You are looking to renovate your house – You are looking at glasses in a new light!
Yes, chances are there that you are indeed looking at the glass with a new eye. Even though glass has been around us for centuries, you still look at it as yet another building material, mostly confined to doors and windows. Consumers could not look past glass than its most obvious uses.
Today, glass is considered as an indispensable part of house construction, renovation, design, and décor. It is nothing less than a wonder material, which has evolved over the years to establish itself as one of the go-to elements, right from being a structural material to one that can glam up any living or working space.
See also: Glass wall design ideas to spruce up your space
Where can you use glass?
Glasses can be used on both the exteriors, as well as the interiors. It has both functional and aesthetic appeal, a rare combination that every houseowner looks for in the quest for an ideal construction material. Glass is often used to help areas look large. It goes a long way in conserving space that would otherwise be used by bulky alternatives.
Why is glass integral to home renovation?
Versatility
Perhaps few other materials are capable of being as versatile as glass. It has innumerable applications, a boon for any renovation project. It can be used anywhere in a house, for instance, in living rooms, you can use glass as a wall panel, pillar, partition, décor mirror; in the form of furniture, you can have a coffee table glass top, or TV unit, etc. In kitchens, you can use glass as a splash back, countertop, and as a shutter. In bedrooms, glass works well as wardrobe shutters, headboards, mirrors, etc. In contemporary washrooms, glass is sought-after for its sleek shower cubicles that do not only look aesthetic but separate both wet and dry areas. As a LED mirror, it works well to bring in clarity with its high-definition and fog-free features.
With houses now becoming smart ones that run on automation, do you know that smart glasses exist too? Glasses that switch from transparent to translucent modes, and electrochromic glasses that tint automatically on demand, are reality today.
From ceilings and skylights to balustrades and railings, not to mention, facades, doors, and windows, you can find glass applications everywhere.
Sustainability
When a product is manufactured with minimal resources in a sustainable manner and can be recycled again and again, it is sustainable and eco-friendly. The future belongs to products that are sustainable. With new methods used in producing high-performance glasses, it is possible to cut down on energy costs. The dependence on artificial lighting and cooling is reduced with the inflow of daylight, thanks to solar control glasses.
Durability and Safety
When you are embarking on the arduous task of renovation, you will need materials to stand the test of time. Glass has always been associated with fragility, but durability and safety are its little-known key attributes. For instance, toughened glass is designed to withstand heavy impact and is also break- resistant. However, in rare incidences, it can break into small, rounded pieces that do not cause injury. Therefore, the amount of safety it guarantees, especially to children and the elderly, is appreciable. There are also exclusive safety glasses available like fire-safety, bullet-proofs, and vandal-proofs that act as passive protectors in case of an emergency.
What kind of glass is ideal?
Glasses come in different variants that can meet a variety of requirements during house renovation and construction. Clear glasses are transparent, while frosted glasses can be used for privacy. For aesthetic appeal, stained and lacquered (colored) glasses are perfect choice. For safety, toughened, laminated, and fire-safe glasses are the preferred choice.
As the world is moving towards sustainability, glasses are gaining popularity these days. A light building material, as compared to its conventional counterparts it does not add much load to buildings, leading to leaner and lighter construction. So, whenever you plan to renovate your house, look for its variations in the market and select as per your requirements and convenience.
(The author is chief sales and marketing officer at Saint-Gobain India – glass business.)
| Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com |
