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Design considerations when working with glass

Design considerations for glass

Design considerations for glass

Design considerations for glass

Glass has a huge upside in contemporary design, but glass isn’t a simple replacement for traditional architectural materials. Here are some things to consider for any architectural designs that make use of glass.

Safety. Without a doubt, any glass design must thoroughly examine safety from every angle. Generally, where safety is a concern, a wide range of safety glass options are available. Tempered glass and laminated glass are two common options that will prevent or minimize injury in the event of glass breakage.

Wildlife. Low-emissivity glass is highly reflective and energy-efficient, but highly reflective glasses can cause significant loss of life for birds. Birds can’t detect the subtle differences between reflective glass and its surroundings, and can fly into glass at full speed, and with deadly consequences.

Energy consumption. Without a doubt, energy consumption is a concern when designing with glass. The design stage is critical because decisions made at this stage will have lifetime-cost implications for a building. Poor energy conservation may make an otherwise beautiful building virtual unsalable in the future, if energy costs rise substantially.

Weather. Special consideration must be given to designs that will be impacted by weather conditions like high winds, tropical storms, snow, cold temperatures and other similar hazards. You may need to use special glass or glass of a specific minimum thickness to ensure that it’s strong enough to withstand inclement weather.

Appearance. Choosing the right glass can make a major difference in the appearance and attractiveness of a building or building project. Glass can be tinted to virtually any color, but over a large project space, you’ll need to pay special attention to the consistency Other additives and coatings can create different properties that affect the appearance of the finished project.

Glass can also be painted using a specialty paint product like Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is cost-effective and can be used to create both artistic and practical effects.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint and how it can help you control light and heat in your space, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Nick Garrod , via Flickr.com

Self-cleaning glass: what is it?

Self cleaning glass: what is it?

Self-cleaning glass: what is it?

Self-cleaning glass: what is it?

Cleaning the windows is never high on anyone’s list of fun things to do, so the idea of self-cleaning glass may be very attractive. Will self-cleaning glass really take care of itself? What makes glass self-cleaning? Will it really improve your view?

Self-cleaning glass is created through the use of coatings that are either “hydrophobic” or “hydrophilic.” A hydrophobic coating makes water bead on the surface and roll off. The water beads will prevent dirt from taking up residence on the glass. Hydrophilic coatings make the water “sheet”, which sweeps away any dirt that has accumulated on the window.

Dirt sticks to a surface because it’s gotten wet (or damp) and then dries. Wax is a common hydrophobic coating. On a waxed surface, water – which either contains dirt or wets dry dust on the surface – cannot interact with the surface. It can only bead and roll off. Without water, dirt can’t dry on a surface, so the surface appears to be “self-cleaning.”

Hydrophilic coatings don’t reject water. They welcome water. Most hydrophilic coatings don’t rely simply on the action of the water to clean a surface. Hydrophilic coatings actually break down dirt in the presence of ultraviolet light. Then, the dirt is washed away when the surface comes in contact with water. Hydrophilic coatings don’t tend to streak, so the surface stays clean as the water drains away.

Most hydrophilic self-cleaning windows are coated with titanium dioxide, although there are other hydrophilic coatings. Titanium dioxide also provides some control over solar heat gain, so self-cleaning glass does have some energy-efficient side benefits.

The first self-cleaning glass was brought to market in 2001. Today, self-cleaning glass remains a specialty product that’s often used in commercial buildings. Keeping windows clean permits maximum light transmission, which can be very important in commercial spaces. It also cuts down on maintenance costs. Self-cleaning glass can also be found in automobiles, but that’s more likely to be a hydrophobic.

You’re not likely to encounter self-cleaning glass in standard replacement windows, but you can have custom-made self cleaning windows for hard-to-reach places like skylights.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint and how it can help you control light and heat in your space, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jacinta Lluch Valero, via Flickr.com

Glass buildings are beautiful, but…

Glass buildings are beautiful, but…

Glass buildings are beautiful, but…

Glass buildings have dominated the modern skyline, and more individuals are incorporating glass into their residential designs. But what is the environmental impact of a building’s high glass content, and how does it affect the building’s occupants?

A study conducted by the Urban Green Council in 2013 has some of the answers to those questions, and the results are interesting to say the least.

According to the study, which involved residential 55 buildings in New York City, people invariably chose a residential space because of the amount of glass, but about 60% of any given window was covered with blinds, shades or some other form of window treatment. Three quarters of the buildings in the study had at least half of their windows covered, regardless of the time of day, or the direction the window faced.

Based on its finding, the Urban Green Council made some design recommendations for new construction. They included designs that eschewed the floor-to-ceiling glass, and substituted two to three feet of insulated wall space along the floor – the coldest area in an enclosed space.

In addition, the Urban Green Council recommends better communication about the overall impact of floor-to-ceiling glass in terms of energy consumption. Well insulated windows (triple-pane) have an R-value of about 3, which compares to the insulating ability of corrugated cardboard. Low-e glass is comparable or even superior to triple-pane, gas-filled glass, but it still offers an R-value of less than 5. The more glass you put in a room, the less energy-efficient the room will be.

There are things you can do to control the way heat is gained and lost by glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint could be one potential solution when you’re looking for both privacy and style. Glassprimer™ glass paint offers superior UV protection, which means that it won’t chip, fade or peel, even when exposed to direct sunlight.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint and how it can help you control light and heat in your space, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Ricard Liberato, via Flickr.com

Is the glass shortage a reality?

Is the glass shortage a reality?

Is the glass shortage a reality?

Is the glass shortage a reality?

If you’re thinking about a home remodeling project that involves glass, you may have read about a “glass shortage.” Is there really a glass shortage, and if so, what will be its impact on your project?

The short answer is “yes and no.” Some construction projects are being slowed by a shortage of a specific kind of glass known as curtain wall glass. This type of glass is used to cover the exterior of commercial buildings. Unless you’re building a skyscraper, your project isn’t likely to be derailed by a lack of glass.

Some industry experts even question whether “shortage” is the right term to despcribe what’s going on. A shortage exists when a material is in demand, but simply isn’t available. A better description of what’s happening for curtain wall glass is that glass factories are having difficulty coming up with enough glass to meet industry demand today. They have enough raw materials to produce the glass, but not enough production capacity to fill everyone’s order “on-demand.”

In particular demand is low-e glass, which we recently blogged about. Low-e glass is so attractive to commercial builders because it’s a key part of their buildings’ energy consumption plan. Additionally, building operators that are seeking LEED certification must use energy-efficient materials in construction. New buildings would be exceptionally inefficient, and would be unable to meet the requirements for LEED certification if they did not use low-e glass.

Adding to the concern about glass availability is the reduced number of float glass plants that operate in North America. Currently, North America is experiencing a construction boom, in part because many building projects were delayed in response to the recession. Another consequence of the recession is that nearly one-quarter of the float glass plants in North America closed between 2007 and 2014. Their closure put additional pressure on the remaining float glass plants to meet pent-up demand.

Even if you intend to replace all of the windows in your home, you should have ample access to all the glass you need to complete your project. There is some disagreement about whether and how much the cost of replacement windows will rise, but most glass industry experts believe that any “shortage” will be short-lived. Glass producers will likely invest in production upgrades and automation that will help increase their production capacity without significantly increasing their costs.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Karen P., via Flickr.com

Low-e glass: what is it?

Low-e glass: what is it?

Low-e glass: what is it?

Low-e glass: what is it?

If you’ve considered a construction project that involves glass, you may have heard about “low-e” glass, but what is it and what can it do for your home or commercial space?

Low-emissivity (or low-e) glass is a specially coated glass that is designed to reduce energy losses. Normally glass isn’t a good insulator. Ordinary glass has an “R-value” of about 3. It’s slightly better than a dead air space, but not by much!

When we think about light, we naturally think about visible light. It’s easy to forget that the “full” light spectrum contains wavelengths that our eyes can’t see. Two types of light frequencies that aren’t visible are ultraviolet (UV) light and infrared (IR) light.

We can’t see ultraviolet light with our eyes, but we can certainly see what it does. UV light is responsible for fading colors on fabrics and paints, and changing the color of plastics.

We also can’t see infrared light, but we can feel its effects. IR light is responsible for heating things up. Different materials retain different amounts of heat. The heated objects then radiate heat out to the rest of the room. This kind of heat radiation is called emissivity. Glass, like any other physical object, can also radiate this energy.

That’s not very helpful, because glass can cause a space to gain or lose heat. In the middle of winter, it’s hard to turn down “free heat” but the angle of the winter sun doesn’t provide nearly as much “free heat” as the summer sun does. That means that windows tend to lose heat in the winter (and at night), and gain heat in the summer. This pattern means that we spend a lot more on heat in the winter, and air conditioning (or other ventilation) in the summer.

Highly reflective (light colored) surfaces have a low emissivity, while dark-colored surfaces have a high emissivity. That means that reflective glass loses less energy than non-reflective glass does.

Low-e glass has a microscopically thin, reflective transparent coating that’s designed to reject changes in heat energy. It prevents extra heat from coming in the building, but it also prevents heat from leaving the building. It is designed to save energy. Low emissivity glass is as much as 40 times better at retaining heat than ordinary glass is. One disadvantage of low-e glass is that it reduces the amount of visible light that reaches the interior. If the low-e glass is also designed to reduce solar heat gain, the amount of visible light can be reduced even more.

Glassprimer™ glass paint provides good UV light resistance, and can reduce solar heat gain. It is a cost-effective alternative to more expensive coated glass solutions.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jesus Rodriguez, via Flickr.com

Working with Plexiglas™

Backpainting Plexiglas™

Backpainting Plexiglas™

Backpainting Plexiglas™

Backpainted glass is delivers a unique look, but there are some places where glass may not be your first-choice material. How does glass compare to Plexiglas™? Can you substitute Plexiglas™ in all applications? Here are a few facts that might help you choose between glass and Plexiglas™ for your backpainted glass project.

Glass is heavy. A 1/4th inch thick piece of glass weighs more than 3.25 pounds per square foot. If you’re laminating a surface and weight is a real consideration, you’ll need to choose between a thin sheet of glass or a lightweight alternative like Plexiglas™.

Plexiglas™ will work well for laminating cabinet door and drawer fronts because it’s lightweight and can stand up to kitchen duty. It also creates a very similar look to glass, and it won’t put any significant stress on hinges or cabinet hardware. Plexiglas™ cleans well, doesn’t stain easily and can tolerate virtually all household cleaners. If you’re going for a retro or Art Deco look, you can go with either a thin glass laminate or Plexiglas™.

Plexiglas™ is generally less expensive than glass, so if cost is your number-one concern, Plexiglas™ might be easier on your wallet. You can acquire a full sheet of Plexiglas™ for about $2 per square foot. A comparable sheet of 3/16th-inch glass would be about $16 per square foot. In addition, the cost of glass rises with the thickness, so if you want to use thicker glass, your cost will grow.

If safety is your primary concern, you have a couple of different options. Plexiglas™ offers the ultimate in safety. It won’t chip, shatter or split in most circumstances. Glass will do all of those things. If you will be installing your backpainted glass or Plexiglas™ in an area where high heat is a possibility, you’ll want to use tempered glass. Plexiglas™ will not stand up to high heat well.

Both Plexiglas™ and backpainted glass can be installed with a neutral-cure silicone adhesive. This lightweight adhesive is strong enough to hold the weight of glass, and will not show through a surface that’s been painted with Glassprimer™ glass paint.

Whether you choose Plexiglas™ or glass, you’ll get the same great performance from Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint will bond permanently to either glass or Plexiglas™, and won’t chip, fade or peel even when exposed to direct sunlight.
If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: APQ Stage Iberica, via Flickr.com

Backpainted Glass The Easy Way

Backpainted Glass The Easy Way

Backpainted Glass The Easy Way

Backpainted Glass The Easy Way

Backpainted glass is certainly a trendy look, but having it made and shipped to you can be expensive and frustrating. Shipping glass isn’t easy. In fact, it’s downright hard. Shipped glass can have a breakage rate of as much as 30%. In many cases, breakage is a result of improper packaging or improper handling.

Flat glass can also pick up “stains” when it is shipped. Stains come from dampness that is absorbed by the packaging or deposited on the glass. While stains can be removed, the process of removing them may shorten the life of the glass.

Rather than having glass backpainted and shipped to you, you can make your own backpainted glass. You’ll achieve results that are better, you’ll spend less and your glass can be ready to mount in just a matter of hours.

With Glassprimer™ glass paint, you can also have your paint tinted to match the paint palette of virtually any major paint manufacturer. You can integrate glass paint seamlessly into your decorating plan.

Backpainted glass works well in the kitchen, but you can install backpainted glass in any room in your home. It also works well in commercial spaces and offices.

Each gallon of Glassprimer™ glass paint provides coverage for about 256 square feet of glass. You can apply Glassprimer™ glass paint using a brush or roller, but we recommend that you use a high-volume, low pressure paint sprayer. You’ll get exceptional coverage and use less paint.

Each gallon of Glassprimer™ glass paint is a low-VOC product, so you can safely use it for indoor or outdoor applications. In addition to our oil-based formulation, we also make a water-based formulation that’s environmentally friendly and easy to clean up.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

<9i>Photo Credit: Jean Wang, via Flickr.com

Glass – the new luxury material

Glass – the new luxury material

Glass – the new luxury material

Glass – the new luxury material

What do you do when you want to make the most of the square footage you’ve got, especially when your square footage happens to be in a high-demand area? Many designers are turning to glass to help them open up views and maximize space.

Disappearing glass walls – walls that fold neatly out of the way or tuck quietly into storage spaces – are becoming the norm in luxury developments. You can see a commercial example of the attraction of hideaway glass walls at the new San Francisco Apple store, where the store’s giant glass doors disappear during business hours.

Oceanfront, lakefront and even New York City property owners are going for glass to help bridge the distance between themselves and their preferred residential environments. Floor-to-ceiling doors that simply disappear into a pocket can really change the vibe of a building, but they require special structural considerations.

Glass is extremely heavy, and glass doors – or an entire glass wall – can weigh thousands of pounds. The rest of the structure must be carefully designed or reinforced to support a foldaway glass wall. The cost of such an addition is also not slight. The cost of a glass wall can exceed $125 per square foot, and that doesn’t include extra supports, motors and hardware to help move the doors into place.

Pocket doors – regardless of what they’re made from – require a lot of space, too. If you want to hide a door completely inside of a wall, you’ll need a wall space that’s at least double the size of the door opening.
Folding doors are less expensive and are more practical for most spaces. That’s because they require less space than glass pocket doors do, and they can be manufactured in more practical (read less custom) sizes.

Energy efficiency is also a consideration. Heat loss is the big concern in northern climates. Heat gain is the major consideration in climates that receive a lot of sun exposure. Using high efficiency glass can help reduce the energy loss or energy consumption related to the door.

Waterproofing is also a concern, since a wet door can do damage to the area around it, and can encourage the growth of mold and mildew in a space.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a great way to control energy losses and prevent solar heat gain in glass installations. Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color and creates a permanent bond with the glass surface. Its exceptional UV-resistance means that the paint will not chip, fade or peel even when exposed to direct sunlight.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Phillip Long, via Flickr.com

Glass isn't just for windows anymore

Glass isn’t just for windows anymore

Glass isn't just for windows anymore

Glass isn’t just for windows anymore

The emergence of glass as a primary building material has left some architects and artists wondering about the exact limits of glass. In most cases, glass is used for fenestration (windows) and for exterior façades on commercial buildings.

But glass is more versatile than that, and some architects are experimenting with exactly what glass can do. Artists have known for thousands of years that liquid glass can be formed into virtually any shape. The shape hardens as the glass cools. A talented artist can make just about anything.

In the industrialized world, however, function is preferred over form, so glass adopted a highly functional role in architecture. A process to make uniform sheets of glass, known as float glass, has been around since the 1950s. If you want glass panels, float glass is ideal, but few people have experimented with what they can create with float glass.

An MIT researcher aims to change that, and has created geometric structures out of float glass panels. The panels are bound together with UV-activated bonding agents, and are changing ideas about what you can do with a flat piece of glass.

The pieces are impressive, and range in size from viewable to habitable, but there’s no doubt that float glass panels are exceptionally heavy. When joined together, a large number of panels may exceed practicality.

That hasn’t stopped some designers from rethinking what can be done with glass. MDRDV recently completed a new façade for the Chanel store in Amsterdam. The storefront is made from glass bricks that were designed to blend in with the surrounding architecture, and to complement an existing brick façade on the building’s upper floors.

It’s safe to say that with the advent of secure bonding materials, you may begin to see more creative uses for glass in architecture in the near future.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: el genio del dub, via Flickr.com

How glass can work with a vaulted ceiling

How glass can work with a vaulted ceiling

How glass can work with a vaulted ceiling

How glass can work with a vaulted ceiling

If you have a vaulted ceiling in your home, you know that it can be both a joy and a challenge! One idea you can use visually reduce the size of a wall without giving up the benefit of the vaulted ceiling is to create a hybrid solid and glass wall.

The solid wall extends as high as a conventional wall would – 8 – 9 feet. The remainder of the wall is made from glass, which extends from the top of your conventional wall to the ceiling. This one alteration will allow natural light to flood into a space but will preserve the privacy that a conventional wall provides. Not to mention that it looks fantastic!

If you have a vaulted ceiling, you know that sound carries very well in the open space. Glass is an ideal sound barrier. It offers significantly better noise insulation than conventional construction materials do. It can really make a difference in the amount of sound in an office or a bedroom.

Glass is also the ideal material for bridging the gap between the top of a wall and a vaulted ceiling. It’s readily available, and can be custom cut to fit any size vault. Whether you’re attempting to divide an existing space, or you simply want to sound-deaden a workspace, bedroom, bathroom or office, glass can help you preserve light diffusion while achieving your other architectural and interior design goals.

You can also decorate the glass in any way that makes sense to you using Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially engineered to bond to glass surfaces. Once cured, the paint will not delaminate, chip or fade, even when exposed to humidity or direct sunlight. It can offer significant control of light or create privacy for about $1 per square foot.

If you’d like more information about working with glass or Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jeremy Levine, via Flickr.com