Varieties of glass panels, the choice of canvas for different rooms, the advantages and disadvantages of a glass surface, options for attaching products to the wall. Glass wall panels are a finishing material for decorating surfaces, often with protective functions, made of different types of glass. Thanks to a wide range of products, it is possible to choose one or another type of panel for wall decoration in accordance with the general style of the room. We will talk about the variety of glass panels in this article.
Glass panel construction for walls
Glass panels are versatile products that consist of several parts:
- Canvas … This is the only part found in all types of panels. This is a piece of material, usually rectangular, made of glasses of various modifications. The edges of the canvas are sanded.
- Frame … Frames the canvas around the perimeter. It protects the product from mechanical stress and makes it easier to attach to the wall. The frame is made of a metal profile. The canvas for wall panels is fixed in an artistic metal frame.
- Decor elements … They are also often applied to glass. They can be created using photo printing, sandblasting and other methods.
- Fittings … Designed for fixing the panel to the wall, fixing lighting elements, etc.
- Backlight … Allows you to create artistic effects.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Glass Wall Panels
Glass panels are popular due to a wide range of models that differ in color, texture, style.
The material has many advantages:
- An environmentally friendly material is used for the manufacture of glass sheets.
- The canvas is moisture resistant.
- Glass panels are made in large sizes, so there are few joints on the wall in which dirt accumulates. The small number of mounting gaps increases the moisture resistance of the surface. The dimensions of the glass panels can be up to 2100x3600 mm.
- Many panels are made of tempered glass, which is 5-7 times stronger than ordinary glass.
- Maintenance of the coating is simple, the material is well cleaned with household detergents.
- The glass panels are fixed to the wall in different ways, depending on the condition of the base partition.
- The panels can be fixed to uneven surfaces, except for the glued version.
- Backlight can be used.
Disadvantages of panels are inherent in all glass products:
- It is not recommended to wash printed panels with soap and other alkaline detergents.
- The glass cannot be cleaned with metal scrapers; scratches remain on the surface.
- Fingerprints appear well on the material.
- Glass is fragile. Even hardened ones burst from a sharp blow.
Scope of Glass Wall Panels
Glass panels are considered versatile materials that can be used for interior wall decoration and for facade decoration. Wall decoration with glass panels is a fashionable trend in the interior of the room. Panels help to decorate rooms in modern styles: hi-tech, modern and other most bizarre design solutions.
Products are used not only as a decorative coating, they often have a functional purpose:
- With opaque panels, you can mask wall irregularities and utilities.
- Another option for using the panels is to use them as doors behind which you can place a safe, bar, alarm, etc.
- Glass wall panels in the apartment create an atmosphere of fashion and elegance. Most often, they are used to decorate the entire wall or a separate part in living rooms, corridors, living rooms.
- A luminous glass panel is often installed in a hall or corridor. Light sources can be LED strip or spotlight.
- In toilets, glass panels are used for natural lighting in the room.
- Glass panels for the bathroom are made with drawings. During the production of the material, the image is inserted between sheets of glass and sealed in a special way. The tab, closed on all sides, is not afraid of moisture, damage, detergents and is used for a very long time.
- In the kitchen, glass panels are called aprons or skins. Their purpose is to protect walls near sinks, stoves and countertops from moisture and grease. The panels themselves are very strong, and fastening to a flat surface increases their reliability. Drawings are applied to the skin using a special technology that can withstand high temperatures, the effects of household chemicals, and mechanical stress.
- The panels serve as decorative screens, if you place pictures, panels, valuable objects behind them.
- In shopping malls, glass panels are used as information signs.
- In the pool, panels protect the sides from water.
In addition, glass panels are used to cover external walls as decorative finishes or as hinged translucent systems in buildings that cover intermediate floors. A similar finish is found in office premises, executive class buildings, in houses with original architecture. Often for outdoor decoration, materials from tinted and reflective glass with a high coefficient of thermal energy absorption are used.
When finishing facades, extra-strong glass panels for walls are often used, which are divided into classes: class A panels that withstand impacts, class B products for protection against burglary and vandalism, class B structures that are not afraid of firearms.
New developments include crystallized glass panels, which are made from inorganic components. Many parameters of the canvas are superior to those of marble.
Classification of glass panels for walls
There are several types of glass wall panels. They are all classified in several ways.
The difference between wall panels in decorating technique
Images on the surface of the canvas are applied using a variety of technologies:
- Sandblasting pictures are created using stencils, sand of various fractions, a compressor. A stencil is placed on the glass. Air with sand is supplied to it under pressure. By changing the fractions of the sand, you can create unique images.
- Painted glasses take a long time to make, so they are the most expensive ones. Drawings are done by professional artists. Concave and convex glass items are often decorated in this way.
- Photo printing on glass is transferred using a printer. A layer of polymer paint is applied to the surface, which is heat treated.
- A layer of varnish is applied on top of the picture, and the glass is also laminated. The drawing becomes resistant to ultraviolet light and other natural influences. This method creates images of any complexity on glass.
- Mirrored glass with drawings on the front side is also used to decorate the walls. Intricate pictures are applied on the surface of mirrors using sand, photographic printing or painting.
- Embossed glass looks good with individual lighting. Such a canvas does not require additional finishing, its surface shimmers beautifully. The presence of folds makes it difficult to clean the panel, so it is not recommended to use it in the kitchen or bathroom.
Differences of glass for panels in terms of transparency
Transparent glasses are rarely used to decorate walls, in most cases they are colored:
- Optiwhite glass is characterized by perfect transparency. It lacks the characteristic greenish tint.
- Frosted glass is obtained after processing with sand under high pressure or processing using satinato technology.
- Monochromatic transparent glass of various shades is obtained after adding special dyes to its composition at the stage of manufacturing.
- Glass tinted in a specific color - bronze, graphite, etc.
- Blake Pearl glass is opaque, black.
- Lakobel - glass painted on one side, varnished on top. Paints can withstand temperatures up to 80 degrees, are resistant to light and ultraviolet radiation. They do not change color for a long time.
- 3D panels are decorated with irregularities that form patterns.
- Glass with enamel coating on the wrong side of the material.
- Glass with a glued film on the back.
- Glass with a thin layer of gold leaf that covers the material completely or in patterns.
- Mosaic is a covering of small pieces of colored glass.
- Fusing - glass tiles obtained by sintering different types of glass in a furnace into a single whole.
Classification of glass panels for walls by strength
High-strength panels are made of triplex, stemalite, stalinite. They are much stronger than ordinary glass, after destruction the fragments are safe for people. The technical characteristics of tempered glass panels allow the products to be used in harsh conditions. For example, the material has increased heat resistance, withstands temperatures of 180 degrees. Tempered glass does not break when a bending load of up to 250 MPa is applied.
Consider the types of glass panels, depending on their strength:
- Triplex … Laminated materials from various types of glass with a thickness of up to 60 cm. They are distinguished by their high strength. Decorative triplex is made with an interlayer on which there is a picture. The image is protected from all sides, so it remains in perfect condition for a long time.
- Stemalit … Colored panels with ceramic dyes from 4 to 22 mm thick. In the process of making the material, paints are implanted into the glass and create additional protection. Stemalite can be made in any color. It can be seen on the walls in cafes, restaurants, shops. It is not used for the manufacture of windows that require high light transmission. Stemalite has high mechanical strength and is difficult to scratch. Compared to similar materials, such panels are inexpensive.
- Stalinite … High strength glass with increased strength 6-9 mm thick. Stalinite is not destroyed even by strong blows. If it is broken, the glass crumbles into small glass elements with non-sharp edges.
Technology for mounting glass panels on walls
The choice of the method of mounting glass panels on the wall depends on their type, room interior, design. The panels are attached to the wall in two ways - adhesive and instrumental.
Fastening glass wall panels with glue
For fastening, you will need adhesive solutions that do not contain cement, organic solvents and acidic additives. All adhesives must be neutral and not damage the protective coating. If you have a choice, buy adhesives that are designed for mirrors. Glass panels for the kitchen are often glued.
Often the panels are glued with silicone sealant. They are not afraid of moisture, withstand high temperatures, and are neutral to paintwork. Silicone allows glass to be glued to any base surface - concrete, brick, wood.
Typical instructions for gluing glass panels with silicone sealant are as follows:
- Make sure the surface of the wall to which the panel will be mounted is level. Otherwise, the product will not fit snugly to the surface.
- Prepare the wall according to the requirements indicated in the instructions for the adhesive.
- Prime porous walls thoroughly.
- Create a room temperature above +5 degrees.
- Dust and degrease the panel surface.
- Remove the lid from the glue can, cut off the top of the threaded part of the container, attach the tip.
- Make sure the surfaces to be bonded are dry.
- Apply adhesive to the back of the glass in stripes, every 5 cm.
- Press the glass against the wall and fix it in this position. Place temporary stands under the panels to prevent slipping.
- Remove excess adhesive from the wall immediately with a solvent. Once solidified, it can only be removed mechanically.
- Continue further work only after the glue has completely dried.
Installation of glass panels on walls on fasteners
The installation of glass panels in the instrumental way involves the use of clamping or hinged fittings. In the first case, a special fastening presses the edges of the panels to the surface. Kitchen aprons are often fixed in this way. In the second version, the panels hang on bolts that are screwed into the wall through the holes in the panel. Let's consider the most common tool options - bolting and fastening panels in frames.
In the first case, the glass panels are fastened using bolts, screws, dowels, self-tapping screws, etc., which are screwed into the wall through holes in the glass. It must be remembered: if the wall is concrete or brick, then one pair of panel fasteners should have a load of less than 20 kg, for drywall - less than 10 kg.
For safety reasons, each square meter of glass panel must be secured with a minimum of four screws. Panels with mounting holes are fixed in a similar way. It is forbidden to use fixing accessories not specified by the panel manufacturer.
The sequence of installation work is as follows:
- Examine the surface to which the panel will be attached, remove the tabs. It is allowed to mount the panel to the wall in the presence of irregularities, if they do not lead to a large deflection of the product.
- Attach the panel to the surface, mark the wall through the holes in the glass.
- Remove the panel and drill holes in the wall. The fixing holes in the wall must be aligned with the holes in the panel. Otherwise, the fixing bolts will stretch the panel and may damage it.
- Insert the plastic plug into the hole. The fasteners must be screwed in perpendicular to the wall.
- There should be no contact between the bolt and the glass. Install the fasteners through a soft brass bushing.
- Remove the shipping tape from the panel, attach the product to the wall, align the mounting holes. The panel must be secured through all fastening holes provided by the manufacturer.
- Install a silicone damper in the hole in the panel to prevent the bolt from touching the glass.
- Screw the self-tapping screws into the dowels through the threaded brass bushings, fix the decorative plugs on the brass bushings.
- Remember that glass panels do not like impacts to the butt end. A panel that has been damaged during installation should be replaced.
The panel must not be pressed against the wall with fasteners. Surface unevenness can cause a surface that is too pressed down to burst. The product should hang freely on the sleeves.
Fixing glass wall panels to frames
For fixing within the frames, aluminum profiles are used, which are sold individually. They are designed for glass up to 4 mm thick. On the market there are profiles of various geometries and purposes. For example, there are special products for fixing panels in niches.
First, the frame blanks are cut and fixed to the wall in the manner specified by the manufacturer. The framed glass is attached with double-sided tape. The combination of aluminum and glass looks good not only on the wall, but also in other building structures.
There are other ways of fixing glass panels: fixing in a box, which is pre-installed in a special recess in the wall, small picture-like panels are hung on hinges.
How to fix glass panels - watch the video:
The glass-paneled walls provide individuality in the decoration of the room. A large assortment of finishing materials allows you to create a special atmosphere in the room and excludes the possibility of organizing such an interior with your friends.
