Glass has been used as a flooring product for more than 100 years. Often found in historic buildings, it was typically a molten cast product of varying thicknesses. Today, glass flooring and stair treads, usually installed by glazing contractors, are in high demand. Since glass can be utilized safely in flooring applications, it is being specified at an amazing pace. It can now be found in restaurants, galleries, libraries, corporate offices, retail businesses and private residences around the world.
The use of glass flooring has accelerated for a number of reasons. One reason is because it provides daylighting. Daylighting occurs when natural light filters into areas that would have to be lit typically with artificial light. Glass flooring allows natural light to brighten the area without the need for artificial light.
Another reason for choosing glass flooring is the dramatic ambiance it can provide. Many designs call for fully-exposed, monolithically polished glass edges and structural support systems that appear to allow the glass to float in place. This provides a level of elegance that cannot be found in other flooring products.
The Elements
Glass flooring is made of mutli-layer, laminated panels, and no two glass flooring projects are alike. The number of glass lites per panel and overall thickness varies from project to project; there is no such thing as a standard make-up or thickness that will work in every situation. Structural support is also important when working with glass flooring because it dictates the final glass make-up.
The top layer of glass flooring should include an anti-slip surface. Many anti-slip design options are available, including sandblasted, acid-etched, cast, ceramic frit and silk-screened glass.
Play it Safe
Whatever top surface effect used, surfaces need to be tested properly for slip resistance. Many in the construction industry recognize Underwriters Laboratories (UL) as a trusted source for product compliance. UL 410 is the standard for slip resistance of floor surface materials.
A monolithically polished edge on stair treads is a highly requested treatment. With such an edge, a fully laminated panel, rather than individual lites, is polished prior to laminating. Monolithically polished edges provide a high level of quality and allow for a less blunt edge on the glass treads so there is less opportunity for breakage.
Manufacturers currently offer fully annealed glass panels, fully tempered panels or a combination of annealed and tempered in their flooring solutions. The use of fully annealed panels in flooring applications could result in serious safety concerns for patrons. For example, in the event of a panel failure, a fully annealed panel is likely to have a consistent break pattern between all annealed lites and, in turn, not hold a person’s weight. In other words, an individual could fall through the glass and/or sustain serious injuries. A fully tempered laminated panel, however, has been proven in testing to be strong and safe.
Privacy, Please
Many public locations require a privacy-type glass to ensure an individual’s modesty. Other projects require a totally transparent glass so that video or artwork can be seen below while walking on top of the glass. The top, anti-slip layer of glass or the bottom layer of glass provides these options, which can be a cast panel of glass, acid-etched layer or a sandblasted, clear tempered panel.
Adding color is yet another option for glass flooring. This can be achieved through solid colored glass, colored laminated interlayers or via painting. With manufactured colored glass, color is an inherent part of the glass. This type works well with a fully exposed edge and when a solid, consistent color is desired for the entire panel. Interlayers can be used to tint the glass panel to the desired color when exposed edges are not involved. With painted glass, numerous custom effects/designs can be achieved, and the number of colors available is unlimited.
Safety Assured
As the popularity of glass flooring has grown, some manufacturers have begun to offer glass-flooring products that are not tested or engineered properly. Using such products could pose potential liability issues. Along with a UL-tested and approved top surface, the glass and the structural support system for the project should be engineered properly. A tested product, a manufacturer employing a structural glass engineer (different than a regular structural engineer) and with glass flooring experience can make the entire process smooth and safe for everyone.
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