What is Switchable Glass?

SWITCHABLE PRIVACY GLASS, also referred to as privacy glass or switchable glass, is electric switchable glass with adjustable opacity.

It uses electro-chromatic technology to interchange between transparency and an opaque state by applying voltage. SWITCHABLE PRIVACY GLASS can change from clear to a frosted appearance at the flick of a switch while allowing light to pass through from both sides.

Another interesting feature of SWITCHABLE PRIVACY GLASS is that when in the opaque state, it acts a high-definition rear projection screen. This allows you to create immersive and dynamic multimedia displays into your surroundings.Mirror. 

We are more than standard glass. We'll take care of your screen repairs and we also carry polycarbonate/Plexiglas.

We are more than standard glass. We'll take care of your screen repairs and we also carry polycarbonate/Plexiglas.


If you would like some further information or to request a quotation, please get in touch via our Contacts Page.

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Where To Use Smart Glass

Switchable Privacy Glass or Smart Glass is finally starting to become affordable for the common man.
It will play an important role in decorating the interior of the room by the glass. The advantage of such products is the ability to change the degree of transparency that allows you to create a comfortable environment. The growing popularity of the use of glass surfaces is due to attractive appearance and simple leaving. The scope of application is as broad as human imagination allows. Most often, electrochemical products are used in the manufacture of window constructions. Intelligent glass creates an obstacle to sunlight, preventing indoor temperature rise. Such protection on the windows saves furniture and decoration from the influence of ultraviolet radiation, and in dense curtains and blinds, there is no need.
Power consumption does not exceed the power of a conventional electric light bulb, in addition, energy is consumed only when the glass is transparent.

The use of smart glass can be practically everywhere, where it is planned to install ordinary glass panels:
• windows, doors;
• internal partitions;
• facade treatment;
• showcases;
• balconies, loggias;
• greenhouses;
• pools, sports complexes;
• winter gardens, etc.

System management is carried out in the following ways:
• stationary button;
• remote control;
• response sensor;
• using climate control to connect to the system.

Smart glass is simply a discovery for design work, where you can use the electrochemical properties to create comfort and comfort without the use of a large number of textiles and hinged obscuring structures.Our company specializes in glass products, our specialists deliver and install anything you order with extra care and professionalism.In addition, you can view services of our partners, Glass Table Tops.

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A GUIDE TO GLASS SHOWER DOORS

For a spa-like feel, this material may be clear but the choice isn’t always
frameless glass shower doorsNancy and Aram’s bathroom renovation

It wakes you up in the morning. It calms you down at the end of a hard day. The shower has, at last, stepped up next to the tub—separate and equal—to become a focal point in the bath. However, there’s more to a fabulous shower experience than a multi-spray shower head and pretty tiled walls. You will also want to consider the shower door, which sets the tone for the shower’s overall appearance and harmony with your bath’s décor.

Getting started

You may decide to place the shower next to the tub because it looks nice, or because you don’t want to make major changes to the water lines. Perhaps you only need a shower in a space with limited square footage, so you want to put it in the corner. Wherever the shower ends up, your design will require one of the following door mounting options:

• Framed
• Semi-framed
• Frameless
• Freestanding

The style you choose can be based mostly on your taste. However, before committing, you will want to consult with your contractor to assess the bathroom space for quirks. After all, not all bathrooms are made alike: dimensions vary from ceiling-to-floor, plumbing lines wander, walls and floors are not always plumb. Your contractor can help you determine the best location for the shower, including making sure that the walls can bear the weight of frameless doors.

Selecting door styles
The door you select will depend not only on your preferences as to the style and movement of the door but also any space restrictions. Is there room for the door to swing open? Or can the width handle sliding doors? Placement of controls on one or two walls and the width and height of the shower enclosure will also factor in. 

Consider the following options:

• Sliding: two panels fit in a frame and slide in either direction to open and close

• Swing or pivot: a single pane attached to a wall swings open from the left or right

• Door and panel: one narrow pane is fixed to the wall while next to it, a panel is fixed with hinges to the other wall and operates as the door

• Butterfly or bi-fold: two equal-size panels are hinged at the center to open inward

• Fixed: a single pane of glass attached to the wall holding the showerhead protects the bathroom from splashes; the rest of the shower opening remains uncovered

Choosing the door mounting

Once upon a time, framed was the only way to go. (Remember those shower doors when you were growing up?) With the widespread popularity of open design, semi-frame and frameless have caught homeowners’ attention. Improvements in mounting systems, including thicker glass supported by sleeker, stronger hinges, means you can have a shower that seems to float or even disappear. Your choices come down to four solutions:

Framed: This product features a metal frame around all four edges of the operating doors. In addition, metal channels framing the shower opening allow for hinges that attach swinging doors or the gliding motion of sliding doors. Framed glass doors are created to fit standard shower openings. The appearance doesn’t have to be standard, though. Manufacturers offer a range of looks, from super contemporary clean-lined chrome to matte black in a windowpane pattern from Coastal Shower Doors that will conjure your own private Downton Abbey. Duravit makes a glass enclosure with two self-locking doors that fold against either wall when not in use, so the shower disappears entirely.

Special details notwithstanding, framed can be the thriftiest way to go and the easiest to install. The glass panes are typically a 1/4-inch thick.

Semi-framed: This option may include framing around the entire shower opening but not around the actual door panels. It also typically features 1/4-inch glass. Semi-framed lends itself to some creative trends in headers, like exposed industrial-style hardware with rollers and bars that suggest barn door hardware.

Frameless: Not completely without hardware, frameless is still the way to go if you want an open, seamless, truly spa-like effect for your shower. Advances in hardware engineering and glass manufacturing make this type of installation appear to float. Glass panels attach to hinges that then attach to walls. There is commonly a combo of a fixed panel and a swinging door, both made of 5/8-inch safety glass. Besides the hinges, the only hardware is the door handle and possibly a towel bar, though after going to all this trouble, why would you want anything to block the view?

Frameless door mounting: This style lends itself to a curbless shower treatment. With no ledge to step over, it’s a good universal design.

Freestanding: At the very high end, you will find freestanding shower enclosures. They consist of a shower pan with a four-sided metal framework in which glass panels fit, one of them a door.  If you can afford the hefty price tag, you can have this shower up and working in a couple hours.

Finishes

Finally, you will choose a finish for the frame and its accompanying pieces—hinges and hardware. A good rule of thumb is to choose the finish that matches your shower head and any other shower fittings, like a hand shower or jets. Of course, the choice is up to you, and here, too, is a range—brushed, nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, and ever-popular chrome.
The less framework for the door, the thicker the glass. Standard glass shower doors come 1/2- or 3/8-inch thick; frameless doors should be 5/8-inch thick. All must be made of safety glass, which shatters into small pieces when broken, not into lethal shards.

A word about glass

All edges of your shower door should arrive finished or polished. Styles for the appearance of the flat surface include:

Opaque, a holdover from the previous century, is good for those seeking privacy. Ask to see a manufacturer’s offerings in this category, which can range from pebbled to brushed to the appearance of raindrops.

Clear glass remains a strong trend. For good reason: it promotes the open appearance in a bath while showing off sleek shower fittings and surface treatments of tile or stone.

Tinted glass is created during the manufacturing process and comes in subtle, natural tones like gray, bronze, and blue that complements America’s favorite color in the bath—white—as well as stone, tile, and metals for faucets and shower heads and controls.

Etched glass permits privacy with opaque designs etched onto clear glass. Patterns available can be figurative, like images from nature, or abstract. Custom designs will cost you more and must be special ordered. The etching is on the outside face of the shower.

The shower door—a seemingly small yet often overlooked feature—makes a huge impact on the look and feel of your bathroom. As you make your decision, think about how you shower, and what’s important to you as you experience your daily bathroom rituals. You want the shower to feel like it’s part of the of the bathroom. The right glass shower door can do that.

Turn your shower into an at-home spa with features like body sprays, steam, and more!

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Benefits of Glass Tabletops

Have you thought about the role your wood furniture plays in the look and feel of your home?  Whether it’s an antique end table, a funky new coffee table or a majestic dining room table - your wood furniture is essentially the statement piece for an entire room.

But keeping that special, conversation starter clean can be quite a daunting task.  Some cleaners can attract dust, while others can leave a greasy film.  And then there’s the issue of preserving the color and detail that makes the piece unique and extraordinary.  It’s enough to make your mind spin. 

Yet, before you throw in the towel on your lump o’ timber, consider a glass tabletop.  A custom cut and sized piece of glass on top of your wood table may just be the answer to your wood woes.  There are actually a lot of benefits to a glass tabletop that you may not have even thought about.

Glass tabletops can be stylish.

The glass tabletop edges can be custom cut to give your tabletop an elegant and sophisticated motif or a fun and trendy vibe.

Glass tabletops can protect against harmful UV rays.

Your skin isn’t the only thing the sun can damage.  Tinted tabletop glass can provide your nice wood furniture with a sunscreen, of sort, that will protect and prevent sun damage.

Glass tabletops can prolong the life of your wood furniture.

Water rings, scratches and even sun damage can age your wood furniture prematurely.   A glass tabletop can protect from daily wear and tear and can help safeguard the characteristics that make the piece special.

Glass tabletops are easy to take care of and keep clean.

All you need is a dry, clean cloth and a spray bottle full of water or glass cleaner to keep your glass squeaky clean and shiny.

And of course, Switchable Privacy Glass can help you with all of your custom glass tabletop needs. 

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Custom Mirrors

Mirrors serve several functional and aesthetic purposes. They reflect light and images to make a small room appear larger. They also give you a way to double check your appearance before you leave the house.

Standard mirrors are available in bulk at big box and home improvement stores, but what if you have a specific look in mind? After all, you probably want to purchase a mirror that reflects your home’s current decor, not build your furnishings around whatever mirror you happen to find in stores. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, consider designing custom mirrors to fit your needs best. Here are some popular options to inspire your next custom mirror project.

Oversized Bathroom Mirror

If you have a double vanity in your master bathroom, the existing mirror might be lackluster. You can make a statement by ordering an oversized mirror to match the custom dimensions of your double vanity.

Reflecting the room back at itself makes the entire bathroom look larger and feel more impressive. Customize your bathroom mirror with a frame for a high-end look you can’t get from bulk-produced mirrors.

Mirrored Wall

Hallways are a great place to decorate and showcase your tastes with pictures and framed art. But have you thought about adding an entirely mirrored wall? This unique feature makes your home stand out and creates the modern spin you might be looking for.

A mirror spanning entire hallway wall from floor to ceiling makes it feel less claustrophobic because the reflection makes the hallways appear twice as wide. You can still hang artwork and family pictures on the bare side for the personal touch you want in your home.

Full-Length Mirrors

When you want to dress for success, you can’t beat full-length custom mirrors. These come in many varieties. Some are swivel mirrors set in stands that make them portable. Others simply lean against the wall. Still, others mount to the wall as a permanent fixture, some of which reach all the way from floor to ceiling for a bold statement. From thin, unobtrusive frames to thick wood or metal frames, your options are limitless when you customize a full-length mirror.

Custom Mirror Safety Features

Since custom mirrors tend to be large and impressive, they require certain safety features to ensure an uneventful installation and safe day-to-day use. For example:

• Frameless mirrors should feature safe rounded edges to prevent cutting yourself.

• Large bathroom mirrors should feature safety backing to keep glass fragments in place in case of accidental breakage.

• Heavy duty mirror hangers should be used for a secure installation that prevents the mirror from falling.

Do not hesitate to contact our managers to get the information regarding the mirrors

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How to Make a Bathroom Look Bigger

You can turn your existing bathroom space into a room that is more aesthetically appealing and functional for far less money then a bathroom remodel would cost.

Here are a few key tips that will have you on your way to proudly displaying every square foot of your bathroom: 

• Remember that less is more. Decorate with just a few pieces so the area appears more spacious.

• Open up your space with a glass shower door. For smaller bathrooms, this may make your space appear 30-50% bigger by simply replacing a shower curtain with glass. A shower enclosure will help you minimize dividing lines that can make the space seem smaller than it is. Not to mention, it also creates a feeling of luxury and increases your home's value. As an added bonus, glass is easy to clean.

• Install a wall-to-wall mirror to give the illusion of the space. Although a nice vanity mirror can go a long way, you may want to consider upgrading to a mirror that spans the width of the wall and reaches up to the celling. This can make your bathroom feel twice its size. 

So, there you have it! Three easy fixes to make your space work for you. You and your guests will enjoy these bathroom updates while being budget-friendly at the same time. 

Contact us today to start planning your bathroom update.
Our Phone: (646) 693 5775

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How To Choose Custom Glass Table Top For Your Home

Thinking about custom glass table tops?

The kitchen and dining room can be described as the most important room in your home as it is the place where most families come together to share meals and make lasting memories. Therefore, you should have a dining room table that is both beautiful and comfortable for your family. A glass table top is a perfect solution as it is both timeless and elegant. However, there are several considerations that you should be aware of while choosing a custom glass table top. 

Below are just few tips to make things easier for you.

Custom Cut Glass Table Tops

One of the most important decisions you need to make is deciding what shape or how big your custom glass table top needs to be. You should first decide on how many people you need to accommodate and what shape would be best suited for your dining room.

A rectangular or oval table will provide a lot of seating, but a square or round table will be more intimate as smaller groups of people can easily interact.

You can also customize the thickness, finish, color or polish on a table to suit your needs and fit with the style and décor of your dining room.

Tempered glass is a great option if you need a stronger table, especially if you have kids.

A thinner glass will provide a more delicate and refined look whereas a thicker glass will provide a more durable table better suited for heavy use.

Glass experts can help you decide on the best custom glass table top to fit with your home and your family’s need so that the most important room is both elegant and comfortable.

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Why Glass Table Tops?

Protect your furniture from nicks, scratches, and other possible damage.

Refresh older pieces with a less permanent option, as compared to stains or paint.

Glass is beautiful; glass top is an excellent way to add shine to an otherwise dull item.

Elevate the impact of wood tables or dressers while protecting these investments from scratches, sun and scuffs.

Order a tabletop to complete a table, nightstand or even a plant stand.

Renew old glass table inserts with a glass table replacement; outdoor tables are especially vulnerable to weathering.

To Protect!
Glass tabletops are used in a number of different ways, but the most popular is to use the glass to protect the surface of a table, desk, or a coffee table. When used as a cover on a wood surface, normally a thinner glass such as 1/4" is used. The edges of the glass would normally be polished to smooth them out and avoid the possibility of injury from the sharp edges. When glass is used as a wood surface cover there is no need for tempering the glass.

Check list for when Glass sits directly on the surface of furniture:

Recommended glass thickness: 1/4" is the preferred thickness. 3/8" or 1/2"can be used for effect but make sure that the furniture can carry the weight.
Recommended edge: flat polish is the preferred edge work. However, pencil polish or beveled polish can be used to give accent or a dramatic effect.
Glass Strength: Annealed glass is sufficient to protect the table but glass can always be tempered for added safety, especially if there are younger kids in the house.


Actual Table Surface!
Glass table tops can also be used in situations where the entire surface is made out of glass. The legs can also be made of glass, wood, metal, or any other material. In these instances the glass has to be tempered for safety reasons. Glass thickness has to be more than 3/8". The edges have to be flat polished and possibly beveled depending on preference.

Check list for when Glass sits on legs or a base:

Recommended glass thickness: 3/8" or 1/2" thinner glass is not recommended in these cases.
Recommended edge: flat polish, pencil polish, or beveled polish. This is an option where you are in complete control and you can choose the look and the effects you want for your glass furniture.
Recommended Strength: Tempered glass is recommended for added safety and strength.
Glass table tops intended to rest directly on furniture do not require an exact measurement and therefore are recommended for online ordering.

Patio Table Tops
Glass table tops are also used on patio tables. Patio tables with glass surface are made in two different ways. First, on some tables the glass piece sits on the legs without the need for metal framing around the edges of the glass. In these patio tables, because the size does not have to be precise, you can measure the size of the glass, call it in for a quote, and place your order for a pick up or delivery.

Check list for patio glass table tops:

Recommended glass thickness: 3/8" or 1/2" thinner glass is not recommended in these cases.
Recommended edge: flat polish, pencil polish, or beveled polish. This is an option where you are in complete control and you can choose the look and the effects you want for your glass furniture.
Glass Strength: Tempered glass is always preferred for outdoor use.
If you are ordering a glass table top for patio furniture, don't forget to order an umbrella hole if necessary!

Embedded or Wrapped
In these tables the glass top is wrapped in a metal frame. In these tables, the best way to replace the glass table top is to physically bring in the table for a precise cut and fitting of the glass. This is because the frame bends when the original glass breaks and even a half an inch of discrepancy prevents the new glass top from properly fitting in the frame. We do not recommend at-home estimates and measurements for these types of patio tables, as the difficulty of the measurement at home significantly increases the cost and often results in an improper fit.

Check list for when Glass embedded in a table or wrapped in metal frame:

Recommended glass thickness: 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2". Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Recommended edge: Seamed edge or flat polished edge. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Recommended Strength: Tempered glass is recommended for added safety and strength.​

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 PRIVACY GLASS glass is one of the most cost effective solutions market today, we are able to transform glass, bring it to life.
With innovation and over 20 years of architectural and specialist glass experience.
PRIVACY GLASS is a fully laminated form of smart glass and enables safety and securtiy glass to also be able to offer privacy

Electric glass screen


The latest generation of  Electric glass, also referred too, as Smart glass or Privacy glass offers greater safety and security in both the workplace and the home.
The seamless nature of laminated glass means that panels can be positioned side by side (glass to glass) without the need for any vertical frames. This makes  Electric glass the ideal choice for glazed screens and glass doors, creating a very minimal and contemporary look.

PRIVACY GLASS can be manually or automatically configured by voltage regulation to privacy required at any given time ideal for partial visibility to a fully translucence state. Many commercial buildings windows and glazed facades have Solar control coated glass which is tinted to reduce heat gain into the building, this itself has many advantages but also disadvantages, the main one being the reduction of natural light. This leads to artificial lighting becoming one of the single biggest energy resources in the building. The ability to control the use of natural light and reduced energy costs decreasing the buildings carbon footprint is available by using  PRIVACY GLASS.

This specialist glass is fully controllable from transparent to translucent enabling a comfortable level of sun glare whilst still maximizing the available the light level.
Given the occupiers Instant and precise control of light.
When used with a low e coated insulated glass unit the advantages of both reduced heat loss and heat gain are also fully maximized, allowing a high specification of window glass.
PRIVACY GLASS offers extra dimensions to electric glass the ability to be dimmed to reduce the level of privacy or translucence state, which minimises sun glare whilst still allowing levels of visibility.  PRIVACY GLASS is a polymer dimmable electric glass, which ensures the   PRIVACY GLASS has the latest technology and offers more solutions than ever before. Electric glass can be used with the suite of switching controls allowing our clients to have the correct product in the right place without having to use a different controller.

Electric glass is the choice of interior designers, partition companies and fit out contractors, with high clarity only 5% haze offer unsurpassed clarity with full technical bespoke solutions, to aid our clients by offering an efficient and effective service. and an assurance that the project will be on time and within budget constraints.
 Electric glass can be used in almost any part of a building that has a glass content from rooflights to glazed screens and balustrades to display cabinets. We offer a full supply only or supply and install service with full technical knowledge of smart glass architectural and glazed screens.  Electric glass is available in double and triple glazed units and are fully switchable with a wide range of controls.

The  PRIVACY GLASS offer dynamic partitioning of space with no hindrance to light transmission

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How Smartglass design is changing architecture

Technology moves at an increasingly rapid pace in the modern world, and it waits for nobody.  Architects are in a particularly vulnerable position when it comes to technology. They must stay current with other key architectural aspects, such as the latest building materials and design trends, both of which also change quickly.

With so much evolving at such a fast pace, the modern architect can find it challenging to stay informed on technological advances in the field. The following article aims to introduce the innovative concept of smartglass technology and its main applications in the design of corporate buildings.

Smartglass  is a unique type of switchable glass technology that allows users to alter the appearance of the glass with the flick of a switch. This electric glass operates using an electric current to adjust the appearance of the glass depending on user needs. Smartglass is a technological advancement with much promise in terms of improving building aesthetics, functionality, and privacy as the following examples show.

Building Entrance

A stylish entrance is one of the best ways to make a good impression on the visitors to or occupants of a commercial building such as a skyscraper, hotel, or office. Switchable smartglass can provide a minimalist modern aesthetic to a building’s entrance that leaves a striking first impression and helps distinguish such buildings from others in the vicinity.

Furthermore, the opportunity to customize the appearance of smartglass lends itself well to creating a bespoke design solution for building entrances. Privacy levels can be tailored for special events and other functions, or even special guests, such as high-profile celebrities staying in a hotel, for example. Switchable glass technology has the additional functional benefit of a high opacity option; this allows building managers or event organizers to temporarily (or permanently) use the glass panels as projection screens to display custom branding at the building’s entrance.

Hospital Design

When helping to design a hospital architects must not only consider design elements that add to the aesthetic, but also how the functionality of the building can be enhanced to cater to the patient in order to provide a more comfortable hospital stay.

New and existing hospitals are increasingly utilizing the benefits of switchable glass technology. For example, Sunderland Royal Hospital required the construction of a new partition system that allowed for monitoring of patients while simultaneously protecting privacy. Additionally, the partitions were required to meet the exacting hygiene standards of any modern hospital. The design solution for this hospital was to use switchable privacy smart glass panels, creating a smooth and seamless partitioning system along the

Hotel Design

Architects have a difficult job when it comes to working on projects involving hotels because hoteliers always request the latest technologies and design features that can enhance their guests’ experiences when staying at their hotels.

Smartglass can be incorporated in hotel room design; for example, by amalgamating the bedroom and bathroom into one larger space with switchable glass partitions to provide adequate privacy as needed via the flick of a switch. Some of the benefits to an open design plan for a hotel room are that it allows for more natural light to enter the room, maximizes space, and helps guests feel  more comfortable as if they were at home.

Switchable glass technology is an emerging and important technology that architects can utilize to provide more stylish and functional design solutions to commercial buildings. To learn more about Smartglass products, contact the team at Smartglass International today.

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Privacy Smart Glass

     

         
    
Privacy Smart Glass



What if you could achieve privacy with just the flick of a switch?

Custom Cut Glass is proud to offer an exclusive and custom configurable Smart Glass panel system.  It is the perfect solution to your need for instantly switchable privacy.




How does switchable privacy glass work?

This technology will switch the glass from transparent to an opaque translucent state with the simple flip of a switch, tap of an app, or wave of a hand.  The technology makes available a dynamic space that can be both private and open.

Glass "ON" - Transparent                                             Glass "OFF" - Opaque

Uses of switchable privacy glass include:

• Residential – bathroom / shower enclosures, partitions
• Commercial – conference rooms, office doors/partitions, reception
• Retail – changing rooms, projection displays
• Healthcare,  hospitality  – ICU Doors, Nurseries, ERs, ORs, clinic partitions
• Banking – ballistic teller lines, transaction windows, safe deposit rooms

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