With its transparency, the glass enables the separation between different spaces and keep them bright and private at the same time. Here a guide to the most common types of glass, used for glass partition walls for offices.
Office for glass partition walls, laminated or tempered?
There are two essential types of glass, ideal for application in the office environment,, with different characteristics. For partition walls such as Planet, Planet Plus, Planilux Plus and Twin by Level Office Landscape, both are used. Here the two most common types of office glass.
Tempered glass
Widespread office glass, tempered glass undergoes a thermal tempering process, i.e. it is heated up to a temperature of 600°C and then cooled rapidly. It becomes more elastic and resists up to 7 times more than a non-tempered plate.
Also called safety glass, it has strong mechanical resistance to impact and high temperatures, as well as bending pressure. Once broken, it shatters into small blunt fragments, which significantly reduce the possibility of injury to anyone who comes into contact with it. Level Office Landscape uses tempered glass for the doors of all its partition wall models. In this case the thickness used is 10 mm.
Laminated glass for glass partition walls
Laminated glass consists of two glass plates alternating with plastic materials such as pvb, with safety and acoustic performance. Composed like a sandwich, then pressed to eliminate any air and “join” the glass and pvb together, it is placed in an autoclave where the lamination makes it completely transparent. In the event of glass breakage, PVB prevents the pane from remaining whole.
The coupled glass plates can have a thickness of 5 or 6 mm, while the internal pvb film can be 0.38, 0.50 or 0.76. Ultimately, laminated glass has these two compositions:
5+5 mm with Pvb 0.38 / 0.50 / 0.76
6+6 mm with Pvb 0.38 / 0.50 / 0.76
To create glass partition walls higher than 2900 mm, or when high acoustic performance is required, the 6+6 mm version is preferred. For the Divisor70 and High-Line glass walls, Level Office Landscape uses 3+3 mm laminated glass with 0.38 / 0.50 / 0.76 pvb and 4 mm tempered glass.
The color of glass for office partition walls
In addition to the distinction between laminated and tempered, glass can be provided in different colours, which define its functions and decorative look.
Transparent glass
It is the natural color of the glass, which tends towards green in thickness due to the presence of iron oxide. Current technologies, however, allow to create slabs with a very limited incidence of green colour.
Extra-clear glass for glass partition walls
Compared to natural, it has a totally transparent color since approximately 90% of iron oxide is eliminated in its formulation. In general, extra-clear glass is used for double-glazed glass partition walls with the aim of limiting excessively accentuated color reflections and, in any case, to have a whiter light for purely aesthetic reasons.
Compared to natural glass it is less widespread because it has a higher cost and is scarcely available. It is usually chosen for applications where there is a high risk of breakage due to thermal shock.
Etched glass
Glass satin finishing, also known as etching, is an industrial process which, by working on whole slabs, gives the surface a velvety appearance, eliminating transparency. An opaque surface that allows the natural diffusion of light within the space.
Coloured glass
By placing colored films between the two coupled sheets, it is possible to create a colored material. Smoked, bronzed, milky white effects are just a few examples, as well as other solid color variants chosen according to the color charts.
Other types of glass for offices
In the reception and waiting areas, mirror-effect glass is often installed, or black films are applied, as in the case of the smart wall, a technological surface that incorporates a monitor to facilitate meetings and office sharing operations.
Finally there are also glasses with variable transparency which, thanks to their LCD film, by simply pressing a button can switch from the transparent to the opaque version in a few seconds.
Office glass, applications
In addition to glass partition walls for offices, single-glazed and double-glazed, this material is also used extensively in furnishing workplaces. Here are its main applications:
- meeting table tops made with 10 mm tempered glass, back painted with RAL and available in transparent or etched version;
- coffee table and waiting area tops made with 10 mm tempered glass, back painted with RAL and available in transparent or etched version;
- shelves made of 10 mm tempered glass on a boiserie profile or on a reception counter, both transparent and acid-etched;
- shelves for equipped walls and bookcases such as Cross Storage by Level Office Landscape, with 10 mm tempered glass both transparent and acid-etched screen dividers for multi-station desks (bench).
Are you interested in designing your new office with glass partition walls? Contact the expert planners of Level Office Landscape and request your personalized quote. Contact them by filling out the form you find here, or call +39 039 9284831.