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Need frosted glass? Make your own!

Need frosted glass? Make your own!

Need frosted glass? Make your own!

Need frosted glass? Make your own!

Frosted glass has a lot of upside, especially if you’re trying to create privacy or cover up an unattractive view. True frosted glass is made in one of two ways: mechanically or chemically. Mechanically frosted glass is created when ordinary glass is sandblasted. The surface of the glass is lightly abraded by the sandblasting process. Because the surface is obliterated, the glass is no longer transparent, although it is translucent.

The same effect can be achieved with a chemical etching process. As with sandblasting, the surface of the glass is modified, leaving behind non-transparent glass. In either case, true frosted glass can run anywhere between $3 and $30 per square foot. There’s no doubt that it’s useful, but it can also be expensive.

An alternative to frosted glass is glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently with the surface of the glass. Once Glassprimer™ glass paint is cured, the paint will not delaminate, fade or chip. A special frosted effect can deliver the look and benefits of frosted glass for about $1 per square foot. And unlike frosted glass, Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match virtually any color from any major paint manufacturer. That means you can easily incorporate glass paint into your decorating scheme.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is an excellent solution for concealing an unattractive view. That can certainly happen, especially in densely constructed urban areas. Painted glass can provide privacy, and offers a durable solution that will not fade, even in direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Jaysin Trevino , via Flickr.com

Glass goes to work

Glass goes to work

Glass goes to work

Glass goes to work

Here’s an interesting fact: ten years ago, the average employee office space measured about 250 square feet. Today, the average employee office space measures about 175 feet. That’s a 30% reduction in space. Not surprisingly, the average cost per square foot has risen in the same time by about 30%. In certain cities, the cost of office space has risen even higher. Cost pressures, availability and the need to manage growth may all have an impact on the choice of location. Creative use of space – including the use of glass – may help expand a small space.

While you may not be able to do much about the cost of a space, or you may be asked to do more with less room, your space doesn’t have to “look” small. Interior spaces tend to get closed off by the construction of interior walls. While interior walls create privacy, they can be counterproductive in an office space.

That’s why many office designers are turning to glass to visually recapture”lost” or reconfigured space. The transparency of glass allows natural light to penetrate a space. It allows the eye to see through a space, which can naturally make it look larger.

When used in interior design, glass can also offer superior sound reduction. Because it’s a hard surface, many people think that sound will carry well. Glass is actually an excellent audio insulator, so the use of glass dividers in a space actually reduces ambient noise.

Glass can also be worked into any decorating scheme. Glassprimer™ glass paint, used strategically, can create privacy without interfering with the transmission of natural light. You’ll still get the benefits of glass, the privacy that certain spaces demand, and at about $1 per square foot, Glassprimer™ glass paint is economical, too!

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: BFI Business Furniture , via Flickr.com

Small space? Glass paint is your solution!

Small space? Glass paint is your solution!

Small space? Glass paint is your solution!

Small space? Glass paint is your solution!

If you’re looking to decorate a small space, and don’t have a lot of time or money to work with, you can still create a great effect using either glass or Plexiglas™. A small space could be a dining nook, an entryway, a powder room or a small galley-type kitchen.

Entryways take a lot of abuse. Mud, water, snow and dirt all get tracked into an entryway. Pets add another dimension – especially if they’re given to shaking off their muddy, wet coats! You can dress up your entryway quickly and inexpensively by creating a glass or Plexiglas™ liner for the walls.

Backpainting the glass or Plexiglas™ prior to laminating it to the walls will ensure that your entryway will always look fresh and cheerful, and cleanup will be a snap!

Got a small dining nook, powder room or other similar space that needs a little attention? You can provide a splash of color by applying a backpainted glass or Plexiglas™ surface to the walls. Both glass and Plexiglas™ are inexpensive and can be precisely cut to fit your space. Glassprimer™ glass paint can provide coverage for about $1 per square foot. It’s highly economical, requires no special tools to apply or mount, and can be added to, modified or removed easily. It’s a great way to decorate a rental space, and it’s easy to remove when the lease is up.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Shehan Peruma , via Flickr.com

Glass as a wall covering

Glass as a wall covering

Glass as a wall covering

Glass as a wall covering

Glass is typically used in windows and doors. In some interior spaces, glass is also used to divide the space without visually reducing it. Glass can also be used creatively to laminate interior surfaces.

As a laminate, glass offers a number of options. First, it offers a premium appearance, but it’s comparatively inexpensive. It can be purchased locally and trimmed to fit virtually any layout. Glass can also be painted with a specially formulated paint that’s specially designed to bond with the glass surface.

Backpainting the glass and laminating it to the wall can give a space an elegant appearance that’s exceptionally easy to maintain. Although glass can be heavy, it can also be purchased in relatively thin sheets, and a thin sheet of glass can deliver the same visual benefits as a thicker panel. Over large surfaces, it’s still very possible to use thin glass and achieve a great effect without adding excessive weight to a space or making the glass panels difficult to handle.

Backpainted glass can also be used in demanding areas, like a kitchen or bathroom. Because Glassprimer™ glass paint makes a permanent bond with the glass, it stands up to high heat and humidity. It won’t delaminate. That means your glass laminates will look good year after year.

Glass can be mounted securely to a wall or other surface using neutral-cure silicone adhesive. The Glassprimer™ glass paint will hide the adhesive, so it won’t be visible from the exposed side of the glass. In addition, silicone adhesive has enough strength to keep the glass bonded securely to the surface until you’re ready to remove it.

Glass is also an environmentally friendly material, and doesn’t leach noxious chemicals or by-products, like some synthesized products can.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Phil Manker , via Flickr.com

Glass can open up a small space

Glass can open up a small space

Glass can open up a small space

Glass can open up a small space

Competing priorities are making some big demands on designers. On one hand, people want to have enough space to move, work, relax and feel comfortable. On the other hand, people are becoming exceptionally aware of the true cost of sprawl. The desire to minimize one’s footprint – whether being driven by space, energy consumption, or some other factor – is also impacting design. So, do you design “big,” or do you aim for small? With glass, designers can actually do both!

Glass is a great medium for opening up a small space. Used in the context of a window, glass can either literally or figuratively open up a small space. Operable windows provide the benefit of light and air circulation, but glass has the disadvantage of increasing energy consumption via loss.

Windows aren’t the only application for glass, though. Used as walls or dividers in an interior space, glass can be just as effective at opening up a space. Used in interior applications, glass has the benefit of adding sound insulation, and can help transmit natural light. It can also create the impression of space.

The variety of glass on the market means that designers have a lot of options when working with glass in interior design. Patterned, frosted or painted glass can add privacy in certain areas, without sacrificing the transmission of light – which is what can make a small space look big.

Painted glass also has the advantage of being able to coordinate with the color palette of the interior design. A product like Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match the paint palette of virtually every major paint manufacturer, and can provide light and heat control as needed.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Josh Bancroft , via Flickr.com

Go wild with glass tiles

Go wild with glass tiles

Go wild with glass tiles

Go wild with glass tiles

If you’re looking to update the look of your home, consider adding glass tiles to your list of decorating options. Glass tiles have a lot of upside, and they may fit in perfectly to your long-term decorating plans.

Glass tiles come in a range of shapes and sizes. They also come in a variety of colors. Glass tile walls often feature a mixture of colors and shapes, creating a mosaic appearance on the finished wall. Glass tiles can be set individually, just like other tiles. You can also purchase pre-set glass tiles, which you would apply to a wall or countertop to create a mosaic without the need to set each tile individually.

Another alternative to glass tiles is backpainted glass. Backpainted glass is exceptionally versatile, and easy to create in place. Glass doesn’t normally take ordinary paint. While ordinary paint will dry on the glass surface, it peels and chips easily, especially in high humidity areas of your home, like bathrooms and kitchens.

A specially formulated paint for glass, like Glassprimer™ glass paint, will bond permanently to the glass surface. This guarantees that the paint you apply to the glass will stay in place after you’ve mounted the glass to a wall or other surface.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is also UV-resistant, which means that it will not fade, even when exposed to direct sunlight. Further, Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used for either interior or exterior projects, and cleans up with ordinary paint thinner. Glassprimer™ glass paint also comes in a water-based formulation that cleans up with water. Both formulations of Glassprimer™ glass paint are classified as low-VOC paints, which means that you won’t have to deal with noxious paint fumes while you’re creating your project.

Backpainted glass is actually easier and less expensive to create and apply than glass tiles are. Backpainted glass can be created for about $1 per square foot, and can be applied to a wall or surface with neutral-cure silicone adhesive, which is commonly available in home improvement stores.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Anne Slaughter, via Flickr.com

Stained glass makes a comeback

Stained glass makes a comeback

Stained glass makes a comeback

Stained glass makes a comeback

Stained glass has been in the news recently, and not always in a positive way. Recently, stained glass manufacturers have come under increasing federal and state scrutiny, largely because of their furnace emissions. Stained glass colorants are typically derived from heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium. Recent testing of air, soil and water around even small glass furnaces shows an elevated level of these toxic heavy metals. The test results have caused the US EPA and state agencies to reconsider emissions waivers they’d previously granted to smaller scale glass furnaces.

Stained glass artists have bemoaned the potential demise of “true” stained glass. To meet regulatory compliance, stained glass furnaces must install expensive particle filtration units that recapture the toxic emissions. Even when the filtration systems have been installed, rainwater runoff from the factory roofs have deposited high levels of toxic heavy metals into the soils surrounding the plants. One Portland, OR glass furnace has chosen to relocate its facilities to Mexico to avoid having to comply with US air quality standards.

Another concern regarding stained glass is its lead content. Leaded glass windows were common in upscale homes in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Lead particles from the glazing are constantly being shed, and pose an ongoing lead hazard. Athough the windows may have historical significance, many homeowners have chosen to remove the windows as part of a lead abatement plan for their living spaces.

Does this mean the end of stained glass? Not entirely. Although stained glass windows are rightly classified as artworks and offer some very intricate details, some of the “stained glass” windows we prize so highly are actually painted glass. Glass painting can produce some exceptional results, which compare favorably with traditional stained glass.

Glass painting has been around for centuries, and with modern glass paint compounds, a skilled artist can create a “stained glass” appearance with glass paint. Today’s glass paint contains none of the hazardous materials that traditional stained glass windows contain. A compound like Glassprimer™ glass paint bonds permanently to the glass surface without the need for heat curing, and will not chip, fade or peel, even when exposed to direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Just1Snap, via Flickr.com

Glass and its role in feng shui

Glass and its role in feng shui

Glass and its role in feng shui

Glass and its role in feng shui

If you’re looking to make a positive change in your home in 2017, you may consider adding some Feng Shui touches to each room in your home. If you’re not familiar with feng shui, here’s a brief primer. Feng shui is a Chinese philosophy that promotes harmony among inhabitants in an environment.

Feng shui is closely associated with Taoism. Although scientists don’t believe that feng shui actually controls the mystical energies it purports to, it can make for an interesting decorating strategy. In addition to decorating the interior of a space, feng shui principles are finding some traction in landscaping and landscape design around a home’s exterior.

Feng shui seeks to create a harmonious balance among the “elements” in feng shui: earth, metal, water, fire and wood. While using the actual material is desirable, certain materials can “stand in” for these elements.

Glass, for example, stands in for water. That’s helpful in rooms that don’t have water, or where water itself can’t be used. Fountains, mirrors, aquariums, dark colors and asymmetrical shapes can also substitute for water. The water element in feng shui is meant to create clarity, good communication and wealth, but be careful how you add it in a space. Too much water can create confusion and indecision.

There’s no strong agreement among feng shui practitioners regarding what constitutes a good balance of the elements in a room, or in a home. Glass lends an air of elegance, simplicity and balance to a room. Including glass to a room may be as simple as adding a glass table top to an existing coffee table or end table. If you intend to lay a sheet of glass on a furniture surface, consider adding small felt buttons to the bottom side of the glass to discourage movement, especially if the glass is not heavy enough to hold itself in place.

You can add color to glass by using Glassprimer™ glass paint. Dark colors, especially black, dark blue and gray, complement the feng shui water aesthetic. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match the paint palette of virtually any major paint manufacturer. Backpainting a glass cover for a table top may help bring your room in harmony with the other feng shui elements.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: Kevin Maher , via Flickr.com

Using glass in interior decorating

Using glass in interior decorating

Using glass in interior decorating

Using glass in interior decorating

Few materials are more versatile in decorating than glass. It’s natural to think of glass in terms of windows. After all, that’s where we see glass most often – regardless of whether we’re looking at commercial or residential spaces.

Glass is much more versatile than that, though. Because it comes in so many thicknesses and colors, and can be cut or shaped into virtually any form, glass is a natural choice for many interior decorating plans. Whether you’re rehabbing a piece of furniture, laminating a wall or creating a room divider, the versatility of glass will soon make it your go-to material.

As a laminate, glass can be added to furniture and walls easily. Depending upon the application, a thin glass can be a great laminate for a piece of furniture that has been well used, or that just needs a visual update.

Glass can be cut to virtually any size, so laminating a table, cabinet or even your kitchen cupboards can be a quick-fix project. The result can be a great, classic chic Art Deco look. Glass is easy to cut and can be applied safely and securely with silicone adhesive.

You can also paint the glass virtually any color of the rainbow, thanks to Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially engineered to bond permanently with the surface of the glass. Backpainted glass is easy to create and will last indefinitely. In kitchen applications, glass is ideal because it is impervious and can be cleaned and sterilized easily.

If you want to be really adventurous, you can laminate an entire wall surface with thin glass. As in the kitchen, glass can lend the same sense of elegance to virtually any room. Backpainted glass as a laminate allows you to create a simple, yet sophisticated surface. Whether you’re adding a splash of color or covering imperfections in the wall surface, glass can help you transform a room quickly and easily. Glassprimer™ glass paint is also inexpensive. You can provide complete coverage on glass for about $1 per square foot.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For 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: dakman, via Flickr.com

Considering a home improvement project? Think glass!

Considering a home improvement project? Think glass!

Considering a home improvement project? Think glass!

Considering a home improvement project? Think glass!

2017 offers a great opportunity to refresh your living space. If moving or building your own home isn’t in the cards, you can improve the space you’ve got. The number one reason people consider moving is “more space.” But how can you create more space using only the space you’ve got?

Glass is a great way to open up a space, if only virtually. By making a space look bigger, you can improve your enjoyment of the space and give it a crisp, clean look.

How can you open a space? Consider removing non-structural walls or using glass room dividers to “remodel” your interior space. Raising furniture off the ground will also allow you to “look through” objects, creating a more open feeling in a small room.

Another way to open a room is to reframe windows. Small windows are more energy efficient, but they don’t tend to admit a lot of natural light. By increasing the amount of natural light in a space, you can create the impression of a larger, brighter and more welcoming space.

You can also use glass in doors, or use frameless glass doors to create the visual impression of more space. In areas where privacy is desirable, you can use frosted glass. If frosted glass isn’t in the budget, consider using Glassprimer™ glass paint.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a cost effective alternative to frosted glass that provides privacy and durability. Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly UV resistant, so it won’t chip, fade or peel even in direct sunlight. Unlike frosted glass, Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color. It can be tinted to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer, so you can integrate it seamlessly into your decorating plan.

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: Acme, via Flickr.com