Commercial glass is an umbrella term used to refer to the glass installed in walls, windows, and doors in a commercial setting. It is essential to note that there are various types of commercial glass you can install. However, every kind of commercial glass has its pros and cons.
Therefore, before deciding to install any particular type of commercial glass, it is advisable to compare and contrast the benefits and letdowns of each type. With that said, here are four key factors you should consider before buying commercial glass.
Level of Insulation
Irrespective of whether the commercial glass will get used as part of a storefront, a window, or a door, it is advisable to think about your insulation needs. Insulation refers to the ability of glass to prevent the warm air from escaping the building.
For instance, if the commercial glass is not insulated, plenty of warmth will escape during the winter months. Thus, you will be forced to crank up your HVAC system to compensate for the lost heat. As a result, you will have to contend with high energy bills. However, if you opt for insulated commercial glass, you don't have to worry about high energy bills because no warmth will escape, and thus you will not have to overwork your HVAC system.
Insulated commercial glass consists of two sheets of glass with a gas trapped in between them. In most cases, the trapped gas is argon, and it ensures that heat doesn't get conducted to the outside through the glass.
Privacy
Unless you need the commercial glass for your storefront display section, you may need to consider the level of privacy you get. For instance, if your office is located on the ground floor right next to a busy street, you might feel uncomfortable having every passer-by peeping into your office.
Fortunately, there are various types of commercial glass options that can provide you with the level of privacy you want. A few examples include:
• Two-way mirrors that let you see the outside while people on the outside only see their reflections.
• Tinted commercial glass has a thin opaque film that blocks visibility from the outside.
• Frost commercial glass allows plenty of natural light to enter but limits visibility.
Level of Security
While privacy is essential, you also need to think about security when installing commercial glass. For instance, it is pretty easy for a burglar to break the glass and gain entry into your business if you install regular glass. As a result, you should consider buying tough glass that is highly resistant to high impact to ensure that no one can break in and steal or vandalize your business premises.
Fortunately, several types of commercial glass can keep burglars at bay. Examples of such glass include:
• Bulletproof glass
• Impact glass
• Hurricane glass
• Mesh reinforced glass
It is essential to note that bulletproof glass is the best option but is quite expensive compared to the other options. Thus, you may want to go for impact glass, mesh reinforced glass, or hurricane glass if you are on a budget.
Safety
If you are using commercial glass for your interior doors or for creating partitions in the office, it is advisable to consider how the glass breaks. For instance, an accident can happen in the workplace where the commercial glass door or compartment shatters. If you use ordinary commercial glass, it could break into small, very sharp pieces that could cause an injury.
However, if you opt for tampered or laminated commercial glass, you can prevent an injury because it will not shatter into sharp pieces that could cut someone.
For more information about commercial glass, contact a glass company in your area.
Where would we be as humans if it were not for the discovery of glass? Our homes would certainly have a lot less light. Perhaps we'd be drinking out of wood or clay pots, and maybe instead of looking in glass mirrors, we'd be trying to see our reflection in wobbly sheets of metal. Surely we would get along because humans are smart and able to innovate. But would life be as easy? Probably not!
We seek to honor the use of glass, and we do that by sharing articles about this material. Check them out if you get a chance; they're right here on this site.