All you need to know about the types of glass

Vartika Gupta Vartika Gupta
MR. VIKAS SHAH, Urbane Storey Urbane Storey Nowoczesny salon
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Imagine a house without glass.. Can't do? If there is one material that would be hard to replace when you are trying to construct your house, it would have to be glass. Without glass there would be no natural light inside, no views, no mirrors and no dressers. Glass is one of the key elements when constructing a house, and that is probably the reason there has been a constant research that has led to the creation of so many kinds of glass, that one is left confused which one to choose. In this ideabook we shall look at various kinds of glasses that are typically used in design and decor, so you will get a fair idea about their advantages and strengths and can plan to use them appropriately in your home. It is suggested however to consult an interior decorator regarding the glass you wish to use and the look that you want to create with that glass, before you hire a glass work professional and start the job.

Float Glass

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Float glass is the most basic type of glass, that is available in various thickness and a few colors as well. Float glass is perhaps the most economical glass, and can be used in cabinet doors, table tops etc. Float glass has the highest light emission, and is actually the basic material for any kind of glass that is made, and it is also used in glass cutting process. See the different uses of glass at home.

Laminated Glass

Laminated glass is made from two or more layers of glass bonded together with an inter layer of plastic. The thickness of the laminated glass depends on the thickness of the glass layers. Any kind of glass can be laminated, from float to tinted glass to painted glass. Laminating the glass makes it strong and break resistant. Laminating a glass does not impact it's transparency but adds to its strength manifold. Also if broken the laminated glass does not shatter and spread all over like a normal float glass. Laminated glass offers better UV protection, better sound proofing and better thermal insulation.

Patterned Glass

Patterned glass is glass printed with an aesthetic design or any pattern that reduces its transparency, and adds to the decorative characteristic of the glass. A float glass can be made patterned, and so can the laminated and toughened glass be converted into a patterned glass. Patterned glass adds to the aesthetic appeal of the home, and also to the privacy and can be effectively used in internal partitions or cabinet doors.

Painted Glass

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Painted glass is a trending idea to add color to any wall without any worry of the color loosing its shine or fading over a period of time. The glass is painted on the back side, and the front side is left simple to be maintained and cleaned as and when required without impacting the reflective property and brightness of the color.

Using painted glass on cabinet doors, or kitchen walls adds a dash of color into the room with a lot of shine and smoothness.

Decorative Glass

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Just like patterned glass, decorative glass is also used to the aesthetic value of it. Unlike patterned glass that is generally printed and frosted, decorative glasses are created by craftsmen and artists who paint them with transparent and opaque paints creating unique beautiful masterpieces for homes.

Mirrored Glass

Mirrored glass is created by applying liquid metallic coating on one side and then sealing it with a protective layer to avoid scratching. Mirrored glass are great to use on walls of small rooms and create an illusion of space. They are valuable for their aesthetic appeal.

Coated Glass

Coated glass is made sealing two layers of glass with some gap of air between them. Coated glass is then covered with a surface coating to make it scratch resistant and reflective. Coated glass offer perfect thermal insulation, as they contain the heat inside, during the cold weather and reflect the heat outside in the hot weather.

Sometimes the gap between the two layers can be filled with argon, which shall incur an additional cost but save on the energy consumption in the long run.

Low Emissivity Glass

Low Emissivity glass or Low E glass is a glass coated with a microscopic thin layer of a transparent coating, that reflects the infrared rays and prevents suns heat from passing through. Low E glasses are generally only used in double glazed units of glass where they are the most effective. The best part is that is does not require any additional care, and can even prevent UV rays.

Frosted Glass

Frosted glass is a glass that is made translucent by spraying over a chemical spray. Frosted glass is great for use in kitchen cabinets, and bathroom separations as it adds to the charm of the room, without the transparency of the glass. Light can pass through a frosted glass in a diffused and soft manner making it aesthetically appealing.

Toughened Glass

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Toughened glass is also known as tempered glass, and is created with tempering the float glass thermally. Toughened glass is very safe and does not break easy. Toughened glass is also quite resistant to temperature extremes. Toughening the glass does not alter the color, transparency or opacity of the glass, it only adds to the strength by making it break resistant. Toughened glass is good to use in kitchen, in fact many gas stoves are made out of toughened glass, which makes them easy to clean and maintain too. Owing to its strength toughened glass is used in shop fronts, balcony rails and house walls on the upper floors.

Toughened glass however can not be cut after the process, so the float glass has to be cut to the exact size and only then converted into a toughened glass. Here are 11 pictures of houses made with a lot of glass.


Tinted Glass

One of the most common glass used in construction is tinted glass or stained, and here is introducing stained glass in the home. Tinted glass is made by adding small amounts of some metals and their oxides that are known to impart color to the glass mix. Tinted glass comes in many shades of yellow, green, blue etc and look great in the facades of buildings and even indoors. Tinted glass can be used by cutting in small pieces and creating a mosaic of varied colors.

Hope you liked reading and knowing about the various glass types, and can now make your decision of where you wish to use which kind of glass in your home.



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