The trick to transporting glass

Glass is a pretty durable material – once it’s installed – but transporting glass can be tricky, especially if you need to transport large panes of glass for a decorating project. Here are a few tips for handling large pieces of glass.

Transporting glass accounts for the higher cost of prepainted glass!

Backpainted glass has become very popular as a home decorating material. Prepainted glass is available, but at significantly higher cost than you’d pay if you paint the glass yourself. Transporting glass accounts for some of the cost involved. Anytime you move glass, you run the risk of breakage and surface scratches, so the increased cost of prepainted glass reflects the risks and precautions associated with transporting a “finished” product.

If you choose to create your own backpainted glass, transportation of the glass will be the first order of business. Ordinary “float” glass should be handled with extreme care, not only because it’s fragile, but also because the edges of the glass may be rough cut, and can cause some nasty injuries.

For smaller pieces of glass, cover the edges gently with masking tape before transporting it. Don’t worry about pressing the tape securely to the glass. (That’s a good way to get cut!) Even loosely applied tape will help protect against injuries.

Cover the surface of the glass with cloth or thin foam packing sheets, which you can find at office supply stores and package-shipping services. This will provide some protection against surface scratches. It will not prevent breakage, but it will contain the mess should something unfortunate occur!

Glass needs support, so covering the glass on both sides with something with a little rigidity will help. Smaller panes of glass are often transported in a cardboard “sandwich,” which will offer some protection from breakage.

It seems counterintuitive, but the safest way to move glass is by putting it in an upright position. You’ll need to brace the glass to keep it rigid and upright while it’s being moved. You will only be able to use a standard vehicle to transport small panes of glass. Most passenger vehicles won’t accommodate an upright sheet of glass that’s more than about 2 feet high and a few feet in length.

If the pane you’re moving is large or long, consider having the glass shop deliver your piece. In addition to being awkward, large sheets of glass are heavy! A glass shop will have vehicles that are specially designed to support large glass sheets during transport. If the glass breaks during transport, the glass shop will replace it. On the other hand, if you’re transporting glass yourself and it breaks, replacement will be up to you!

One of the benefits of using Glassprimer™ glass paint is that you apply the paint after the glass has been transported. Glass is most vulnerable to damage when it’s being moved. By creating your own backpainted glass, you avoid the risk of transportation-related scratches and breakage.

If you’d like more information about working with Glassprimer™ glass paint, please check out the rest of our website. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Patrick Moore, via FreeImages.com