints and dust, you should definitely consider giving it a chance. If the company also delivers the glass via custom crate shipping, that’s even better for you.

6. The company won't hide any fees from you. 

An honest company is the one that you want to hire. You don't want to be dazed—and confused—by what a business charges you for its services. Many glass companies try to sneak in extra fees on your bill, hoping you won’t notice. But you shouldn’t have to deal with any kind of hidden fees. A trustworthy tempered glass company gives a quote with every single fee included before the project begins. Everything is up front and transparent, just like a beautiful clear piece of glass. That's the kind of tempered glass company you should work with.

Interested in hiring a tempered glass company? Learn about the services offered by Dillmeier Glass Company.