5 things that won’t happen to your Glass Countertop Design
- At February 16, 2015
- By Mark
- In Countertops
0
While researching glass countertops you may have ran into some bias & myths towards glass. Much of this is based on general glass and does not apply to the quality of our thermoformed glass countertops. Let’s go over some of the common things that people believe about glass countertops that definitely will not happen to your CGD Glass Countertop.
Glass will not break easily
The durability of glass is always in question. However, here at CGD we work hard to infuse glass with the right properties in order to obtain higher durability. The thickness of glass is also relative to its durability, the thicker the glass the more durable the less thick the less durable. For designers using glass we recommend buying thicker glass for heavily used areas in your home and less thick glass is required for lesser used areas.
Glass will not be difficult to clean
Glass is easy to clean due to its non-porous surface, this flat surface cannot absorb most harmful solvents, chemicals or products. A Glass Countertop will be a much easier to clean than other porous materials you could choose from.
Glass will not bend over time
Though glass is an amorphous solid, (A solid that morphs over a long period of time) it will not bend but rather distribute its weight because of gravity over a very long period of time. It was believed that glass was a liquid in a solid state but it is actually a solid with liquid like properties. This just means that glass is solid at normal temperatures but can be superheated into a liquid form.
Glass will not stain
Glass is a non-porous material which will not absorb liquids and solvents easily. The less porous a material is the more likely will repel stains from other products. This makes glass a great choice for your kitchen design, this is where the most mistakes can happen which require the most attention. So keep in mind while designing your glass that nonporous material will bounce back from most stains with little to no trouble.
Glass will not lose material during recycling
One of the biggest plusses in the glass industry today is the ability to fully recycle glass materials. Glass is a unique natural resource which can be re-melted and re-shaped for other uses. With almost little to no difference besides color differences, glass can be melted together to form a brand new design or product.
Glass is a unique material which provides natural aesthetics throughout your home. The sleek material gives any house a clean look as well and easy cleaning. We recommend looking through our portfolios and projects for more ideas. For more information contact us at: (416)-398-9733
Choosing your Glass Countertop Design
- At February 01, 2015
- By Mark
- In Countertops
- 0
List of things you will need to know about your Glass Countertop:
- Measurement & Thickness
- Glass Type
- Glass Texture
- Glass Edge Work
- Glass Surface Treatment
- Glass Color (Optional)
- Substrate (Optional)
- LED back lighting (Optional)
List of Different Countertop Locations and Styles:
Glass Countertops
Whether deciding on a Glass countertop for your Kitchen or choosing a glass countertop for your Bathroom, there are a few essential items to know before beginning the design process. The first is having the dimensions of the countertop which includes the width, length and height. The height can be considered the thickness of your glass which can be ½”, ¾”, 1” & ½”. The next choice is glass type, here at CGD glass we have two different types of glass to work with, one is our ocean blue Aqua Clear and the other is our pearl white Ultra Clear.
Ultra Clear
Aqua Clear
Aqua Clear& Ultra Clear
After choosing your dimensions and style you can start deciding on the detailing you would like for your glass countertop. CGD glass has a wide selection of textures with some of our most popular ones including desert, flow and avalanche. These are just a few of the texture designs we have available here at CGD Glass.
Desert
Flow
Avalanche
The other two parts of texture that affect the look and feel of your glass includes the edgework and surface treatment. Edge work is the textured corners of the glass your countertop/tabletop and surface treatment is how the surface is designed using different forms of treatment. Some examples of our edge work include: flat polished, fire polished and satin as seen below.
Flat Polished
Fire Polished
Satin
Surface treatment is an added effect for your countertop surface. This unique treatment adds some of the most vibrant and colorful effects to make your countertop look as unique as possible. It is an optional treatment but can add the extra design you are looking for! For example we have our Green Onyx, colored and Stone wash below.
Green Onyx
Colored
Stone Wash
After choosing your type, dimensions, texture, edgework and surface treatment there is still more customization available! We have a lot options for colored glass type that include Back Painted, Opaque, Rusty and Translucent. Below are some examples of colored designs and the different types of options available.
Back Painted Colors:
Dark Beige #143 Metallic
Jet Blue Metallic
Silver #50 Metallic
Opaque Colors:
Amber Opaque
Silver
Gold
Rusted:
Rust Gold & Black
Rusty Gold
Translucent:
Blue
Amber 2
Brown Light
Multi-Colored
As you can see, the selection here at CGD Glass is nearly endless! We have many different techniques for approaching glass and because we have had experience and a love for glass we will keep us pushing for the best designs possible. However, we still aren’t finished customizing your glass design!
In order to protect your glass from being scratched or damaged easily, we can add a layer of substrate under your glass countertop. This substrate is optional but it can help protect your glass from any coarse material in-between and prevent your glass from cracking as easily. The substrate acts like a padding that can spread the weight more evenly along your table top/counter top. Substrates can also be used for raising your glass tabletop for added effect or styling. Here are some examples:
Substrate
Substrate 2
By now your countertop is nearly done, but we want to look at all of the options available to make your countertop as unique as your thumbprint. LED lighting for countertops has become a very popular way to add lighting and a futuristic look to your home. Here are some the available options at CGD Glass.
Cool White LED
Color Changing LED RGB Lights
Cool White LED
There is almost an endless possibility for your glass countertop here at CGD, we hope that choosing your design has been made more enjoyable with so many options available. We always recommend doing more research and perhaps taking a look at what others have done with their glass countertop designs. Below are some of our finished countertops so that you may better your own design further.
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Whether you are deciding on a Glass Island, (Raised) Countertop, (Bathroom) Countertop, Bar Tops, or a Glass Table Top we believe we can help create the best design for your home. Call Today formore Information or a Quote!
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Glass
- At January 16, 2015
- By Mark
- In Uncategorized
- 0
1. Glass was not originally man made
- When lighting makes contact with sand, the high temperatures melt the sand to form glass.
- When Lava or Volcanos heat up it forms Obsidian, another form of glass which is dark and naturally occurring
2. Man has been making glass for a long time
- Findings from Egypt and Mesopotamia are the oldest manmade glass dating as far back as 3500BC!
- Telescope and Microscope lenses were originally made in the Netherlands 1590AD
3. Glass can be recycled and reused without losing any purity
- Recycled glass conserves anywhere from 5% up to 30% energy compared to making glass from scratch
- Recycled Glass keeps high amounts of Carbon Dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere during the process
- Bottles and Jars made of glass contain up to 25% of recycled glass
- Recycled glass is sorted by color to keep up with bottle “Color Standards”
4. Fiberglass is glass which is pulled into threads and then woven into fiberglass
- Fiberglass is used to control temperature and for insulation in homes all around the globe.
5. Glass can be made into stronger or weaker forms of glass
- Tempered Glass goes through thermal and chemical treatments to be made into stronger glass
- Tempered Glass does not break into large pieces but rather breaks into many small fragments
- Windshield glass is tempered glass with a laminate holding it together so it doesn’t fall apart when shattered or broken
6. Glass can be Carved, Sandblasted, Fused, Slumped, Casted, Melted and even Sculpted
- Some common technologies to form glass include Thermoforming, Laminated Glass, Glass bending, and UV Bonding
7. Glass can be Opaque, Translucent, Back painted, Rusted, and treated with Special color treatment
Glass is a versatile material which has many uses in today’s society, from windshields to light bulbs, most need or use glass on a daily basis without even knowing it. Here at CGD we work with glass every day and specialize in thermoforming glass countertops & other forms of architectural and decorative glass. We have been doing so for over a decade with love and care. We put our full effort on every piece of glass we produce and have picked up many glass techniques and technologies to give us everything we need to create your unique piece of for your home or workplace!
What is Thermoformed Glass
- At December 31, 2014
- By Mark
- In Glass Techniques
- 0
Thermoformed glass is glass that has been through a unique process of being heated to a temperature where it becomes flexible and then molded in order to give it shape or texture. It differs from glass blowing in that it is not shaped by rolling and blowing hot air but rather by using a mold and is better suited for making flatter objects, such as glass countertops, tables, & related materials.
Here are the steps taken to create thermoformed glass:
- A mold shape is made created to the specifications of the desired piece.
- Raw glass panels are cut to a size slightly larger than the mold
- Glass is cut further in order to take shape of the mold
- The glass will be painted on and given a design
- Once the glass is cut and decorated it is brought to a kiln
- In the kiln it is put on top of its relative mold
- The kiln is heated to an extremely high temperature (About 843 degrees Celsius)
- The high temperature softens the glass
- The glass begins to melt and takes shape of the mold
- The exact texture and shape the mold has, the glass will also have
- Once cooled, the glass should come out the exact same shape as their molds
Once finished, the thermoformed glass will have the same 3d texturing as the mold with any added colors or art that was applied. The depth and texture that can be given to thermoformed glass is what gives it a unique and modern style.
Patterns as well as repeating a process are more easily done with molds already prepared, we at CGD Glass have many different molds for the textures we apply to our glass products. It is great for tiling glass, texturing glass, shaping glass, creating depth and can be considered a very high quality form of glass art.
When working with table tops and countertops, thermoformed glass can really add the modern look to any room. From adding simple designs and textures throughout the glass you can bring out some of the most amazing qualities in glass. Here at CGD glass we take pride in our wide variety of choices in textures made possible because of thermoformed glass. For example we have our “Desert”, “Flow”, and “Sandstorm.”
Desert
Flow
Sandstorm – Ultra Clear
Avalanche
Thanks to thermoforming techniques we have an endless possibility of designs we can make for our custom glass designs. These examples are just some of the beautiful pieces from our index and should give you an idea as to how thermoformed glass can give your glass the unique look you want.
Glass Countertops vs Granite
- At December 15, 2014
- By Mark
- In Countertops
- 0
Let’s go through the pros and cons of Glass Countertops and Granite Countertops!
Here is a checklist of some things to keep in mind:
- Material Quality and Flexibility
- Complexity of Countertop
- Appearance
- Care and Upkeep
- Cost
Granite Countertop Pros and Cons
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[/one_half_last]Granite is a natural product that comes from the slow crystallization of hot magma and is mainly quartz but does contain other minerals. The slow cooling of the magma creates a unique texture of minerals and every slab will be completely unique from the next.
Pros:
- Dense
- Easy to make large countertops with
- Each slab is unique
- Can be Durable
Cons:
- Porous Material
- Cleaning chemicals can cause damage
- Collects water marks and soaps stains
- Prone to water damage also means prone to bacteria
- Sealing is required for upkeep
- Material may have weak points that break more easily than others
- Strip-mining this granite Pollutes the planet
- Expensive[/one_half_last]
Glass Countertop Pros and Cons
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Glass comes from sand, silica being the main ingredient in sand and is melted at 1700 Degrees Celsius. Some other materials or minerals may be used to add or change the color and trans-lucidity. Glass can be fitted as one piece and its reflective properties add a unique touch and color to the kitchen. Glass countertops can also be customized with various textures, edge styles, surface treatments, & LED lighting.
Pros:
- Versatile, easy to form shapes with
- Can create unique layers to add lighting, space, or artwork
- Non-Porous
- Heat Resistant
- Low Maintenance and Easy to Clean
- Various textures to choose from
- Highly Customizable
Cons:
- Finding High quality glass manufactures may be difficult
- Expensive
- Repairs may be difficult
- Sharp objects may scratch surface
Recommendations from CGDGlass:
Full Glass Countertop set-ups can be beautiful but Raised Bar Glass Countertops can be added to existing countertops in your home, see our overview for more info.