Your Guide to Opaque Glass
By: Architectural Visions
When considering your next window or door installation or replacement for your home, there are a wide range of factors you’ll want to consider; style, type, material, and aesthetic being critical considerations. A whole other dynamic that also can give your window installation a unique flavor is the consideration of texture and obscurity in the glass used in the windows or doors. The inclusion of these factors can drastically affect light and design elements in your home, as well as provide necessary privacy.
Opaque glass is a popular choice for homeowners who want to consider the above dynamics of home renovation, especially privacy.
Here at AVI, we have the knowledge and expertise to guide you through what exactly opaque glass is, how it’s made, what rooms you’ll want to use opaque glass in, what are its variations, and what are the benefits of opaque glass.
Key Takeaways:
- Opaque glass is completely obscured glass that cannot be seen through
- Opaque glass is often used to block unwanted views, like a busy street, from being seen inside a home
- There are several variations of opaque glass including frosted, patterned, bubbled, or ribbed.
- One of the main benefits of opaque glass is privacy and is therefore commonly used in bathrooms or entryways.
What is Opaque Glass?
The biggest difference between opaque glass and other glasses such as tinted or obscured is that you cannot see at all through glass that is opaque. Views are completely obstructed. Think about situations where you want complete privacy or keep light from coming in inside a specific area in your household; there are several instances in a home where this would turn out to be a benefit.
How is Opaque Glass Made?
Depending on the type of obscure glass you are using, there are different ways it is made. Satin glass is a type of obscure glass that has been chemically treated to stop it from being transparent. Another type of obscure glass, frosted glass, is made through acid etching. While frosted glass does obscure views, it is never completely opaque, however. Remember that opaque glass is a type of obscurity where no view is allowed through and much less light is transferred into the room.
What Rooms or Settings is Opaque Glass Handy?
First of all, opaque glass comes in handy sometimes in what is known as ‘curb appeal’: adding opaque glass to the side of a house that faces the street creates a sense of luxury to the home. Neighbors and passersby cannot see into the home, giving a sense of importance and grandness to the house’s aesthetic.
On the other side, opaque glass can block less than attractive views from the outside world (a busy highway for example). This benefit can be particularly helpful for an entry door or foyer room. While letting light flood into a living space is inviting, having the whole world be able to see into the interior of a home is not. Hence opaque and other types of obscure glass really come in handy in these instances.
In homes and rooms that are retrofitted for other purposes, opaque glass can go a long way to help realign space and light elements to better address the function of the space. Opaque glass doors can transform a room that has lost its original purpose into a functional space such as a gym, a den, a movie room, a photography studio, a personal office, or anything you can think of, really. The privacy of opaque glass can allow for a lot of possibilities when repurposing a space.
Variations of Opaque Glass
There are a wide range of obscure glass that can ultimately be made to be opaque, but some of the popular versions are frosted, patterned, bubble or raindrop effect, ribbed or reeded. Remember, opaque means there is no view through the glass.
What Benefits Does Opaque Glass Provide?
From above, you can see that the overall benefit of opaque glass is the privacy it provides. Consider the places in the house where even more privacy needs to be provided where other levels of obscure glass won’t get the job done.
For example, in a bathroom, an opaque piece of glass for a shower door can provide the necessary privacy one needs in a shared bathroom.
When space and dimensions are at limited capacity in a home, opaque glass doors can be an excellent way to provide privacy while not diminishing space. For example, sliding opaque glass doors are a great option for bedroom doors or entry doors. They won’t take up too much space but also provide necessary privacy. This is a great option for homeowners who like to continually update and reconfigure their home, as something such as an opaque glass door can be easily moved and reinstalled according to the homeowner’s taste.
AVI Has Got Your Opaque Glass
Whatever your window or door needs, we here at AVI have got you covered. Our in-store and online experts are ready to help guide you through all the various factors that you’ll want to consider for your next home window or door installation or replacement. Whether online or in-person, we are your one shop stop to view, choose, and install your next window or door.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us online, by phone, or in-person at one of our Southeast locations today and let us help you on your next home renovation project!