Author Archives: Gene Graham

Glass flooring doubles as an in-floor aquarium. Source: Uniobio.com

Bright living spaces are certainly much more inviting than sun-starved interiors. We all know that filtering light indoors is not always easy. This is primarily because of planning conditions and structural restrictions.

Designers often look to filtering natural light with open-tread staircases, glazed internal doors and open-planed layouts. If you want something different, then glass floors could be a great option for you. They are ideal for bringing in natural light and in turn, can help create a contemporary style in any interior layout.

These walk-on glass units offer an excellent means to transfer light to different levels of an enclosed structure.

Design Considerations and Features

Following are a few advantages of walk-on glass and floor lights.

Versatile Designs

Glass floors can either translucent or transparent. If there is no need to view through the walk-on floor lights, translucent units are usually the best way to go. On the other hand, transparent units are useful for viewing something above or below the surface.

Like glass windows, floor lights also come in a variety of colours. Coloured pigments typically added to the flooring’s interlayer, giving the effect of coloured glass.

Seemingly Endless Applications

Glass floors are not only practical choices for illuminating dull areas, they can also be stunning from a design perspective and the perfect solution for an array of applications.

Aside from allowing light to permeate into indoor residential spaces, glass flooring is commonly used in tourist attractions and observatories to give people a better view of what lies beneath. Floor lights create a dramatic feature for mezzanines, landings, balconies, and other areas that are overhanging or floating on water.

Hanging 4000 feet above the ground, the Grand Canyon Skywalk is, thus far, the highest viewing observatory with walk-on glass flooring. Other renowned observatories that use glass floors include the Tokyo Tower Observatory Deck, CN Tower in Toronto and of course our very own Eureka Skydeck Tower in Melbourne.

This type of glass is also used in museums as in-floor display cases, in boats as an underwater viewing deck, and in planetariums to give one an impression of floating in outer space.

The glass-bottom skywalk in Grand Canyon. Source: Reviewjournal.com

Non-Slip

Glass in nature is smooth, hence it being usually slippery. Glass floor surfaces were specifically designed and treated to be slip-resistant. With an anti-slip ceramic-frit coating, glass flooring becomes an invaluable alternative for traditional solid floors and staircases. Other non-slip application techniques include sandblasting and acid etching.

Durable

Regardless of whether the walk-on glass is transparent or translucent or for stair treads or floors, toughened glass is typically the glass type of choice due to its durability, structural strength, and resistance to breakage–a three-inch thick glass flooring can hold up to five tons in weight.

Glass Balustrades, especially the frameless kinds, becoming increasingly popular these days. Modern-looking and sleek, they serve as a stylish alternative to old-fashioned wooden or metal balcony borders and stair railings in many buildings and homes.

While balustrades can create from different materials including chrome, wood, stone, stainless steel, and iron, glass balustrades are particularly widespread, especially in modern architecture.

There is something primordial and soothing about crackling campfires, don’t you think? This is probably why the flickering ember that fireplaces and stoves omit immediately warms our hearts.

No matter how cozy they are, stoves, heaters, and fireplaces can still be hazardous. This is why considering their safety features along with their aesthetic and thermo-technical aspects, is extremely vital. Whether you are looking for design, functionality, or a sense of security, a wide array of Robax glass viewing panels can guarantee complete fire protection and genuine enjoyment.

Image courtesy of eBay

If you are looking for a glass panel for your fireplace, heater, or stove, here are some fascinating facts that you might want to know about Robax and why it is a great glass replacement.

1. Robax is Extremely Heat Resistant

Did you know that Robax ceramic panels far exceed the thermal endurance of standard tempered glass? Generally, tempered glass cannot be used in environments with temperatures exceeding 500F. This is due to it shattering into pieces. Robax glass panes can stand up to temperatures as high as 1400F for a certain amount of time without breaking.

2. It Can Withstand Both Fire and Ice

Just as Robax ceramic panes can withstand extreme heat, they can also be subjected to freezing environmental conditions. These panes were designed to operate at temperatures lower than 400F and can withstand shocks and considerable shifts in temperature.

3. It Does Not Require Brazing

Robax ceramics do not undergo brazing(the process of melting two or more metal items and flowing another metal substance into a joint). However, they can withstand brazing temperatures of over 600 degrees Celsius.

4. Robax Glass is Functional

Robax ceramic glass offers maximum freedom of design, from the many possible shapes to a variety of different sizes. These panes can be available in flat, round, or angular shapes to turn fireplaces into cozy meeting points. Likewise advanced types of Robax help reduce the heat permeability of a fireplace, wood burner stove, or furnace observation window, thanks to the use of specially engineered coatings.

5. Robax is Robust and Tough

Robax glass ceramics typically undergo the standard glass manufacturing process. But once, they cool down, they are then reheated to partly crystallize the glass. This controlled heat process gives Robax the hermetic sealing properties of typical glass and the strength of ceramic.

6. Robax Engineered With A Superior Margin Of Safety

These glass panes allow the best physical closeness and possible viewing of the fire while providing a reliable shield against smoke and the sparks that fly off from it.

A good design and even better protection features say more than words. With Robax glass ceramic panes, you can enjoy the view and the warmth of the fire with the assurance that they has designed with safety and security in mind. Robax is certainly a luxury anyone can kindle every day.

Interested in Robax glass ceramic panes? Give us a call or shoot us an email for more information.

Glass shower doors look great when they’re new and clean but over time they can accumulate stains that become hard which can, in turn, look like a white haze. When it does affect the glass, the shower’s attractiveness starts to fade.

Source: housecleaningcentral.com

Why Hazy Spots Appear

Those white, hazy spots you see on the surface of your glass shower are caused by a build-up of minerals found in your water. When droplets of hard water evaporate or dry on the glass surface, alkaline and other minerals left behind, forming what you now see as white stains. On vertical surfaces, these spots look like overlapping shingles or scales. Thus, they often referred to as the “lime scale.”

Limescale is problematic for a lot of reasons. But in the bathroom, these dried-up minerals give residues of soap something extra to stick to, causing the build-up of soap scum to occur much faster. And we all know how menacing soap scum is. A combination of minerals, fatty acids, and body oils gives soap scum its familiar filmy or crusty lather and the ability to stick to marble, tile, and glass-like superglue.

How to Remove Remove Water Stains From Glass

Remove water stains from glass, These hazy spots are notoriously difficult to remove. It is quite astonishing how there are tons of cleaning products that specifically made for this job yet none of them seem to actually work.

But don’t lose hope because effective lime scale cleaning methods do exist.

Source: flickr.com

Abrasives: Use the plain old elbow grease along with some help from non-liquid cleaners like baking soda and SOS pads to remove small-scale hard water deposits.

Lemon juice or Plain white vinegar: For older, larger stains, try spraying the area with vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before scrubbing it away with a soft-bristled brush. If the glass shower still has visible white stains, sprinkle baking soda on the spot. And scrub the remaining stains away. Rinse and dry the area thoroughly afterward.

If the stubborn hazy spots still won’t go away no matter how hard you try to remove them, consider having the glass shower professionally cleaned.

Prevent It from Ever Happening Again

Although tricky, preventing stains from hard water is actually far easier than cleaning up. The messes and problems it could cause. The single most effective way to do so is to maintain the glass dry at all times. Invest in a squeegee or use a micro-fibre cloth to dry off. The glass surface right after taking a bath or shower.

Source: newjerseyshowerdoors.com

You may also want to consider having the glass treated with a glass treatment spray. So the water can bead up and easily run off its surface. Regular wiping will keep your glass shower stall clear and shiny for longer.

Never underestimate the importance of keeping your glass shower dry. While it may take up some of your time post-shower. It is certainly a lot less than having to spend hours on end trying to make your shower look like new again.

Glass certainly is one of the most popular choices for building and construction materials, thanks to its virtually countless aesthetic options coupled with optimal performance.

Today more than ever, builders, architects, and designers are given more choices of high-quality products. Every time you pick glass for construction or remodeling, you have the opportunity to turn a project stronger, better-looking, and smarter.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

What usually ends up as massive, sweeping panels in healthcare facilities, high-rise buildings, schools, commercial establishments, and other construction projects firstly begins with mountains of sand, limestone, soda ash, dolomite, and select raw ingredients, heated to create a flat ribbon of glass with optimal clarity, light transmission, and integrity for fabrication and treatments.

In a series of steps, witness the float glass manufacturing process unfold, from raw materials entering the line at one end to glass plates emerging and being precisely cut at the other.

Step 1: Melting and Refining

Starts as a mixture of silica sand and some other raw materials. Closely monitored and controlled for quality, these fine-grained ingredients are combined together and heated to make molten batches of glass.

Several processes simultaneously take place in the 2000 molten glass tonnes in the melting furnace. This is very similar to an old-fashioned brick oven only much, much more massive.

Melting: the weighed batch of raw materials is melted at around 1500 degrees Celsius by a combination of pre-heated air and natural gas jet streams. This combo produces torch-like flames that melt the ingredients in a matter of minutes.

Refining: The molten ingredients are then homogenized and bubbles of gas are removed as the liquid glass moves through a canal.

Temperature control: The molten glass is made cooled enough to be able to draw it into what is known as the tin float bath.

All driven by high temperatures, these processes occur in separate zones and last for up to 50 hours in total. Before the bubble- and inclusion-free glass is smoothly delivered at 1100 degrees Celsius from the furnace to the float bath.

This stage is the most crucial as it is the key to the product’s quality. It is also during this phase when the glass composition can be modified to alter the final product’s properties.

Step 2: Tin Float Bath

The liquid glass flows over a sprout and floats onto the mirror-like surface of a shallow pool of molten tin at about 1000 degrees Celsius. The glass is highly viscous at this phase, so it does not combine with the liquid tin, creating a relatively flat ribbon of glass.

Its uniform thickness is controlled by reducing or increasing the speed at which it spreads while its width is maintained by the machine’s edge rollers. The ribbon of glass is made and then leaves the float tank at 600 degrees Celsius.

While the principle of float glass has remained the same for decades, the finished product has not. From a product often marred by bubbles to one that is optically perfect as well as from delivering a single uniform thickness to producing an array of thickness options that range from sub-millimetre to 25mm, the modern float glass is made process has certainly improved.

Step 3: Annealing

The ribbon continues to move along and solidifies slowly in the annealing chamber.

During the cooling process, considerable stresses may develop in the glass is made. If too much stress builds up, then the cooled glass will break beneath the cutter. To avoid the stresses, the glass passes through a heat treatment tunnel known as a lehr. In this chamber, the temperature of the ribbon is closely controlled. And gradually lowered to 250 degrees Celsius to produce annealed.

As it comes out of the enclosed lehr, the ribbon is further cooled and hardened by forced air before the inspection.

Step 4: Quality Inspection

To ensure the highest product quality, scanners examine the hardened ribbon to identify imperfections.

While the float process is known for producing flawless glass. There are rare occasions. Where a bubble or inclusion may have been missed during the refining stage, a grain of sand may have refused to melt. Or a tremor in the float bath may have caused ripples in the ribbon. Through quality on-line inspections, these faults are revealed and discarded.

Step 5: Cutting and Lift Off

As the ribbon moves along the conveyor rolls, its edges are trimmed off by diamond wheels. And the glass is made precisely cut to customer-specific dimensions at rates as high as 6000 tonnes a week. The automatically-cut sheets. Then lifted off by robotic arms and stacked into racks, cases, or packs all set to be coated or delivered to customers.

Float is generally sold per square metre. Computers translate the customer’s specifications into the automated cutter. Which cuts the ribbon of glass is made in patterns designed to reduce wastage.

Step 6: Coating

This is the stage where a variety of coatings to improve. The thermal and solar performance of the glass can be applied. Some manufacturers deposit coatings in the glass during the early stages of the float process. But coating application is usually done when this is cut to precision.

Manufacturers use an advanced high-temperature technology called on-line chemical vapour deposition. Or CVD to lay down these various micron thick coatings onto the finished product. Making profound alterations in its optical properties.

Step 7: Dispatch

Once multiple coatings are applied, they are stacked onto vehicles ready for dispatch. This final stage of the float manufacturing process involves lading the cases of panes onto trucks or into open-top containers and then shipping the orders to the customer.

To know more about glass. If you have any other questions on how the float glass process works, send us an email.

Source: berlinerglas.com

Glass is a naturally fragile material. To boost its functional properties and enhance its operational safety, it undergoes the process of tempering.

Tempering or toughening is a process where the glass is heated at high temperatures to make it stronger and more resistant to breakage. This process creates a balance in the product’s internal stresses. So, that when the glass broken. It would crumble into tiny granular chunks instead of breaking into sharp, jagged pieces.

Because of its increased strength and safety, builders and architects utilise them in a multitude of demanding applications. This includes showers, vehicle windows, refrigerator trays, glass tables, diving masks, glassware, cookware, fireplace grates, bulletproof windows, architectural glass doors and virtually anywhere else that needs safe and strong glass.

The Tempered Glass Manufacturing Process

Tempered glass goes through a process similar to that of tempered steel. Below, we take you through its sophisticated manufacturing process.

Stage 1: All toughened glass begins life as a float glass. Before it undergoes tempering, the glass examines for imperfections. Bubbles, inclusions, and cracks may cause the float glass to break during toughening. So, if any signs of such flaws found, the glass can’t temper.

Stage 2: Prior to toughening, it must first cut to the desired shape. As it won’t be possible to cut or etch the finished product in its toughened state. Once cut, the edges are smoothed and any burrs produced during etching or cutting are removed.

Stage 3: To completely remove the grains of glass that we deposited during sanding. The float glass thoroughly washed. This also ensures that dirt and any other tiny debris won’t interfere with the tempering.

Source: breakglass.org

Stage 4: In the tempering process, the surface of the float glass heated at over 600 degrees Celsius. As it travels through a furnace. Some manufacturers heat the glass above its annealing point of approximately 720 degrees Celsius.

Stage 5: The scorching glass then rapidly cooled through quenching by a high-pressure blast of air for a period of three to 10 seconds at various angles. As it cools and begins to shrink, tensile stress temporarily build-up in the interior zone of the glass while its surface consequently develops surface stresses. These compressive stresses eventually enhance the strength of the glass, making it tougher to break.

Tempered Glass

A properly toughened glass / tempered glass should be able to withstand pressures of a minimum of 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and can be expected to break at about 24,000 psi.

Beyond added tensile strength and safety, toughened glass /tempered glass has a greater resistance to thermal shock and thermal stresses. Essentially, it can withstand constant exposure to temperatures as high as 243 degrees Celsius.

Despite these property enhancements, the characteristics of toughened glass / tempered glass are that of clarity chemical transmission, colour, expansion coefficient, and chemical composition (which remains unaltered).

If toughened glass / tempered glass is the right product for you contact Economy Glass with the details.

Nanocoatings are profoundly the manufacturing process. For decades, professionals and manufacturers alike have sought a long-lasting shine solution that is easy. And quick to use and will repel rain, dirt, and other environmental contaminants.

While nanocoatings technology has been around since the mid-1970s. It’s the industry has continued to show steady growth due to increased consumer interest. Now, a wide range of nano-coated products are being developed and distributed for a variety of applications.

From the 9th century through the Renaissance, nanocoatings technology came in the form of a metallic glaze. That pottery makers utilize to create a shimmering luster. In the modern world, nanotech coatings identified are polymers. Which used in all sorts of products due to their incredible durability.

As we have previously defined, nanocoatings are not a sealer, but a rather molecular modification that offers a hydrophobic and easy-to-clean surface. The particles bond physically and chemically to the surface to give it complete protection against wear, corrosion, and other damaging elements.

From commercial and civil aviation, marine, and defense to glass manufacturing, plastics, automotive, and even aerospace, many industries today are harnessing the power of nanocoatings because of their capabilities.

But what exactly are these industries getting from utilizing such coating technology? Below, we enumerate some of the primary reasons why the industries of the world are turning to nanocoating technology.

Tempered or toughened glass could save lives.

Produced using a slower cooling process, this type of safety glass is much stronger and safer as compared to standard glass. Because of its high resistance to heat and breakage, tempered glass is widely preferred for building and establishment windows. It is also usually used for aquariums and table tops as well as a protective eyewear for divers and machinists.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Tempered or toughened glass could save lives.

Produced using a slower cooling process, this type of safety glass is much stronger and safer as compared to standard glass. Because of its high resistance to heat and breakage, tempered glass widely preferred for building and establishment windows. It also usually used for aquariums and table tops as well as protective eyewear for divers and machinists.

To the untrained eye, the tempered glass may seem to look the same as any type of glass. In order to identify it, many people would joke around and say, “Whack it! If it shatters into tiny, bite-size pieces, then it’s definitely tempered.” But, in all seriousness, how do you tell if a glass tempered (without a hammer involved)?

Below, we give you less destructive ways to identify whether or not your glass toughened.

Examine Its Edges

Normally, tempered glass has completely smooth edges due to the extra processing it goes through, while other types of glass usually have scuffed or ridged edges.

If the edges of the glass exposed, run your fingers along them. Provided that the roughness not the result of abrasion, any impression of roughness likely means that the glass not tempered.

Keep an Eye for the Bug

We don’t mean the insect. In the construction trades, a bug is a tiny label etched or sandblasted in the glass’s corner. Along with the manufacturer name and the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) standards, this stamp indicates whether the glass tempered or not.

If you got the glass directly from the manufacturer, you’ll easily see the marking. But that isn’t always the case, especially when the glass has frames concealing the stamp. So you have to watch out for other clues.

Look for Imperfections

If you notice any warping, bending, or dimples on the glass, then it most likely toughened glass. These imperfections typically occur during the heating process. Because the glass undergoes extreme heat, the tongs used to handle it often leave a slight impression on the surface that you may be able to identify if you look closely enough.

Some tempered glass may also have surface scratches that typically caused by the small particles from the machine rollers that melted and fused to its surface. This leftover debris gets dragged around during normal cleaning, producing light scratches.

View the Glass Through Polarized Lenses

If you try to view tempered glass in sunlight with a polarized pair of sunglasses, you will see dark, shady spots or lines stretching across its surface–a prime indicator that the glass toughened. These lines we formed by the machine rollers during the tempering process.

Score a Line (Only If You Plan on Cutting It Away)

If all else fails, consider scoring a line on the glass surface using a window-cutting tool. It creates an uneven and flaky line, it tempered. If you plan to cut the glass, take it to a specialist so that it can cut without causing cracks or chips.

Benefits of Double Glazing – Heat loss and heat gain through windows are inevitable, but there is an effective way to keep your home warm or cool while also being energy efficient. We’re not talking about covering up your windows with thick curtains or drapes, neither do we mean setting your A/C to it’s the coldest temp.

Specifically engineered to reduce heat loss from indoor environments, double glazing is the way to go. Beyond solar gain and heat loss reductions, double-glazed glass doors and windows offer tons of other benefits.

The following are some of the Benefits of Double Glazing you would be looking at when you install double-glazed windows and doors in your home:

Have you noticed that the floor under your carpet seems a bit darker than the rest of your flooring? If you’ve tried to do some redecorating, chances are you probably did. But dirt and wear are not the only causes of the hardwood’s uneven color.

Sunlight is also a culprit–actually, any and all visible light may be to blame for your fading wood floors. Touted as the biggest contributor to fading and discoloration, ultraviolet (UV) rays damages home furnishings and flooring by up to 45 percent while infrared radiation and visible light are responsible for about 25 percent of the damage.

These culprits, particularly the damaging UV light, present a tricky situation. Here’s the thing: Whether the sun is shining or not, UV rays are present. So even if it could not have been sunny for months, this does not mean that your belongings are safe from the wrath of the harmful UV.

Without proper protection against these damaging rays, the flooring, furnishings, and fabrics in your home become susceptible to discoloration, fading, and damage. You can’t simply turn to thick draperies or large window treatments all the time and expect that keeping them closed would solve the problem.

If you truly want to minimize fading of your flooring and furnishings, replacing your standard, clear glass windows with UV protect glass with double-glazed, laminated, or tinted units is your best option.

Double Glazing

A double-glazed window has two panes of glass that are bonded to a spacer to create one unit. The space between the glass panes of some double-glazing units is usually filled with Argon gas to boost their insulation properties.

Beyond those qualities, double-glazed windows have unique properties that allow them to deflect UV rays. Think of double glazing as a sunscreen for your windows. It provides the benefit of minimising the amount of damaging light that enters the room.

Laminated

Laminated glass (UV protect glass) is another type of glass that can block the penetration of UV rays by up to 95 percent. Made up of two or more glass layers that are bonded together with an interlayer, laminated glass not only reduces UV penetration, but also offers improved security and safety, enhanced insulation properties, and improved sound reduction properties.

Tinted

Like double glazing and laminated glass, tinted glass can deflect UV light. Because it absorbs solar energy, it may also offer cost-efficient indoor climate control. Moreover, it reduces sun glare with UV protect glass.

The downside to using this type of glass is that it offers reduced clarity as it is typically darker than double-glazing or laminated glass. It also isn’t as safe and secure as the first two options because it produces sharp glass debris if broken.

If your only concern if the fading that UV light causes to your furnishings and flooring, all three types of uv protect glass would be ideal. But if you’re also after other benefits, such as energy efficiency, soundproofing, thermal control, and security, we recommend going for either a double-glazed unit or a laminated one.

Image courtesy of Getty Images