All Kinds of Glass Finishes

Glass can improve the appearance of any space and relate your brand with a sense of elegance. If you want to enjoy all visual power of glass, it is important to know more about different kinds of glass finishes. Continue reading to know about different glass finishes and how they can be beneficial for your need. Consult with a professional who can help in making the right selection within your estimated budget.

What should you know about glass finishes?

Glass is transparent in colour which means light can pass through it easily. This is great quality from visual point of view as it means glass provide complete protection without interfering with objects view behind it.

The drawback of choosing glass being transparent is that you need glass panels to offer some privacy in certain cases. This is when glass finishes play a crucial role.

Glass finishes are effective ways to treat glass and make it less transparent for different look. Common methods to create glass finishes are the following:

• Sandblasting: When you choose this method, the glass surface gets bombarded with small sand pieces or other abrasive materials. These particles will hit the glass surface at high speed and scrap it. Due to this reason, the light may get through sandblasted glass though people cannot view through it.
• Acid etching: This glass is treated by applying hydrofluoric acid, the corrosive compound for giving frosted look to glass. When it is compared with sandblasting method, acid etching forms smooth appearance and provides more transparency.
• Films: This is a simple way to transform the appearance of glass panels. The method comprises of putting self-adhesive film on your glass. As these films are easy to install as well as remove, this option has added benefit of enabling you to change glass appearance, when needed. By contrast, with sandblasting and acid etching, the results will be permanent and cannot be changed.

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Reasons to use glass finishes

It has unique combination of solidity and transparency which makes satin obscure glass a suitable material for the windows, storefronts, and certain door types.

In a business or office setting you need to manage the transparency of glass. While you want store windows to provide the best possible view of products behind them, you require different approach in the areas where glass panels can be used in the form of space dividers.

In the case of a meeting room, you require some privacy and want the space to look inviting. People should feel comfortable so that they can work easily for longer time without the feel of being locked there.

Glass finishes provide a suitable solution as they offer elegant and neat look of glass. At the same time, they block sufficient light to allow you, your customers, and co-workers enjoy some privacy.

Different types of glass finishes

You will find different kinds of glass finishes for revamping your space. The finish you select depends on your exact needs, features of the space where the glass has been located, and the overall effect you want to create.

Frosted Glass

This satin frosted glass has frosted appearance from acid etching or sand blasting the glass or from the application of a film. Despite the method you select, you will always have these options:

• Frost just a part of panel
• Make decorative patterns
• Frost the entire panel

Common uses of frosted glass include:

• Offices: Frosted glass is an ideal choice for the glass partitions, exterior windows and doors in the office environment. It provides a sense of free-flowing organization so that everyone can concentrate on their work without feeling overwhelmed from the crowded space.
• Signs: There are cases when you can frost glass in the form of decorative choice. For example, a glass panel that has your logo is a remarkable branding material which ensures to make your business visible to prospective customers.
• Hotels: Frosted glass is a great addition to your bedrooms and bathrooms. It can form an ideal balance between warmth and sophistication that makes guests feel welcome in a comfortable environment.
• Restaurants: Frosted glass is the perfect way to organize dining spaces. You may frost an entire panel or use frosting to make designs like your logo.

Satin Glass

This type of glass finish is smoother when compared to frosted glass. The satin look can be attained with acid etching the glass or the application of a self-adhesive film. It is important to know that satin glass will appear less shiny than frosted counterpart.

Unlike frosting, you may apply this finish to the entire panel, just a part of it or use it for ornamental purposes. Some common applications of satin etched glass are the following:

• Changing rooms: The qualities of satin glass are privacy and elegance, making it a great choice for unobtrusive partitions in the changing rooms.
• Signs and decorations: You may use satin glass to create signs or decorate glass panels with the patterns that add creativity in any setting.
• Offices: Satin glass is a good alternative for the office environments.
• Banks and dealerships: In this type of business, there is more interaction between customers and representatives. This calls for different strategy in the privacy levels when compared to office.
• Hotels and Restaurants: Like frosted glass, satin glass can make any space vigorous in the hotel or restaurant.

Films

Different types of glass finishes engage in changing the glass physically. But this is far from your alternative. If you want to maintain original appearance of glass panels for some reason, then you can always use a glass film.

A glass film is a self-adhesive film you may place at the top of any glass surface for making different effects.

Glass films are available in different colors and textures, enabling you to get the results you cannot get from other finishes.

By choosing glass films, you will have two benefits. You may change the appearance of glass panels, as necessary. You can also print on the glass films meaning you can create graphics that seem to be more stunning than the ones that can be obtained with sandblasting or acid etching methods.

Tinted Glass

Though glass is naturally transparent, people have been looking for ways to make it colorful. You can create tinted glass with the application of a tinted film to the glass panels. Other than being easy to install and maintain, tinted glass ensures to provide better flexibility. It is possible to modify it at any time and change colours or to return glass panes to their original condition. These are some effective ways you may benefit from tinted glass:

• Partitions: Tinted glass forms exceptional effect that is applicable with any business for creativity. Whether you have a designing firm, a software development company, a museum or a bookstore, tinted glass adds a touch of liveliness to grab attention of the visitors and customers.
• Skylights: If there is a skylight in your facilities, then you can think of using tinted glass.
• Storefronts: Tinted glass is the perfect choice to glam up your storefront for special or seasonal sales.

Reflective glass

This refers to tinted or clear glass with a metallic layer on one of its sides. The configuration can reflect light, resulting in the effect of a mirror.

Reflective glass can be used in the interiors as well as the exteriors. It is not at all uncommon to view buildings where the exterior part is made from reflective glass.

One of the sides of this kind of glass reflects light like a mirror while the other side seem to be transparent. It has some practical benefits for the stores and businesses where theft happens often.

Reflective glass can improve overall productivity by decreasing the glare of sun, which can be quite distracting. As reflective glass reflects away the heat, it can help to reduce on the energy bills by lessening the need to use an air conditioning system.

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It is suggested that you hire a professional who can help to know the process of cleaning a glass splashback so they may last for many years.