Why It Matters Who You Hire: A Glass Install Gone Wrong — and How We Fixed It

We recently started working with an interior design firm that had used another glass contractor on a prior project. The install was still under the two-year full warranty period. There was a visible problem — and the original contractor simply wouldn't come back to fix it.

That's when they called us.

What the previous contractor got wrong

When we showed up to assess the job, the issues became clear fast. Two problems, both avoidable:

1. Wrong glass clips. The contractor had used ½" wide plastic clips instead of the correct 3/8" clips specified for this enclosure profile. Rather than sourcing the right parts, he improvised — stacking additional plastic pieces and filling the remaining gap with silicone to make the wrong clips appear to fit. It held, technically. But it wasn't right, it wasn't clean, and over time it was going to cause problems.

2. Improper silicone application. The silicone wasn't applied cleanly or completely. In a wet environment like a shower enclosure, silicone isn't just aesthetic — it's the waterproof seal. Gaps, improper tooling, or silicone applied over mismatched surfaces will fail. This one was already showing the signs.

Neither of these problems is difficult to avoid. They require the right materials, proper technique, and enough professional integrity to do the job correctly the first time — and to stand behind it when something goes wrong.

What we did

We removed the improvised clip assembly, sourced the correct 3/8" clips, and reinstalled the enclosure properly. Then we stripped out the failing silicone, prepped the surfaces, and reapplied cleanly throughout. The enclosure you see in the photo above is the result — a clean, secure tub enclosure against white marble tile with a rain shower head and chrome hardware. Exactly what the original design called for.

The fix itself wasn't complicated. The problem was that it required someone to show up and actually do it.

The real cost of the wrong contractor

This project is a good example of something we see more often than we'd like: a contractor who wins a job on price, cuts corners on materials or technique, and then becomes unavailable when the warranty should kick in. The homeowner — and in this case, the design firm responsible for the outcome — is left holding the problem.

The original work was still within its two-year warranty window. That warranty was meaningless because the contractor wasn't willing to honor it. The client had to pay again to have it done right.

When you're selecting a glass contractor for a project — especially through a design firm, where your reputation is attached to every vendor you bring on — the question isn't just who can do it cheapest. It's who will do it correctly, and who will pick up the phone if something needs to be addressed afterward.

A new collaboration

We're proud to now be working with Jakob and his firm as their glass contractor going forward. Interior designers and design-build teams are some of our best partners — they understand quality, they have clients with high expectations, and they need vendors who won't create problems they have to clean up later.

If you're a designer or design firm looking for a glass partner in NYC who shows up, does the work correctly, and stands behind it — we'd like to hear from you.