Choosing among the possibilities for your perfect glass table top

Dreamwalls Glass Table Top Dining Table

You’ve got a project that needs a table top. You’re sold on the practicality of glass. We are so pleased! There are many different options and decisions you need to make when specifying a table top or countertop for your job. In today’s article, we’ll walk you through some of the many choices and options available.

Overall dimensions:

• We cut from glass sheets that are 96″ x 144″ – however, to fabricate edgework requires a cut in from the edge so if you want anything other than a clean cut edge rectangle, you’ll have to go a touch smaller.
• Standard industry tolerances are +/- 1/16 inch,…so if it has to be inset into a frame, allow your measurements to account for it.
• Keep in mind some edgework fabrication equipment may not be able to handle glass at max size due to weight or bed size constraints.
• Consider how the table is going to get into the space – is the door big enough? Can it make the turn in the hallway? You’d be surprised how often this needs to be addressed and you have to remember that glass simply will not bend.

Dreamwalls Color Glass White In Production

Shape – other than a rectangle?

• All ovals are not the same shape – same goes for archtops or “racetracks” – these tend to be special patterns, that need a pattern or CAD file.
• CAD drawings in a .dxf format work best for our water jet cutting capabilities and reduces any mis-communication.
• Not all cuts can be achieved, that is why it’s important for us to see the actual pattern at the time of quote. Tight inside 90º corners are impossible to be polished by our machinery. If it’s tempered, we have to make sure any holes are a certain distance from the edge. Let us review it to eliminate any problems early in the project.

Dreamwalls Glass Sink Top

Thickness of the glass:

• This depends on the size of the glass, its support and the weight it would be carrying – ask your glazier if you’re uncertain.
• Generally, if it’s on top of a full surface – annealed (non-tempered) glass is safe enough to use and is usually only 1/4 inch (6mm) thick.
• If there’s a “pass through” possibility, it’s usually better to temper the glass regardless of what the local codes may allow.
• “Heavy glass” of 1/2 inch (12mm) thick or more,…and even then it may depend on the overall size of the piece and its use.
• For table tops, we recommend going no thinner than 1/4″ (6mm) and up to 1″ thick (25mm), but depending on the size either of those extremes may not be acceptable to the project.
• NOTE: tempered glass is usually stamped with a baked-on permanent ink to prove that it has been tempered. If you don’t want that stamp showing on your final piece, be sure to dictate as such. We can provide you with a document proving the piece was tempered if you require it.

Any additional fabrication?

• Holes for a patio table pole
• Holes to hide computer wires in a desk or reception area
• Cut outs for undermount sinks (with edgework) or for a top-mount sink (won’t require edgework)
• Holes for in-counter cooktops

Type of the glass:

• Tempered or Annealed
• Tempered glass is much stronger, slightly less susceptible to scratches, and if it does break, it will form the tiny nuggests that are less likely to cause harm.
• Annealed glass will work fine for many situations that are either backed by a solid surface, so that it isn’t a “punch through” hazard or where the glass is very thick.

Dreamwalls Color Glass Red Countertop

Color of the glass:

• Regular clear glass
• Low-iron Starphire® Ultra-Clear glass
• Dreamwalls Color Glass backpainted glass – any color you specify is easily possible
• Antique Mirrors – in regular or tints
• Mirrors for a bright surface
• Acid-etched glass (in regular or low-iron) can offer some interesting under-lighting effects, or be backpainted for a lustrous finish that doesn’t show finger prints

Lots of things to consider, right? Never fear. If you get stumped at any time while making your decisions, just give us a call. We’ll try to help steer you towards the right solution for your design need. 800-334-7267. Just comment with your question, or e-mail me direct at mmarxen@gardnerglass.com

Source: House & Home June 2012 issue - Karen Cole Design

What is so great about glass, is that it still showcases the base as sculpture. The key is to be sure to use low-iron glass, so that distortion is minimized, and the colors of the surrounding decor isn’t compromised. Below, the sculptural “Spider” metal base from Structube (CA) provides generous surface area (nearly 40″ diameter), but doesn’t take up a lot of space.

Spider Coffee Table

The airiness of the stick-legs in the base below really open up the space where something more solid would have closed it off. A glass top keeps everything in balance.

Source: House&Home "Best Decorating 2012" issue

Don’t discount the amount of light a glass table top can bring into the room. The sparkle and reflection of a glass table may be just what your room needs.  With a low-iron glass table as the centerpiece of the room, like below, the more “blocky” elements of the room have a chance to breathe and feel fresh.

Source: House & Home "Best Decorating 2012" issue

And don’t forget mirror! That will really reflect light back into the room, multiply the light, and still will visually “disappear”. It’s a stunning effect, that allows the thin black table frame to become a subtle “pinstripe” to the bold colors and patterns in the room.

Kelly Proxmire - Interior Design

Gardner Glass Products is able to fabricate glass in thicknesses of 1/8″ (3mm) to 1″ (25mm). We can utilize low-iron glass in any thickness for the perfect tabletop in nearly any shape.

Glass desks really can add light, color, and pizazz to an office desk. When you add backpainted glass, it adds a layer of sophistication to the space. By just adding a pop of color, the professionalism of a home office is elevated. Look at a few of these examples from Houzz. The refinement of the material makes you just want to get to work and get things done, doesn’t it?

This desk top in black glass takes nothing away from the traditional elements:

This hot-orange glass desktop and backsplash would get the creative juices flowing in the morning without a cup of coffee:

While a little difficult to see in this photo, the glass desk top is a brilliant blue borrowed from the artwork on the wall. It is beautiful and becomes an extension of the artwork in 3 dimensions:

Lastly, I like to explore the possibilities of what changing the color of this one surface can do. First, the original glass desktop:

And here is the color pulled from the artwork above the desk. A complex neutral that adds more of a natural element to the room:

Glass desktop with color altered

Or, you can add a little more impact by going with a dark black:

So take a look at your desk today, and see how Dreamwalls Color Glass could add a little something special to help elevate your work.

Dreamwalls True Black Backpainted Glass Table Topper

What is a table topper, you ask? It is a piece of glass – usually 1/4″ (6mm) or 5/32″ (4mm) thick that is placed on the existing top of a table, or some other piece of furniture like a dresser or credenza. Since it is completed supported by the solid piece of furniture, it may or may not need to be tempered, and the edgework is usually a simple polished edge. Historically, table toppers have been clear glass; but today, Dreamwalls offers so many glass options that you can change the look of a piece of furniture instantly with NO TOOLS, simply by placing a piece of glass down on the top.

Antique Mirror Table Topper

5 Reasons Dreamwalls Glass Table Toppers are Brilliant Solutions

• 1- They can revive an older, worn piece of furniture without refinishing or altering the piece in any way.

• 2- They protect wood furniture or table linens from moisture and stains – and clean up is a simple wipe.

• 3- They instantly update or unify a design with color.

Acid Etched Back-painted Glass Table Topper - "Tree" Design

• 4- They give all the beauty and practicality of a glass countertop, with an economical thinner piece of glass.

• 5- Dreamwalls has a huge variety of options so you can have a table topper back-painted in ANY color for an instant modern update, in a huge choice of stone or marble patterns for classic style, in antique mirror for a refined reflection, or in low-iron ultra-clear mirror for the brightest sparkle.

Dreamwalls Glass Red Table Topper