Building with glass, aluminum, and ideas.
TECHNICAL BINDER: Guide to Glazing, Finish Options and Performance
Glass Coatings for Structural Glass Projects: Tints, Low-e,
Reflective,
and Ceramic Frits
Glass Tints
Tinted glass is used to reduce the amount of direct sunlight and glare that enters a building. Tint colorants are available in many different colors. Green, grey, bronze and blue-green are the standard colors which are most readily available. Premium colors include blue, evergreen and azurlite.
The glass tint swatches as shown below may vary slightly depending upon your monitor's resolution and should be used for reference purposes only. Please contact us if you require actual ceramic frit samples for your project.
Click for glass tint performance charts
Low-E Coatings
Low-E coatings are metallic-oxide coatings that are applied to the
interior surface of the glass, which is invisible to the naked eye.
Low-E coatings reflect the "long" infrared (IR) portion of sunlight,
which is the radiant heat portion. Depending upon which
surface of the glass it is applied, Low-E coatings can keep radiant heat
from entering, or escaping a building.
There are two types of Low-E coatings: Pyrolitic or Sputter coat. In Pyrolitic coatings the metallic-oxide coating is applied directly to the hot glass. (Pyrolitic Low-E coatings cannot be applied to tinted glass.)
Sputter coat Low-E coatings are applied through the use of a vacuum chamber filled with gas, to which an electrical charge is induced. Due to the application process, Sputter coatings offer better performance values, and can be applied to tinted glass.
Click for low-e performance charts
Reflective Coatings
Reflective coatings are similar to low-E coatings, except that they have a mirror-like appearance. Additionally, reflective coatings have a low shading coefficient, and low visible light transmittance.
Ceramic Frit Coatings
Ceramic frit coatings are often applied to glass to improve its aesthetic appearance or to help reduce glare and reduce solar transmission. These coatings also serve to diffuse the light as it enters the building, providing for a more uniform distribution.
The ceramic material is silk-screened onto the glass and is then heat fired to create a permanent coating. Standard patterns include 1/8" horizontal lines, holes, or dots (available in white only).
Frit patterns can range from a simple dot pattern to a one of a kind custom pattern. Frits are also available in a wide range of colors. The maximum lite size of most frit patterns is 60" x 120".
The standard frit patterns shown below are shown in black and white for contrast. Please contact us if you require actual ceramic frit samples for your project.
Flood Coats are solid frits used to provide the opaque appearance in spandrel glass.
Click for ceramic frit performance charts
Please contact us or call us at 800-345-7899 for more information about glass coating options available for use in your next project.