Commercial structures require glass with exceptional qualities. The ideal glass must improve safety and boost the energy efficiency of the building. Quality commercial glass also makes the building look more attractive. Consider selecting one of the following types of glass for your building.

1. Transparent or clear glass

Storefronts have traditionally used transparent or clear glass so that people can see items inside the store. The store owners can also easily highlight specific products. Even businesses that offer services can use transparent glass to display the company's skills by letting passersby see employees at work.

2. Tinted glass

Manufacturers can use a coating or film to treat glass and reduce the glass's ability to allow light to pass through it. The level of coating or amount of film will determine the amount of light passing through the glass. The coating or film treatment also helps to reduce glare without entirely blocking the daylight. Sometimes, glass tinting can change the colour of windows and increase privacy.

Businesses can choose commercial glass that combines tinted glazing with a reflective coating. This type of glass blocks prying eyes during the day by reducing visibility from the outside. But once the sun sets, the effect reverses, making it harder to people inside the building to see outdoors. This makes tinted glass the right choice for door glazing, glass floors, skylights and glass partitions.

3. Frosted glass

Frosted glass allows minimal light to pass through it. Glass manufacturers add acid to transparent glass to create acid-etched glass. The result is a highly blurred glass that may still allow light to pass through.

4. Safety glass

Safety glass can withstand excessive force and doesn't break easily. 

The glass becomes stronger due to the use of tempered or heat-strengthened methods. The heat-strengthened method forces glass to cool more quickly than usual. In contrast, tempered glass cools even faster than during the heat-strengthened method.

Glass can also become safer if it contains multiple panes of glass. An example is when glass manufacturers use plastic to combine a couple of panes of glass to create laminated glass.

5. Insulated glass

Glass can allow heat to pass through it, leading to buildings with poor energy efficiency. The solution is to combine two or more glass panes and put an inert gas between the panes. Inert gases block heat movement to boost energy efficiency and reduce energy bills. You can use the glass on glass walls, glass doors and windows.

The main types of insulated glass are double-pane and triple-pane glass. In addition, manufacturers can fill the spaces between the glasses with many kinds of gases. The main types of gases are argon and krypton 

Argon is the most used in insulation glass because of the gas's high density. Krypton is another dense gas that can reduce heat loss but is more expensive. 

Commercial glass is different from residential glass and contains special features. For the best quality, buy your glass from South Melbourne Glass. Our glass is ideal for shopfronts and tabletops. Contact us to make an order or discuss our services. We’ll be happy to discuss your commercial glass needs.