6 Different Types of Glass Use for Interior Needs – Properties and Usage
Thinking of glass as a fragile item in the building engineering industry is an obsolete and outworn thought. Simply start putting this as a preferable material besides concrete and wood. Why? Because the technology infused with the raw extractions has announced it a sturdier piece than ever, delivering you a great deal of aesthetics and functionality under one roof.
Although the glass can serve you with ample solutions that could be cost-effective and functional too for your architectural projects, shopping for different types of glass being a starter to this zone could be confusing enough.
Don’t worry! As we’ve got you covered. Our guide has been broken down into parts to let you know how each type of glass can deliver you your desired outcomes on the grounds of outlooks, benefits and the two lined up in your budgeted costs. Let’s have a sneak peek at the different type of glass used for interior needs available in the market.
Table of Contents
- 1 FROSTED GLASS: Perfect for a translucent theme!
- 2 INSULATED GLASS: Maintains the temperature of any space!
- 3 TEMPERED GLASS: Toughened enough to avoid breakage!
- 4 PLEXIGLASS: Safest glass sheet for children’s room décor!
- 5 LAMINATED GLASS: Provides heightened security!
- 6 POLYCARBONATE: Colorful glass with a variety of uses!
FROSTED GLASS: Perfect for a translucent theme!
One of the most used types of glass in modern architectural design is a frosted one. The worthy material is efficient enough to serve you a decorative purpose while giving you a sense of security as it obscures visibility.
The process of converting a clear glass sheet from a transparent to a translucent theme is generally done by sandblasting or acid-etching. The two techniques provide the glass a cloudy look while both can cater to different levels of opacity and designing matching to personal preference.
Choosing between the two types of frosted glass takes how much transparency and gradients each interior spacing requires. Going with an acid-etched glass is more economical, less likely to get marks or handprints, and gives a smooth permanent design that won’t wear off easily. On the other hand, a sand-blasted glass is rougher and more translucent, requiring cleaning efforts while allowing you a greater level of privacy through its maximum degree of opacity.
In what ways can it serve your interior needs?
This processed type of glass can add value to your architectural projects in substantial ways.
- It widely caters to the privacy element of places like bathrooms and bedrooms with its obscured visibility.
- Offices widely use this technique to imprint their logos on their glass interiors that add embellishment with a purpose to their workplace.
- Besides security, it works as a beautifying element to your house interiors with its wide ability to get crafted stylish patterns.
- It can enlighten your spaces uniformly due to the irregularity of the glass surface.
PROS and CONS of FROSTED GLASS
Frosted glass, sure works great to enhance the privacy value. But what else does it offer? Let’s explore some merits and demerits of frosted glass.
INSULATED GLASS: Maintains the temperature of any space!
When it comes to opting for the leading technologies in glass an insulated glass is a top-notch preference. Why because, by investing in such a material, you can maintain desired temperatures at your homes, offices, or apartments that give you ease at your utility bills. Insulated glass is also known as IG units. These are the prime preference when making doors and windows due to their insulation properties such as heat resistance in summers.
Making of an insulated glass unit takes two glass separated together and sealed, leaving a vacuumed or gas-filled space in between. While choosing between the options in IG units, one must look for their security and personal preferences, as spacing or thickness can impact the soundproofing and temp-resistance abilities.
Further, you can go for a combination of patterned glass with an annealed glass for embellishing purposes or choose more functional options such as single sealed or double sealed IG units.
In what ways can it serve your interior needs?
This type of glass is used in interiors as a furniture or fixtures for its high functionalities without compromising your aesthetic preferences.
- Installing IG units to the doors and windows can reduce your energy bills by 20-30% per annum.
- These can nicely serve you a peaceful in-house environment and other security needs as they cater to noise-reducing abilities.
- This is the most durable one-time investment that can shield your house from fierce storms.
- With this! Get your homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
PROS and CONS of INSULATED GLASS
Apart from the thermal insulation benefits, insulated glass offers a number of other advantages too. Here are some pros and cons of using insulated glass.
TEMPERED GLASS: Toughened enough to avoid breakage!
Next, we have another remarkable glass type which is manufactured by a technical process of heating, softening, and finally cooling. The final product is a sturdier one 4 times more than ordinary annealed glass, the outer surface of which bears a high compression state.
Tempered glass is largely known by another title of toughened glass. You can ideally use them as window or door panels, shower doors, aquariums to even make them a part of your bulletproof components due to their robust composition.
In what ways can it serve your interior needs?
The toughened glass has a strong relationship with other sturdier building materials. Some of its applications are:
- Retail stores use this type in their display casing, as they are hard to break.
- They are safe enough to be installed as glass tops near fireplaces.
- These are the perfect pick as an exterior for making windows and other glass facades.
- You can even uplift your house interior with the sturdier tempered glass supported staircase or even an elevator.
Pros and Cons of Using Tempered Glass
Toughened glass has made its mark in the glass industry due to the countless benefits it offers. However, along with ups, there are a few downs associated with the usage of tempered glass. Let’s see what those are.
PLEXIGLASS: Safest glass sheet for children’s room décor!
Plexiglass is one of an environmental-friendly glass type and a preferable choice in the world of architecture. You can even browse it by the name Acrylic glass. The glass type comes as a result of polymerization. After the processing, they are available in the market as sheets.
This type of glass has opened new dimensions to the interior designers with the reckoned fact that they are 30 times stronger and 2 times lighter than glass and are chemical resistant.
The acrylic zone is widely versatile with its numerous finishes. If you desire a clear look through view, you can choose a clear plexiglass sheet. To give your rooms a wider look they can be the best alternative to mirrors with silver mirrored sheets and reflective abilities. You have more choices to go for, such as fully tinted or patterned sheets to add value to your interiors.
In what ways can it serve your interior needs?
This glazing replacement fulfills multiple practical advantages, elevating your interior appearance at the same time.
- It can be used on a display shelf, tabletops, picture frames, etc., as they are safe to clean with any chemical or disinfectant.
- They are the safest glass to be used in children’s wardrobes, windows doors, or others, as they are less likely to shatter into pieces.
- Without compromising on quality, this glass type can save a hefty amount on interior designing due to its cheaper price points.
PROS and CONS of PLEXIGLASS
Plexiglass is considered the perfect alternative to glass. Besides the plethora of benefits, there are some shortcomings in plexiglass that distinguish it from standard glass. Here are some merits and demerits of using plexiglass.
LAMINATED GLASS: Provides heightened security!
A glass is in itself a decent building material. What’s more preferable today is safety. This practical purpose is widely catered to by laminated glass. As both fall into the sturdier glass category, laminated glass and tempered glass are different in terms of numerous features.
Laminated glass is formed by bonding one or two layers of glass with a layer of resin in between that adds brittleness to the structure. Estimating the strength, these are up to 5 times stronger than ordinary glass.
In what ways can it serve your interior needs?
Look below how this functional glass type can help your interiors to look elegant.
- It is much recommended to make use of this ‘ safety glass’ on entry points such as glass and windows as they are hard to break.
- With their storm-resistant ability, these are reliable choices for large windows, official and commercial cascades.
- You can bring your desired creativity with digital elements on this glass type.
PROS and CONS of Laminated Glass
Due to its high strength value, laminated glass is deemed as the unbreakable glass that justifies its usage in bulletproofing. However, there are some limitations to the usage of laminated glass. Let’s explore the pros and cons of using laminated glass.
POLYCARBONATE: Colorful glass with a variety of uses!
The polycarbonate sheets are a good alternative to regular fragile glass equipped with a harder coating or generally a UV protection shield. They offer a good light transmission to your housing or commercial spaces while guarding you against harmful UV radiation.
Polycarbonate sheets are easy to mold and install. If you’re looking to design a dome-shaped panel or even a sunroom roof these are the lightweight materials that hold great molding and altering abilities. For the places where certain materials are unsuitable, it can be a decent and sturdy option to rely on.
In what ways can it serve your interior needs?
If you’re up on your architectural project with a substantial budget it’s more preferable to choose than plexiglass sheets. This worthy investment will let you with several benefits such as:
- It can add clearness to your interior panels for longer as they won’t go yellowish early unlike plexiglass.
- Its strengthened manufacturing announces it a top pick for use as an exterior architectural material such as doors and windows.
- You can impact the theme of your interiors with its multiple color range choices.
- They won’t need much of your installation effort due to their lightweight feature.
Pros and Cons of Polycarbonate glass
The high optical clarity of polycarbonate is desirable for many projects. Are there any cons of using polycarbonate as well? Here are the advantages and disadvantages of using polycarbonate.
In the End!
An unimaginable creativity you can bring out with great embellishing material l or simply using different types of glass in your interior. You have many options available to go for from designing glass window panes, doors, furniture tops, ceilings to even roofs or simple and sturdy glass as tempered glass sheets.