There are a number of areas to think about when specifying glass.
Glass provides a low maintenance, hardwearing, value for money solution as an interior surface material,offering a wealth of options – from partitioning to cladding, it can be used to make a statement or provide a neutral backdrop.
To aid you in specifying glass we have put together a simple guide which we hope will provide you with some key initial questions and areas to think about:
Application
What is the product being used for? A glass splash back that goes behind a hob will vary from glass required for a shower screen in thickness and finish – the site of the glass and it’s weight are key to making sure that the product adheres or has the correct fixtures and fittings to support it. Cladding applications are generally 4mm and 6mm glass, whereas partitions are 8mm upwards, breakfast bars and work surfaces are thicker still.
What environment is the product being used in? If the environment is a changing room, the products we recommend and how they are fitted will vary from those in an office environment. If you use ceramic painted glass in a wet room environment, the seals and joints required will differ from a water-based back painted glass.
What size panels are possible? Panels are limited not just to the size of the glass sheet they are cut from, they are also limited by access and cut outs. If the glass is going into a plot in a residential block, the hoist, lift or stairwell can affect the size of the panel, and the number and size of cut outs should be no more than one third of the overall size of the glass.
Where will the panels join? The joint positions are important when it comes to things like returns and worktop joint continuation. This is especially important when artwork is involved as manufacturing tolerances need to be taken into account. Thinking about this in advance means that panel sizes can be defined early on.
What size panels are possible? Panels are limited not just to the size of the glass sheet they are cut from, they are also limited by access and cut outs. If the glass is going into a plot in a residential block, the hoist, lift or stairwell can affect the size of the panel, and the number and size of cut outs should be no more than one third of the overall size of the glass.
Where will the panels join? The joint positions are important when it comes to things like returns and worktop joint continuation. This is especially important when artwork is involved as manufacturing tolerances need to be taken into account. Thinking about this in advance means that panel sizes can be defined early on.
Aftercare
What aftercare will the glass require? Is it in a high traffic area and will it require daily cleaning??In general glass requires very little in the way of maintenance, a surface clean will normally suffice and the procedures and recommended products are simple and easy to come by. It’s products which have surface designs to the face of the glass or are laminated where extra cleaning or precautions may be required.
A satin / acid or sandblasted finished glass will show grease and finger-marks and will require more cleaning, making them a more labour intensive option for aftercare than other products. A coating can be applied to glass to help repel grease and dust and to facilitate easier cleaning. A laminate used in a hospitality environment needs to ensure that any edges which are exposed are not subject to chemical cleaners which may cause the interlayer to delaminate.
Safety
What happens when glass breaks?
Glass in its basic form is a brittle, fragile substance – for interior use it should be toughened, laminated or safety backed wherever possible for strength, integrity and safety. Our NOGC Range has been created to cater to the needs of today?s interior applications, as well as standards for strength and flexibility.
Tips on using Mirrors:
. Put you mirror on the wall above the dining room table to reflect the light of your chandelier
. If you have a piece of art that you are really proud of, by placing a mirror on the wall opposite of it you double your ability to view it
. Make sure that the mirror is in a place to reflect something that you want to look at. Don?t just put it anywhere.
. Don?t place mirrors on ceilings. Back in the 1970?s it may have been the cool thing to do, and now we have moved gracefully on.
. Mirrored furniture in a small space helps create the optical illusion of it not existing. Since it reflects the opposite wall, it creates the illusion of the piece of furniture not existingWhether you are planning to hang the mirror?in a bathroom, hall way or even using it to create part of a display.
Whether you are planning to hang the mirror in a bathroom, hall way or even using it to create part of a display.
We create frameless mirrors at 4mm & 6mm of thickness and also use standard edgework options such as bevel or pencil edge.