Glass wall cladding adds a modern aesthetic to a variety of settings. Learn about the kind of glass required.
Glass wall cladding is the application of glass panels to cover a wall. The resulting installation can be used purely functionally or with a decorative finish. It differs from curtain walls, which are used externally to shelter a building from the weather.
It's often seen in receptions, restaurants, bathrooms and kitchens. Glass wall cladding is valued for adding a modern aesthetic to a room while maximising the amount of natural light.
Glass is a highly versatile material – and glass wall cladding is no exception. It can be customised with a wide range of colours, textures and patterns. A good glass processor can add tinting, texturing or print a design onto the glass. It can even be backlit to create subtle lighting effects.
But what is "glass"? The fact is that it covers a wide range of products – and when it comes to glass wall cladding, not any old glass will do.
Because of its functional role, the glass used for wall cladding has to be tough, durable and safe. Any compromise on quality could lead to damage and injury. As a bonus, the glass used should be easy to clean and to clean up in the event of a breakage.
So, what's the best glass for the job? In this article, we explore your options.
Strength and durability
Strength and durability are relative, and we wouldn't describe any glass from a reputable seller as lacking in either. However, when it comes to a glass covering like glass wall cladding, you need that extra bit of both.
Why? The answer is "people". If you were designing a showroom, you could use any old glass. But in a commercial or domestic environment where people are coming and going, you want to be sure that your installation will withstand any knocks or bumps.
For this reason, we recommend
toughened glass or
laminated glass. Both are types of safety glass, but they differ in the way they break.
When toughened glass breaks, it shatters into lots of tiny pieces. These are relatively harmless and easy to clean up. This makes it ideal for areas where people are passing through. The last thing you want is annealed glass, which breaks into ugly, jagged shards that can cause injury.
Toughened glass is up to four times stronger than annealed glass. Laminated glass is even stronger.
When you break laminated glass, however… but let's stop right there. The fact is that you'd have a very difficult time breaking laminated glass. And even then, the glass won't shatter. Instead, it cracks in a spider's web pattern and stays in the frame.
In installations like glass wall cladding, where safety is paramount, you can't go wrong with toughened or laminated glass.
Security
The durability of toughened and laminated glass isn't just good for safety. It's also good for security.
Most of the time, of course, glass wall cladding is a cover for another wall and there's no reason why a thief would want to break it. Nevertheless, in the event of a break-in, you want damage to be kept to an absolute minimum. To achieve this, safety glass is the way to go.
For situations where even more security is required, we offer extra-strong laminated glass that's built to withstand
bandits,
bullets or even
bombs.
Low maintenance
We're sometimes asked why anyone would buy toughened or laminated glass for wall cladding when there's perfectly good acrylic on the market.
Leaving aside the fact that acrylic is far less durable than glass, there's one key reason: glass is low-maintenance.
Acrylic tends to go cloudy over time and scratches easily. This can lead to expensive repairs and replacements. Toughened and laminated glass, by contrast, are easy to keep looking good as new.
So, if you want maximum safety with minimal maintenance, it's glass, glass, glass all the way.
Aesthetics
Glass wall cladding serves a function. But it can also be beautiful.
It can be manufactured in any colour under the sun (literally). It can be etched, frosted or sandblasted. It can have text, images or other designs screen-printed or digitally printed onto it. It can be given a mirror finish, a stainless steel effect, a splash of gold… The list goes on.
It can even be made to match the joins from adjacent floors and ceilings to create a seamless, nigh-on infinite look.
Finally, you can get your glass wall cladding made out of
smart glass. This is a type of glass that can be dimmed from transparent to opaque with a button on your phone or other remote control.
This aesthetic versatility is one of the great advantages of glass as a building material. And luckily for you, tough-as-nails products like toughened and laminated glass can be decorated in all these ways.
What is fire-rated glass?
So far, we've focused on toughened and laminated glass products as the best for glass wall cladding. But in some situations, you might want to consider getting
fire-rated glass.
Fire-rated glass – also known as fire-resistant glass – is a type of glass designed to stop the spread of fire and smoke. This gives people more time to evacuate in the event of a fire – and more time for firefighters to start putting it out.
You can install fire-rated glass by choice. Usually, however, it's installed in order to comply with building regulations. Before you order your materials, check whether you need fire-rated glass rather than its toughened or laminated equivalents.
Conclusion
Glass wall cladding can be a tasteful addition to any domestic or commercial setting. But to get your money's worth, you need to invest in the right sort of glass.
Thankfully, you don't have to choose between functionality and beauty. A good glass processor will provide you with high-quality toughened or laminated glass that's built to last and built to be beautiful. The only limit to the design possibilities is your imagination. We wish you all the best in your installation.
Are you looking for
toughened or
laminated glass sheets for wall cladding?
Get in touch with ToughGlaze today for a quick, competitive quote.
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