The Many Uses of Walk-On Glass
Have you ever walked across a glass floor, perhaps in an office building or on a bridge? This is what many people think of as walk-on glass. Actually, though there are plenty of different ways you can use this product for both commercial and residential buildings.
Walk-on glass is a building material that has evolved in recent years with toughened anti-slip surfaces added to ensure it is strong and safe to walk on. This allows it to be a spectacular application for tourist attractions whilst allowing light into or through rooms and ceilings and flood interior spaces with natural light.
For this blog, we are going to share all the different ways you can incorporate walk-on glazing into your building design.
3 Ways to Add Walk-On Glass to Your Property
Walk-on Glass Floors - The most popular application is a glass floor which is a real statement piece which can be used for a balcony floor, steps or part of an internal room. This creates a feeling of space and allows for the best flow of natural light.
Internal glass floors are typically sunk into the structure so there can be no risk of tripping on protruding edges. Larger spaces will sometimes have glazing bars with seperate panels or structural glass or steel to reinforce. This may also need to be fire-rated, with your architect or builder able to tell you which you need.
External glass floors are even tougher as they need to cope with increased foot traffic plus the weather. With better U-values, they are similar to traditional double glazed windows or contemporary flat fixed rooflights.
Glass Walkways and Bridges - Walk on glazing is spectacular when used for walkways and bridges, allowing for stunning views below the bridge whilst being strong enough to walk across. These walkways can be used both internally and externally in areas such as shopping centres, office blocks, hospitals, hotels and colleges. It is also possible to use walk-on glazing as balconies that link different parts of residential buildings.
Rooflights and Skylights - If you have a roof terrace or an interior ceiling, then walk-on glass is a great choice. One popular application is for hotel gardens where there is a gym or seating area below a garden terrace with a bar above.
This innovative concept is used in a lot in residential buildings to break up levels of a house. Patio roofs and conservatories have also started using walk-on glazing more as it makes them easier to maintain because the roof can be walked on.
Finishing the Glass - There are a number of ways to finish the glass and add more features, such as an anti-slip finish which ensures the glass retains its light transmission properties while being safe to walk on. Another option is etched glass that can obscure some of the views or add internal blinds. The use of coloured perimeter frames and LED lighting allows you to brighten up the area in unique ways.
Walk on glazing opens up more ways to bring natural light into your property and is continually used in more creative ways.
Natralight is the experts in creating walk-on rooflights plus we can create customised walk-on glazing for a number of applications.
Get in Touch With Any Questions
If you have any questions about walk-on glass, please do not hesitate to contact Natralight today.