5 Ways Of Using Glass To Enhance Exteriors

With the ongoing advancement in Building Construction Technologies, glass is one such material that has enthralled Architects all around the globe. Considering its viability and allure, glass has made its way to the Residential Facades too!

Designers are using glass to its full potential, to showcase their Architectural prowess. The types of Glass available range from Tinted Glass, Reflective Glass, Tempered Glass, Laminated glass, Low-e Glass, and the list goes on. This ever-so-popular and classic material is essential to a Contemporary Home. It adds a tinge of sophistication and grace to any space. And being such a versatile building material, incorporating glass into the external facade of your home becomes crucial. As an advantage, glass also creates a dramatic look when combined with natural materials like Stone, Concrete, Wood or Brick Masonry.

How to use Glass in exteriors?

Let’s explore some distinctive ways of using glass to enhance exteriors.

1. SLIDING OR BI-FOLDING PATIO DOORS
Glass is visually appealing yet functional. Rest assured that using Glass on the exterior wall of your place will surely flood your interiors with bright daylight. Providing Sliding or Bi-folding Glass Patio doors particularly allows you to create an indoor/outdoor kind of lifestyle. And provides you with the ability to move freely within both spaces. Depending on your budgetary constraints and aesthetic choices, you can opt for any one of these doors. For Commercial purposes or Business Renovations, people often choose Bi-folding doors. The reason is that they fold in on each other and provide a full, unobstructed opening that gives a sense of the outdoors integrated with the indoors. On the contrary, sliding glass doors look sleek but do not provide full wide openings. Because half of the opening always remains blocked, it restricts motion and implies some sense of security.

2. FRAMELESS GLASS WINDOWS
Glass Windows are a medium through which our home inhales freshness. Certainly, they are essential to break the monotony of everyday life. From the myriad of contemporary options available in glass and frames, you can customize windows to reflect your character and style. With the evolution in Window design, Frameless Glass Windows have been trending for a while. Be it glass windows with minimal thin frames or the ones having their frames concealed in the structure, both these options entice the homeowners. However, with bigger glass units, their moving/ lifting and installation get expensive. So, one must choose wisely.

3. GLASS CURTAIN WALLS
Glass serves itself as a workable alternative in place of an external wall. And this is where we get to see a Glass Curtain Wall. Now, this glass wall is like a lightweight Aluminium framed structure that exerts a dead load but in itself, it’s not a part of the load-bearing structure. It is possible to alter the size of the Glass Curtain Wall or the type of glazing. You can use double or triple-glazing systems as they are energy efficient, thereupon saving on your electricity bills. By reducing energy consumption, you are also minimizing your carbon footprint and taking a step towards a more sustainable living. Win-win!

4. GLASS CANOPY
The glass canopy is an attractive architectural feature to add over the entrance of a building. Also, it’s a practical design solution to protect visitors from adverse weather conditions. It essentially requires to be made up of Tempered Glass, to withstand heavy rains or snow. Glass being transparent provides a benefit here. It maintains natural light at the entrance and doesn’t hamper the architectural details’ visibility through the glass. A glass canopy can also be put up over a patio, terrace or garden, to entertain your loved ones under the sun or in the rain. Its installation requires attaching the canopy to the primary building or supporting it over trusses as a separate structure.

5. GLASS RAILING
Glass Railing has started to become a characteristic feature of the contemporary home. Basically, they are structurally rigid, low on maintenance and add a hint of minimalism, that’s appealing to the eye. Balconies, Decks, Staircases, walkways- using Glass Railings around these spaces adds to their charm. They appear thin and stylish and allow sunlight, which makes the space seem warmer and more open. Glass railings are free from some common problems associated with outdoor railings, like cracking due to exposure to extreme temperatures, corrosion or change in colour. Moreover, they are sturdy, durable and have stood the test of time. If you wish to explore more with this material, combine Stainless Steel and Glass. That would again open a wide array of design options for you.

The exact measurements of the design, its specifications and installation are of paramount importance, as that would decide the quality and look of the final product. Improper installations will not only look ugly but can be dangerous as well. Beyond the above-mentioned ways, Structural Glazing is also gaining popularity amongst homeowners. And if you wish to add some glamour to your abode, choose Glass Extensions over everything else. It will create a design statement, that would stay unmatched!