A table is a pretty standard and highly used item in every home. Depending on its usage, it can be procured in a variety of designs, forms and sizes too.You might want a dinner table to be placed in one corner, a centre table right in the middle of a living room, petite coffee tables alongside the sofas, study tables or next to your bed and so on— all this and more can be arranged rather perfectly in the very same house. Irrespective of their use, these tables can still be made up of the same or different materials. Commonly used material for table construction include timber, metalwork or even ceramics and yes, the trendiest is the glass. However, if you are aiming for aesthetics and longevity in one go, the glass table top is that one option that you should be seriously looking out for.
Glass table tops are robust, durable, trendy and easier to fit into any framework or structure. Built from gel-like molten silica, glass is also highly flexible, and hence, it can be seamlessly combined with other materials such as stones, timber, metals as well as ceramics. Also, the glass reflects light in vast quantities, which results in an alluring and unobstructed vision of your house. Glass table tops are heavy, stiff and durable in their construction. The thicker the glass is, the more it gets immune to breakage and other similar damage related issues. Here’s a comparative study about different glass types that can be used for constructing tables and pull off impressive luxury decor.
Crackled Glass vs Clear Glass Option
A clear glass table top has got somewhat similar appearance and characteristics as that of a transparent acrylic sheet. It’s simple, vibrant, and it can easily defend itself against light to moderate impacts. The table top with transparent glass is bereft of any tone, having either a coloured or non-tinted base. This type of the table top has a low temper propensity that can be enhanced by adding some density to it; however, that could make the tinted edge appear more prominent. The transparent glass enables reflection from all sorts of light falling on it. It is the most frequently used type of glass, primarily because of its widespread availability and that it is quite inexpensive to procure too.
Constructed by sandblasting the base to create fractures, the frosted glass table top carries a reasonably high density to withstand the impact. Looking somewhat crackled or crystalline in appearance, it somewhat restricts the uninterrupted propagation of light. Besides, the frosted glass table top is at least six times sturdier and more durable than the clear glass version, especially in terms of disposition capacity. Aesthetically too, it is unique to look at and is used frequently in corporate arrangements as convention and meeting tables.
Tempered Glass vs Laminated Glass Option
In comparison to the standard transparent or coloured glass options for table tops, the tempered glass is a pretty tough and high impact resistant glass material. It is produced by trapping molten silica in a heightened state of contraction and disposition and then reinforcing it with an increased flow of heat energy. The resultant tempered glass cannot be easily cracked, smashed, punched, or split using limited mechanical power. This variety of glass is at least four times more potent than the conventional alternatives available and is one of the highly recommended substitutes for the glass table.
Laminated glass is created by fusing two glass plates together with a thin film of plastic or vinyl sheet sandwiched in between thus making the end product more resistive to thermal or mechanical influences. One prominent advantage of laminated glass is the interior layer’s capacity to retain the glass as one unit despite being broken. It can even absorb noise besides minimizing the movement of UV radiation through it— the reasons compelling enough to give it a try in the form of glass table tops.
Back Painted Glass vs Colorless Glass Option
Just as the name aptly suggests, the round glass table top substitute comes equipped with a diverse and vibrant range of colours painted at the back of the glass. Unlike traditional clear options, it can be either black, greyish, beige, bluish, greenish or even whitish-black in appearance. It might have very similar characteristics to that of the clear transparent glass-based table top, but it can withstand more thermic stress than the clear option. Also, since it reflects less light, back-painted glass is suitable for use in conditions that require somewhat less exposure. It gives a unique character to the whole decor and is much admired and liked by the connoisseurs of exclusive furnishings.
However, if you are not comfortable with experimenting much and want to keep it simple with ample light reflecting around, stick to the standard clear glass option and reap all the aesthetic and longevity benefits that it has to offer.
Dining Table Glass vs Patio Glass Table Top
A glass dining table is, most of the time, an indoor commodity which is placed immaculately at a designated space, preferably near the kitchen or in the demarcated dining area. Now, since the table is placed inside the house, you would like it to reflect maximum light to create a brighter ambience in the room. No wonder, tampered clear glass is frequently used to construct the table tops for the dining tables. They are not only robust but also carry a highly reflective surface.
On the contrary, a Patio Glass Table Top usually adorns the courtyard of your house. Since these are placed outside, there is no dearth of light. The settings enable you to experiment a little and go with tinted or crystalline glass options and pull off an unparalleled effect in your deck.
Our Recommendation!
Although you have got ample glass options to choose from while building table tops, we highly recommend you to go with either tempered or laminated glass to ensure higher material strength, which will ward off the chances of normal wear and tear over time. Those who want to explore their creative side might want to explore the tinted and crystalline options, while the rest may safely settle with good-old clear glass.
