Glass. It's sustainable. Recyclable. Waterproof. Emission-free. The darling of the design set. So what's new in the world of glass?
Let's look at clear glass. Regular glass usually has a tinge of color or a green cast; just look at the edge, and often it's slightly blue-green.
UltraClear glass from Guardian Industries, by contrast, is brighter and clearer; the edges are crystal-clear.
Earnest Thompson, director of corporate marketing and brand management for Guardian, says, "UltraClear is low-iron glass, so you get clarity."
Once you see the two together, you can see the difference. So if you're looking for thick glass tabletops, consider looking for today's clearer glass.
Thompson also suggests a product called switchable glass, which can be used in, say, bathroom partition walls. Electricity is applied to the glass so it goes from see-through to privacy glass at the flip of a light switch. It's great for areas that need privacy and light.
"I think that as people are not moving and instead putting money on the insides of their homes, light freshens things up," he says. Privacy glass and mirrors enlarge a room without taking up space, especially in a bathroom.
Switchable glass is not new, Thompson adds, "but because of technology, it's coming down in price."
Tired of cleaning shower doors? Regular shower doors can build up soap scum and white residue. ShowerGuard seals the surface, helping keep shower glass doors shining with minimal cleaning.
"It's a coating product that makes the shower easy to clean," says Diane Turnwall, director of marketing for interiors. "You never get that white cast."
She says that if homeowners don't know how or where to order products, Guardian has a network of dealers, typically small glass shops or plumbing- fixture stores.
Here's another option from Guardian, headquartered in suburban Detroit and one of the leading glass manufacturers in the world: DiamondGuard, which is a coating that keeps glass from scratching. DiamondGuard High-Endurance Glass is billed as lasting 10 times longer than regular glass.
"It's very much used in commercial showcases, jewelry cases, display cases in stores," Thompson explained during the NeoCon commercial furniture show at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago in June. Guardian was promoting its interior program (www.guardianinglass.com) at the show.
The durable, protective coating makes glass an option for many applications -- even as countertops.
And Valcucine (www.recyclable kitchen.com), with a showroom in Chicago, has introduced glass kitchen cabinets that the company says are a revolution in kitchen construction. The tops, sides and cabinet fronts are glass, and the interiors are recyclable secondary aluminum, so the whole unit is environmentally friendly.
It's believed to be the first eco-sustainable kitchen cabinet system of aluminum and glass and is 100 percent recyclable. If the glass needs to be replaced, door fronts go together with basic assembly.
