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Glass paint décor in your home

Glass paint décor in your home

Glass paint décor in your home

Glass paint décor in your home

A growing trend in residential decorating is stained glass. Although stained glass has been made for nearly 2,000 years, it didn’t become popular in residential settings until about the mid-1800’s. Since stained glass is typically hand-made, it tends to be expensive. It fell out of favor during the Great Depression, and is only now making a comeback. Glass paint, however may have an edge on stained glass artwork.

Glass paint is safe for home decorating

Stained glass is re-emerging at a time when environmentalists and regulators are raising serious questions about the safety of stained glass. During manufacturing, toxic metals are added to molten glass to produce the vibrant colors that make stained glass so desirable. During the firing process, these toxins can be released into the air. The danger doesn’t stop there.

Older stained glass pieces often contain lead edging called came. Louis Tiffany Comfort, who was famous for his stained glass artwork, used often use copper came. That gave his pieces a distinctive look. Unfortunately, stained glass work made with lead came sheds lead dust. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin, so traditional stained glass art made with lead came (and the areas around it) must be cleaned regularly to avoid accidental lead exposure.

What most people don’t know is that “stained glass” made from about the 1300’s to the 1800’s was actually painted glass. It wasn’t until the 1800’s that artisans in Europe revived the older stained glass manufacturing techniques that rely on metal inclusions. Many of the most recognizable stained glass works in Europe are actually painted glass.

Painted glass provides a wide range of artistic options because it can include virtually any color. The glass painting process also doesn’t rely on lead came to bind the piece together. By eliminating heavy metals in glass production and lead in the finished product, painted glass artwork is actually safer to install and maintain in residential applications.

While the painted glass windows in Europe relied on a firing process to cure the paint, modern glass paints like GlassPrimer™ glass paint are designed to bond directly to the glass surface. The paint actually modifies the surface of the glass to promote permanent adhesion. Once GlassPrimer™ glass paint is cured, it will not chip or peel. Since it does not slough off toxic dust, it is safe for use in residences.

If you’d like more information about GlassPrimer™ glass paint, or you’d like to explore how it can be used in your home, please visit the rest of our site.

Photo Credit: yooperann, via Flickr

Painted glass or stained glass?

Painted glass or stained glass?

Painted glass or stained glass?

Painted glass or stained glass?

If you’ve paid attention to the stained glass industry, you know that there’s a significant controversy that’s arising around stained glass. Stained glass has been used for decorative purposes since the Middle Ages. The “stained” portion of stained glass relies on the inclusion and melting of heavy metals to create the intense colors that stained glass is known for.

Heavy metals are toxic. They include mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium and a host of others that are equally bad. The conventional wisdom says that once encased in glass, the metals are harmless. Generally, that’s true, but traditional stained glass production methods mean that stained glass can still pose a danger to human health.

For example, the metal that separates stained glass segments is traditionally (but not always) made of lead. Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass work stands out in part because he did not use lead in many of his works. (He used copper, especially on his lamp shades.)

The lead strips that hold the stained glass in place are an ongoing source of lead dust. The metal sloughs off lead particles, which can then become airborne. For this reason, many people with lead glass windows in their homes have elected to remove and replace the windows, or encase them to reduce their exposure to lead. Production problems in the stained glass industry are also calling into question the long-term availability of stained glass.

Painted glass is emerging as a substitute for traditional stained glass. Many well known “stained glass” works are actually painted! . Painted glass has a different effect, but offers a similar artistic experience. Painted glass has the benefit of not being toxic to handle or produce, and not emitting toxic particles following manufacture and installation.

Painted glass is emerging as a viable substitute for stained glass. Under proper conservation, painted glass can last for hundreds of years.

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: Ninniane , 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