Glass is a magical material with many different properties and uses, from cooking in glassware to glazing an entire building. Glass is most commonly used as a transparent glazing material in construction and is also used in architectural features such as doors, windows, partitions. Glass is an inorganic, transparent or translucent material that can be molded into any shape. Glass is a mixture of raw materials such as silica, sodium carbonate, lime or lead oxide, manganese oxide, which is crushed, sieved and mixed in a certain proportion and melted in a furnace.
Pros and cons of products
An objective assessment of the positive and negative characteristics of glass is important when choosing furniture. This will allow you to avoid unpleasant surprises during operation of the item and properly care for the surface. The advantages of glass furniture include:
- spectacular appearance;
- long service life;
- immunity to odors;
- moisture resistance;
- strength and reliability;
- variety of shapes, shades.
Since glass furniture is made from particularly durable material, it does not lose its technical characteristics for a long time. It is difficult to break - it can withstand significant loads. Products with transparent panels or inserts give the room an airy effect. They visually increase the volume of the room, while combining perfectly with sets of other textures.
However, the characteristics of the material oblige owners of luxury furniture to adapt to possible disadvantages. They are related to both appearance and physical performance. The most significant disadvantages include:
- heavy weight even with small dimensions;
- visibility of dust and stains on the surface;
- risk of scratches and minor defects;
- uncomfortable noise when moving objects.
Excess glass furniture makes the room “cold” and creates the effect of empty space. In some cases, people sitting at a transparent table experience discomfort from contemplating objects and feet under the tabletop. A conditional disadvantage is also that touching such a surface does not cause very pleasant sensations.
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Flaws:
- Making glass is a high-energy process due to the high temperature required to process the raw materials, and it is an expensive material and ultimately increases the cost of the building.
- Glass is very hard and brittle, so when it is stressed, it breaks without significant stress. Broken pieces of glass can be sharp and the potential for injury is very high.
- Glass has less impact resistance, so the ability of glass to withstand a sudden load is very low.
- The glass is exposed to external hydrofluoric acid, so sometimes etching appears on the surface of the glass.
- Glass is exposed to alkali ions. The lye solution simply dissolves the glass surface and as long as the lye supply is sufficient, this type of corrosion occurs at the same rate.
- Glass provides excellent thermal transparency, so it needs to be balanced with a relatively low R-value (energy savings). The R value is considered one of the most important insulation factors.
- The use of glass also increases the cost of security.
- Glass is also not safe for the proven earthquake area. Unfortunately, there is no glass as an earthquake resistant material, but the costly handling makes them resistant to earthquakes.
- Glass is poor in terms of heat retention, which leads to increased operating costs for air conditioners.
- Although many people believe that when you provide glass in the facade of a building, you are free from painting costs forever, but this is not normal. You may have to spend the same to clean the glass. Sometimes it's as expensive as exhibiting paintings. Again, you can paint the building once every 5 years, but for glass you should clean every year.
- Glass absorbs heat and therefore acts as a greenhouse and is therefore not suitable in warm to hot climates. This will increase the A\C load and more energy for air conditioning.
- Glazing is a major challenge in glass façade construction.
Types of glass
In order for a transparent material to be used to make furniture, it must have certain physical and chemical properties. First of all, this concerns durability and aesthetics. Several types of glass meet these requirements:
- Stalinite;
- triplex;
- float;
- stemalit;
- grooved;
- hardened;
- lacobel;
- acrylic;
- reinforced;
- fiberglass;
- plexiglass.
The most durable types include tempered, reinforced glass, and multilayer triplex. Even when broken, they do not form sharp fragments. In terms of design, Stemalite (enamel glass) and Lacobel (colored glass) are interesting. These varieties are coated on one side with appropriate paint. No less in demand is plexiglass - an artificial material synthesized from thermoplastic acrylic resin.
Fiberglass furniture is in particular demand. The structure of the semi-synthetic material is formed by a dense interweaving of thin fibers of polymer and quartz. Innovative technologies allow you to create original, practical models. Fiberglass furniture is distinguished by its relative lightness, a huge palette of shades, and original shapes.
There are no scratches on the surface of fiberglass; this type of glass is the only exception to the rule.
How to distinguish
Packages with multifunctional glasses are even visually different from standard types. The outer street surface of the material at an angle casts a green, bluish or metallic sheen. On the outside, the raw material has a light mirror tone. If you bring a lighter to the transparent elements coated with silver, the reflection of the fire will be red.
Coated Source vidpoviday.com
Multifunctional glass is often confused with energy-saving blocks. Differences in price and thermal conductivity. The first types reflect up to 90% of ultraviolet radiation, the second - only 70. Modern models provide a comfortable microclimate, while the room will be light.
Multifunctional glass can be determined using a special device. The operating principle of the optical detector is based on the electrical resistance of the surface, therefore it helps to identify a fake. To avoid mistakes, we recommend choosing designs from trusted manufacturers. For example, it makes packages under the ClimaGuard Solar brand. The products fully comply with the declared parameters.
Protective coating on the street Source lviv.prom.ua
Types of furniture
Glass furniture goes well with other objects in the interior, so it is easy for designers to create compositions using such tables, chairs, cabinets, chests of drawers, and stained glass windows. Products made of transparent and colored glass fit into any style. They can be used in the living room, bedroom, hallway, kitchen, bathroom.
One of the most popular varieties is the table. Coffee tea, bar, and dining models can have a glass tabletop. Their height, area, shape depend on the dimensions of the room, design style, and individual preferences. Both transparent and colored tables look beautiful in the interior. Products with a mosaic pattern, which is made using the fusing technique, are considered a delicacy. The dining set is often complemented by chairs made from the same type of glass as the table.
If there are children living in the house, the preferred shape of the tabletop is round or oval.
Glass sideboards stand out from expensive, presentable furniture. The range includes classic, corner, wall, island models. The transparent facade allows you to display the contents; matte or colored doors partially block the view. Furniture made of plexiglass is in demand in this category. Its doors move more easily and silently. Glass shelves, stands, and bookcases are often used in office and home interiors. A rarer type of furniture made from this material includes ultra-fashionable beds; a transparent or translucent frame is complemented with the same headboard.
Types of forged furniture by method of application, type of construction
Sville and Schlier
Svil - glass threads running in any direction and located in most cases in groups. Schlier is a pronounced rough style. Sometimes schlierens come in the form of continuous stripes. Such schlierens are more often found in cast and rolled glass.
Areas of glass with a sliver or schlieren distort the image of objects viewed through the glass; In addition, the heterogeneous glass melt, with strands and clears, does not have sufficient mechanical and thermal resistance.
Reasons for the appearance of strands and schliers:
- poor mixing of the charge
- incorrect glass melting mode
- ingress of glass drops from the furnace roof and broken particles of refractory material into the glass mass.
Svil and schlier in sheet glass intended for silvering are not allowed. The exception is a barely noticeable streak in the form of single hairs, not perceptible to the touch and invisible to the light in the glass.
Color spectrum
Regular clear glass is a classic option. Modern furniture production also uses many other types of it. With their help, they create original products that are more reminiscent of works of art. The palette includes glass:
- transparent;
- tinted;
- matte;
- patterned;
- mirror;
- colored.
The tinted surface has a brown tint, which is obtained by adding special components to the raw material. The matte satin subtype looks translucent. It is not always monochromatic; there are combinations with colored loci. Furniture made of glass with a pattern looks even more interesting. The patterned sheet is produced by heating and rolling on a special machine. Mirrors are used to decorate both large interior items (for example, wardrobes) and small decorations. Their surface can be completely reflective or partially occupied by a pattern.
One of the most popular varieties in the classification is colored glass. It is produced by two methods. The first involves the introduction of dyes at one of the production stages. The second is the application of a special film to the surface followed by heat treatment. The result is transparent sheets of all shades - green, red, blue, yellow, purple, brown, black.
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Mirror
Matte
Transparent
Tinted
Colored
Advantages of packaging
Hygienic - glass does not affect the contents, does not oxidize, and does not emit harmful chemicals. The products in it can be hermetically packaged thermally and preserved from spoilage. Wide range - constantly expanding in accordance with the wishes of manufacturers, customers, designers and developers. High technology, compliance with GOST am. Transparency - the buyer can consider the color consistency of the contents of the glass container before purchasing. Glass containers are environmentally friendly - provided that the glass is recycled. Its production and processing is complete, harmless raw materials are used only organic - dolomite soda sand.
Decor
Special surface treatment gives the glass special decorative properties. Modern technologies make it possible to change the appearance of the material during the casting process or after its completion using the thinnest coatings. The main methods for applying decor are:
- lamination;
- sandblasting;
- engraving;
- bending;
- painting;
- coloring;
- UV bonding.
The laminated fabric consists of several layers, between which there is a colored or transparent polymer film. Sandblasting technology is based on the impact of directed sand flow under pressure. The result of the process is translucent glass. Using a jet, you can create a specific matte pattern on a transparent background. To obtain a picture in the form of a painting, varnish or paint is used.
It is not recommended to place glass furniture with paintings in rooms with high humidity.
A laser is used to engrave glass furniture. It allows you to draw the smallest details, change the contrast and depth of the image. Giving a product a certain shape is called bending. To create unique bends, the material is heated to a plastic state. Thanks to ultraviolet gluing, it is possible to create models from many glass parts.
Fittings in quartz products are glued or drilled. Handles, hinges, latches, closers, locks, shelf holders, supports are provided with a hydrophobic coating and plastic seals. This protects the fasteners from moisture, and the surface from damage during assembly and operation.
Any glass furniture in the interior can be successfully complemented with wooden, metal, and plastic products. The material is a suitable raw material for the production of tables, chairs, cabinets, shelves. Practical and effective pieces of furniture ennoble the room, making it more stylish, spacious, and bright.
Possibilities of using glass in furniture making
With the development of methods for processing glass by melting, it became possible to manufacture interior items of non-standard shapes . An example is screens made from a glass plate of a flat or curved shape. You can go even further and give the example of a glass chair or armchair, which can add zest to the interior design . Of course, in this case it is important to coordinate the style of the furniture with the overall appearance of the room .
Another widely used glass processing method is the joining of glass sheets without the use of other materials. Thus, it is possible to create furniture, inside of which there will be another material .
Other popular methods for making glass furniture include the combination of glass with metal and wood, the use of glass as one piece of furniture, like legs or side surfaces. In this case, the glass can be corrugated, smooth or wavy . Glass tables with recesses in the tabletop look very impressive.
Advantages of a tempered glass work surface
Glass countertops have many advantages:
Aesthetics.
The surface, made of tempered glass, will naturally fit into the style of any kitchen. A transparent tabletop is a real godsend for rooms with a small usable area, since glass visually expands the internal space, making the interior more spacious and airy. The variety of colors, patterns and shapes of glass tabletops presented by manufacturers allows you to choose the best option.
High strength characteristics.
The glass countertop meets all the requirements for work surfaces. This property affects the service life of the product and prevents premature wear of the material.
Hygiene and easy care.
There are no joints or seams on the glass surface, like on ceramic tiles. Dirt will not remain on it and mold will not develop. Simply wipe the table with a damp cloth to remove stains and other dirt.
Durability.
Thanks to the multilayer laminated structure and the top layer made of tempered glass, the tabletop is able to withstand a mechanical shock from an object falling from a height. Over time, the glass will not change shape or wear off.
Resistance to high temperatures.
Glass is not afraid of grease splashes, temperature changes, or evaporation. The tabletop will not be damaged by hot dishes, hot pans, or excess moisture.
Environmental component.
Glass is a material obtained from natural components, therefore it is not dangerous to human health.
Safety.
A tabletop made of tempered glass is difficult to break, but if its integrity is compromised, the structure will crumble into small particles that cannot be cut.
The advantages of this material include the variety of shapes, shades and textures that are obtained as a result of technological processing of the product.
