Q: Besides the obvious, what are some differences between framed and frameless bath enclosures?

1) Quality of the product. 2) Beauty of design. 3) Custom fit. 4) Extended warranty. Large home improvement stores carry a handful of glass options and only a few design styles. Anchor-Ventana has literally hundreds of glass options, and the design is limited only to your imagination. The quality of glass we provide is unsurpassed and we have a warranty up to three times longer to prove it.

Q: Besides the obvious, what are some differences between framed and frameless bath enclosures?

A: Because frameless enclosures need to stand on their own, they require substantially thicker glass – usually twice as thick. This of course comes at a greater expense, but results in a more regal look and feel. Framed enclosures generally take about a week to completely install, whereas frameless enclosures take two weeks on average.

Q: That was my next question. How long does installation take?

A: The actual installation will only be a couple hours (yes, our guys are that good). But first we need to take measurements to perfectly custom-fit the glass to your dimensions and design. The frameless showers take more time due to the extra thickness of the glass and the extra machinery and craftsmanship it requires. Just give us a call and we'll get the ball rolling right away.

Q: Is there a special cleaning process for these enclosures?

A: Yes and no. Just a regular squeegee and/or average soft cleaning products are just fine. However, Anchor-Ventana offers ShowerGuard™ glass protection that most people find to be a great value. ShowerGuard™ glass protection is a patented technological seal that is added to the glass at the tempering process to prevent chemical corrosion. ShowerGuard™ prevents soap, residue, stains and scale build-up that results on untreated glass. In addition to requiring far less cleaning, ShowerGuard™ also preserves the glass.

Q: How about mirrors...are you limited to traditional shapes?

A: Not at all! We can tailor-cut mirrors in just about any shape or design imaginable. We cannot cut mirror in such detail on location; we do all the mirror cutting here at our facility. So the specifics need to be arranged before we come to your house or business.

Q: Will solar screens really reduce my electric bill that much?

A: It depends how new your house is. Current building codes require west-facing windows on new homes to be installed with Low-E glass. Low-E is special glass, available at Anchor-Ventana, that reflects heat, which essentially eliminates the need for solar screens. However, if your house or windows are not brand new, adding solar screens greatly improves your home's energy efficiency by reflecting up to 80% of the sun's heat and glare. This noticeably reduces your cooling bills and decreases the emission of greenhouse gases. Additionally, solar screens prevent furniture fabrics from fading due to sunlight. Anchor-Ventana can custom-fit both Low-E glass and solar screens to any shape and size you need.

Q: Where are you located and what are your hours?

A: Anchor-Ventana Glass proudly serves the Austin and Round Rock area and Central Texas.

Our Round Rock location is at 1609 Chisholm Trail, Round Rock, Texas 78681. Store hours are: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.


Our Austin (Oak Hill) location is at 8313 Hwy 71 West, Austin, Texas 78735. Store hours are: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday by appointment.

Q: Why ShowerGuard®?

No matter how hard you try to keep standard shower glass clean, eventually it gets ugly. That's because hard water, soap and even everyday cleaning agents cause a corrosive chemical reaction that roughens the surface of the glass.

This gives spots, residue and scale something to hang on to – making your glass almost impossible to keep clean. Over time, the glass can appear dirty – no matter how often you try to scrub it clean.

ShowerGuard glass stops corrosion before it starts.

• Its surface is permanently sealed during manufacturing with a patented ion beam process.

• Unlike spray-on or wipe-on treatments that eventually wear off, the protection provided by ShowerGuard glass is part of the glass itself, so it never needs to be re-applied.

• With just a minimal amount of cleaning, ShowerGuard glass will stay beautiful for years to come.

• ShowerGuard glass is backed by a 10-year limited warranty.