What happens if your house doesn’t have glass? Surely being in it will make you feel cramped, right? Glass is one type of material that must be present in a house or building. Glass is usually used as a raw material for windows, tables, doors, ventilation, and so on. From behind the glass, sunlight can penetrate into the room and make you save on light usage during the day.
And, did you know that the glass itself has many types? Well, each of these types has advantages and disadvantages too, you know. So, in order not to choose the wrong type of glass for homes and buildings in general, let’s first find out the following types.
- Clear Glass
Clear glass is one of the most common types of glass used for a house. This glass, which is often called float glass, has no color and also has a very clean and flat surface. Clear glass is flat, undistorted, and capable of refracting objects by up to 90%. Its clear form allows sunlight to enter the room easily.
- Frosted Glass
Frosted glass is a type of glass that has a texture on one side. This texture serves as a decorative element as well as can reduce the intensity of sunlight and the view of strangers into the room. This texture is also able to give its own decorative effect to a home. Houses that use this glass will get the right sunlight during the day. Usually, this glass is used for the shower area in the bathroom. However, you can also use ice glass as a minimalist divider or partition to create privacy.
- Mirror Glass
Mirror glass or reflective glass is a type of glass that has a metal oxide layer through a dualysis process. Basically, one side of this glass can penetrate the other side while the other side reflects an image like a mirror. This is what makes mirror glass also often called one way glass. This glass is suitable for those of you who want to maintain the privacy of your home without using curtains. This type of glass is also usually used to make skylights on the roof.
- Colored Glass
Colored glass or commonly known as tinted glass is float glass that is colored by adding a little metallic coloring. The color of the glass makes the translucency of the glass lower and can provide more privacy to the occupants. This type of glass can withstand up to 55% sunlight so that the room feels cooler. The varied colors can also make the house look more attractive.
- Laminated Glass
Laminated glass contains a coating in the form of polyvinyl butyral or ethylene-vinyl acetate. This glass is very safe because when it is cracked or broken, the broken glass will not be scattered in all directions. Usually, this type of glass is used in accident-prone parts such as skylights, stair railings, or balconies.
- Tempered Glass
This glass has very high strength than ordinary glass. With the same thickness, the strength of this glass is able to reach 3-5 times the strength of ordinary glass. This glass is resistant to wind loads, water pressure, impact, and high-temperature changes (thermal shock). This glass is also considered safe because it will become fine grains when broken.
- Stained Glass
Want to create an artistic display? Just use stained glass which has a variety of color choices. Usually, this glass is cut into small sizes which are then arranged using lead slats into a picture like a mosaic work. The colors of this stained glass can reduce the intensity of light entering the house. Besides looking beautiful, this type of stained glass can also produce colorful shadows in the house when exposed to light. Variants of this type of glass are beveled glass, cathedral glass, or diamond glass.
- Double Glassing Glass
This glass consists of two or more layers of glass separated using aluminum or a type of spacer around the edges. Double glassing glass can reduce direct solar thermal energy thus making room temperature more stable.
Do you already know the types of glass on the market? Choose glass according to function and needs. The use of the right type of glass will also make your home look more luxurious, you know.