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Commercial fires in the United States cost a total of about $350 billion per year, as fire losses continue to be one of the most costly disasters. What's more is that most commercial fires aren't caused intentionally or carelessly, but due to malfunctioning equipment or electrical issues.

In many businesses, once a fire starts, it spreads so fast that it can be difficult for firefighters to contain once they arrive on scene. The same can be said for residential fires — they're often fast spreading, leading to a total property loss.

While it's important for business owners and homeowners to take all the proper precautions to keep workers and residents safe (i.e., fire extinguishers, working smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, etc.), there's more that can be done to prevent against the rapid spread of fire, especially in more at-risk facilities.

One of these measures includes installing fire-rated glass. Here's a closer look at exactly what is fire-rated glass and some of the benefits associated with having it installed on your property.

Screens do more than keep bugs out and let air in. They contribute significantly to a residential or commercial property’s aesthetic appeal.

But the fact that they serve important functions beyond looks makes choosing the right kind important.

Selecting the right screen for a specific application — say window, door, patio, commercial spaces, and more —takes a couple of factors into consideration:

• Material: Which material will best suit the screen’s purpose, environment and desired aesthetic?
• Screen mesh size and strand size: How big is whatever you want to keep out? And how wide a span do you want the screen to cover?

When it comes to home or commercial spaces, the need for creative cabinetry is definitely on the rise. According to an industry report from Freedonia Group, the demand for cabinets in the United States is expected to increase 5.7% per year through 2021. This steady increase can be attributed to both the increase in new home construction and residential remodeling activity.

For many homes and commercial properties, mirrors and mirrored walls often add a striking design element. They can make a room seem larger, add depth, and brilliantly reflect light or draw in outdoor scenery.

Mirrors can be used to bring a space together, or they may even become the center of attention. The only limitation is that the mirror must blend in harmoniously with the rest of the environment.

With that in mind, here are the answers to some of the most common questions we receive about mirrors and mirrored walls.

When ordering glass for commercial applications, you’ll notice there are several types to choose from. Most commonly: annealed, laminated, heat treated, and tempered.

It’s important to understand the various considerations of each of these types of glass to ensure you’re making the perfect choice for your project.

Here we will be talking specifically about tempered glass, but we do have resources available for heat treated glass and beveled glass as well.

In the past glass was primarily thought of in terms of functionality, but its sleek, new textures and modern capabilities have propelled glass to the top of the designer’s imagination.

Two of its most well-known large-scale applications are the striking glass pyramid in front of the Louvre museum in Paris and the thrill-inducing glass viewing platforms of The Ledge in Chicago.

Glass is now a crucial component of many commercial and residential properties because it brings the beauty of the outdoors into the indoor environment, and bathes interiors in bright, natural light. But it is also so widely used because of its tremendous flexibility.

The value of a window in any space is evident: they let in natural light, provide ventilation outlets, and help add to the overall ambiance of a room.

Oftentimes what is less evident is the considerations for what windows are best for various applications, and how the windows will suit the final project as a whole.

Double pane and triple pane windows are often the most popular choice for new builds, both residential and commercial, due to their high grade of efficiency -- as well as several other characteristics that are attractive to buyers. This post will take a closer look at the key differences, benefits, and situations where double pane and triple pane windows are commonly considered.