The buildings here put a shop on the ground floor and a home above it, usually in the same ownership. That arrangement shapes everything: the security of the frontage matters more because the family is upstairs, and the noise of any work matters more because somebody is home while we do it.
Laminated glass where security matters
Toughened and laminated glass are often treated as interchangeable and they behave completely differently under attack.
Toughened is hard to break and once broken the whole panel is gone, leaving an open hole.
Laminated has a plastic interlayer bonding two sheets, so it can be cracked repeatedly and still stay in the frame. For a display window holding stock overnight, laminated is the right answer, and it is what we recommend even though toughened is cheaper.
Display counters that face the street
A display counter at the shopfront is seen from outside, which means it is also assessed from outside.
So the glass wants to be clean-edged and the lighting wants to be inside the case rather than above it, because light from above reflects off the top pane and hides what is in it.
We build these with the light inside and the wiring concealed in the frame. It is a small difference in construction and it is the whole difference in whether the display works after dark, which is when this street is busiest.
Working quietly with a home above
Drilling into a shop ceiling or a shared wall carries straight into the rooms above, where somebody is usually at home.
So we agree when the noisy part happens with the household, not only with the shop.
That sounds obvious and it is regularly missed, because the person booking the work is downstairs. We ask directly whether anyone is upstairs and plan around it, which takes one question and avoids most of the friction on jobs in these buildings.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
