THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN GETTING A CUSTOM-MADE PROFESSIONAL GLASS TABLETOP
Whether you are getting a glass tabletop, which means constructing your tabletop from glass or a glass table cover which is used to protect your table from damages, there are some things you need to put in perspective. Some of these include thickness, glass styles, the glass edging to be used amongst others.
A proper understanding of the options available to you will help you make the right choice for your custom glass tabletop or table cover.
Why Get a Custom-Made Glass Tabletop?
A glass tabletop adds aesthetic value to your rooms, are stylish and offer you all the benefits that using glass brings to the table. You may want to use them for a new table or as a cover for an existing table to keep the material intact and free from damage.
A custom glass tabletop is necessary because of the variety of available modern table designs. The table design you need a glass tabletop for will determine the type of glass table top that you will be using.
As a result, depending on the overall style of your table, glass tabletops are custom made to fit the design of the table you need it for, while also providing you with the opportunity to determine other attributes based on style and purpose of use.
A custom glass tabletop gives you control over color, edging and tint. It allows you to choose options that best express your décor style Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Glass Thickness and Size Dependency
Glass table top thickness is essential because it determines how useful the glass tabletop will be in the home. A glass tabletop must be thick enough to support its weight and also strong enough to support loads of objects placed on it.
The glass tabletop thickness can be examined from the perspective of where the table is going to be placed.
- INDOOR GLASS TABLETOP THICKNESS
Indoor glass tabletops refer to glass tabletops used on kitchen tables, dining room tables and coffee tables. You can get your indoor glass tabletops from Fab Glass and Mirrors.
Experts recommend that 1/4-inch thickness be selected for ordinary glass tabletops and glass table cover. For heavy tables that are unsupported, a recommended thickness of 3/8-inch is prescribed. For an attractive, sturdy tabletop and also to ensure safety, a 1/2-inch thickness provides the durability and protection needed especially for a standalone tabletop.
- OUTDOOR GLASS TABLETOP THICKNESS
Outdoor glass tabletops and tabletop cover because outdoor furniture serves more purpose, require more thickness compared to indoor glass tabletops. The thickness options recommended for outdoor glass tabletops like your patio table are 1/2-inch, ¼-inch, 1/8-inch, and 1/32-inch.
The thickness selection is a matter of choice, but a thicker glass tabletop is essential for the outdoors. Also, you can choose to have a tempered glass tabletop for additional strength.
RECOMMENDED STANDARD GLASS TABLETOP THICKNESS
- 1/8-INCH Thickness: It is recommended for indoor use and suitable for lightweight tables.
- 5/32-inch Thickness: Recommended for glass tabletop and table cover use on kitchen and living room tables.
- 3/6-inch thickness: This is best used as a glass tabletop for side tables, patio tables.
- 1/4-inch thickness: This is recommended for medium-strength tables.
- 3/8-inch thickness: This is best suited for heavy and unsupported glass tabletop.
- 1/2-inch thickness: It is also recommended for a massive table with unsupported glass tabletop where safety is of maximum concern.
- 3/4-inch thickness: It is recommended for heavy tables with unsupported glass tabletops.
Styles and Designs available for Glass Tabletops
GLASS TABLETOP SHAPES
At Fab Glass and Mirrors, you can get your custom-made glass tabletops and glass covers in a variety of shapes. Some of the available glass tabletop shapes include
- Round shape
- Oval/ellipse shape
- Race track oval
- Arch
- Trapezoid
- Regular Hexagon
- Archtop
- Archtop and bottom
- Right-angle triangle
- Pentagon
- Octagon
- Irregular octagon
- Semi-circle
- Quarter round amongst others.
If you are looking for a shape that is not a typical or regular shape, irregular shape glass tabletops can also be made to your specification.
GLASS TABLETOP EDGING
Edging refers to the finishing applied to the sharp edges of cut glass. It is used for aesthetics, chip reduction and safe handling. A glass tabletop can receive more than one glass edging type; this improves functionality and gives the glass a unique look.
COMMON GLASS EDGES
- Seamed Edge (Cut and Swipe):
It is also known as a safety seam. A seamed edge involves using a sanding belt to sand off sharp edges lightly. The primary goal of this edge type is to make the glass tabletop safe for handling. It doesn’t serve a decorative purpose.
- Bevel Edge (Grind and Chamfer)
The bevel edge is achieved by grinding glass tabletop edges flatly until they are smooth. The bottom and top sides are then run along a belt to get rid of sharpness and chips. It produces a piece with a flat chamfer top and exterior ground edge bottom.
- Pencil Grind Edge:
It is a slightly rounded edge with a satin, frosty or matte glass finish. It is also known as a semi-polished edge.
- Pencil Polished Edge:
Pencil polished edge is a smooth ground edge that features a slight curve with a glossy polish. Apart from making the glass tabletop safe for handling, it is used for decorative purposes.
- Flat Polished Edge:
A flat polished edge is achieved by first cutting the corners of the glass then flat polishing them, which results in a refined and glossy finish.
At Fab Glass and Mirrors, you can choose any of the following edges for your custom glass tabletops and glass cover.
- Beveled polished edge
- Flat polished edge
- Ogee Polished edge – a gentle “S” shape edge.
- Pencil Polished Edge
GLASS FINISHING
Glass finishing is of two types – Standard glass tabletop and Tempered glass tabletop. You may be undecided about what option to choose between the two.
Take note that tempered glass is a safety glass and can be up to four times stronger than standard glass. Tempered glass is scratch resistant and more resistant to impact compared to regular glass.
When you opt for a tempered glass tabletop, you are consciously averting the worst that could happen. Accidents can occur at any point, and a tempered glass tabletop prepares you for that eventuality if it does happen.
Besides the above, if the glass tabletop shatters, the regular glass will produce sharp glass pieces while a tempered glass will break into small dull pieces.