Glass is a fantastic option for construction as it opens up areas to natural light and also adds sophistication and beauty to the design. It’s also durable and provides security against break-ins.
Glass can be made different colours by adding various metallic compounds during the melting process. Cobalt and copper give blue and red glasses respectively while iron produces green colouration.
Transparent
Transparent glass is one of the most used building materials. It is a great option for those who want to create a sense of spaciousness and natural light in their space. It is also resistant to water and most of the acids hence it will not get discolored, soften, swelling or detach its coatings.
The transparent property of glass comes from its ability to reflect and pass light without absorbing it. This is unlike metals, which absorb photons and have electric charges inside them. Glass is able to reflect and pass light because it does not have these electric charges.
This transparency allows sunlight to enter your home, which is beneficial for occupants’ health and mood. Exposure to daylight is known to regulate our bodies’ production of melatonin, aid digestion and improve sleep patterns. Additionally, it reduces energy costs and can improve the appearance of any space. This makes it a versatile and sustainable option for modern buildings. Glass can also be recycled indefinitely and offers significant environmental benefits, including mitigating climate change and saving natural resources.
Reflective
Modern home design is all about striking the right balance between style and functionality. Glass has become an integral part of contemporary homes, as it adds a touch of luxury to the space while delivering a host of benefits.
Reflective glass has a metallic coating that helps it reflect heat, reducing your building’s energy costs. It also protects the interiors of a structure from harmful UV rays, thereby prolonging their lifespan.
Besides offering excellent thermal comfort, reflective glass offers enhanced privacy as well. The dark hue on the glass surface obstructs visibility from the opposite side, making it impossible for nosy people to peep in.
Reflective glass panes are available in various hues, including bronze, silver, dark grey, green and dark blue. You can pick a shade that perfectly aligns with your structure’s framing, panelling and stonework. It can also be combined with safety glass to offer added protection against impact. The interlayer used on toughened glass has counteracting stresses or surface compression that balances tensile stress in the core of the glass to prevent shattering into dangerous shards.
Patterned
Patterned glass is a type of frosted or textured glass decorated with a pattern for aesthetic purposes. It can be produced in a wide range of styles and obscurity levels, from leaves to Flemish or tiny squares, to meet your privacy needs without compromising on the brightness of natural light.
This type of glass is very popular in bathrooms, shower walls and doors, and can be used as a decorative feature throughout the home or business. It is also a great option for office buildings, as it allows in the maximum amount of natural light while maintaining privacy. This can help increase productivity in the workplace and lower energy costs by decreasing reliance on artificial lighting.
Another popular use of patterned glass is in conservatories, where it can help to create a more open and spacious feel by diffusing and dispersing light throughout the space. This can make small rooms appear more spacious and improve the interior design style. It can also be used to achieve a modern aesthetic in any building, and can be tinted to decrease the amount of sunlight that passes through it.
Wired
Many different types of glass are employed in construction. Each one has its own distinct properties that make it ideal for a certain type of project. Glass can be a wonderful option for a construction job based on its strength, durability, thermal insulation and light transmission qualities.
Wired glass is fire-rated glass embedded in steel wire mesh to keep it together when it breaks, preventing injury to people. This is an effective safety measure in places prone to accidents and break-ins, like hospitals, schools, and domestic homes. It is also a good choice for locations where vision panels are required. The woven steel wire mesh in the glass makes it more durable, providing superior resistance against mechanical shock.
Laminated Glass is a type of glass that consists of two or more glass layers connected by an interlayer. It delivers extra strength and improved safety compared to annealed glass. It is used in skylights, windows, and glazing for building facades and to protect against weather conditions like rain and snow. It can also block ultraviolet rays and increase energy efficiency by controlling heat gain and loss.
Glass Blocks
Glass blocks are solid, transparent or translucent architectural elements used to construct walls and partitions. They are available in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors. Some blocks have patterns pressed into the surface while others have etchings and glazes applied for varying aesthetic effects. Hollow glass block can be used in commercial and residential projects for non-load bearing walls, windows or partitions.
Glass block has a dynamic relationship with light and offers a range of transparency depending on the pattern selected. Light transmission and visibility are enhanced with clear block while wavy and fluted patterns provide moderate privacy levels. Stippled, diamond, and tightly ribbed patterns offer higher privacy levels.
If you’re considering a glass block window for your home, be sure to consult with your local hardware or building store. They can help you choose the best type of block for your project and help ensure that you’re using the right installation kit. You’ll also want to find out whether your house is structurally sound enough to support the weight of a glass block window.