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Backpainted glass backsplash is a great seasonal project

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Backpainted glass backsplash is a great seasonal project

Backpainted glass backsplash is a great seasonal project

Summer is here and it’s the ideal time to take up a refreshing home improvement project. A backpainted glass backsplash can add new life to your kitchen or bathroom. It also works well in utility spaces, like laundry rooms and studios.

A backpainted glass backsplash looks great

A backpainted glass backsplash might sound exotic, but they’re actually very easy to make. They’re also easy to install and they’ll look great for years. Cleaning is one of the big advantages of using a backpainted glass backsplash. Because the painted surface is installed facing the wall, the paint stays protected. The glass surface is easy to clean and sanitize, using ordinary household cleaners.

Unlike porous painted surfaces (like plaster), the glass surface will look great for years. Painted surfaces, on the other hand, have to be cleaned regularly with cleaners that won’t harm the paint. Painted surfaces are also susceptible to staining, scratches, delamination, and fading.

Glass is inexpensive to buy and easy to work with. Although glass can be heavy, you can work with a very thin glass sheet. Simply paint one side of the glass with Glassprimer™ glass paint and wait for the surface to dry. Add coats to achieve the desired color result. Once the paint is dry, flip the glass so the painted surface faces the wall, and install the glass using neutral-cure silicone adhesive.

The adhesive will not show through the painted surface and the results look outstanding. You can literally choose any color you like. Glassprimer™ can be tinted to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer. That means you can use glass paint on the glass surfaces, and ordinary paint on walls, floors, and trim. The perfect color match means that your backpainted glass backsplash will look right at home!

If you’d like more information about backpainting glass or decorating with glass paint, please visit the rest of our site Glass Paint.

Back painted glass ceiling showcases Chicago hotel

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Back painted glass ceiling showcases Chicago hotel

Back painted glass ceiling showcases Chicago hotel

In a city like Chicago, it’s not unusual to find commercial properties built for one purpose that transform into something different. The JW Marriott Hotel is one such property. The Continental and Commercial National Bank opened its doors in 1914 on LaSalle and West Adams, in the heart of Chicago’s financial district. At nearly 1M square feet of space, the building posed a challenge. What could possibly make use of that much space? Enter the 610-room JW Marriott Chicago. One of the most stunning features of the renovated building is the Burnham Ballroom with its majestic vaulted back painted glass ceiling.

The renovation project, which cost nearly $400M, began taking shape in 2005, when the building was sold. The hotel opened for operation in 2010 and occupies 12 stories of the 21-story structure. Office space occupies the remaining floors.

Back painted glass always lends a touch of class

The renovation preserved the bank building’s “banking hall” with its vaulted ceiling. The space is now used for meetings and events. The vaulted ceiling features lighted, back painted glass that arches gracefully over the entire meeting space.

Although you may not have room in your home for a vaulted back painted glass ceiling, you can still incorporate back painted glass into key areas of your home. Whether you choose to paint window glass, or add back painted glass to walls in your home, a glass project makes a beautiful addition.

Back painted glass is available for purchase, but it’s easier and more satisfying to make your own glass panels. You can apply painted glass panels to walls or ceilings. You can also use painted glass in doors and windows to control light and create privacy.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to make a permanent bond with glass surfaces. Better still, we can tint Glassprimer™ glass paint to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer. You can safely incorporate glass paint into your decorating plan, knowing that your paint colors will match perfectly.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, or you’d like to place an order, please visit our online store.
Photo Credit: JW Marriott

Painting glass could save you money

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Painting glass could save you money

Painting glass could save you money

Summertime is a good time to consider ways to reduce your energy consumption. Air conditioning is the largest seasonal consumer of energy. Annually, heating and cooling costs combine to create the largest energy consumer for most homes. It makes sense to reduce heating and cooling costs, but sometimes your options may be limited. Painting glass is one way to reduce cooling costs in the summer.

Painting glass may give you more bang for your buck

Painting glass may not seem like a good way to cut energy costs, but it actually can be. Homes in the US use a variety of methods to generate heat. Gas, solar, electricity, coal, firewood, biomass, steam and hot water can all generate heat. Electricity, on the other hand, almost exclusively generates the summertime cooling we all know and love. As a fuel, electricity is more expensive than most. You can save money on heating by switching away from electricity, but there are few fuel alternatives for cooling.

Your only choice for reducing your summertime energy costs is to reduce your summertime energy consumption. In an enclosed space, heat builds up because infrared light gets trapped behind glass. IR light heats up surfaces in a way that allows them to retain and radiate heat.

Reducing light penetration is the best way to reduce heat buildup in an enclosed space. Blocking these light rays can help reduce heat buildup. Painting glass reduces the amount of visible light that penetrates a space. By itself, that can lower the interior temperature of a space and reduce the need for additional cooling.

Painting glass could be an option for windows that transmit a lot of light but provide an unpleasant view. By painting the glass with a light-colored paint, you can preserve the transmission of visible light while reducing the heat buildup in the interior space.

If you’d like more information about how to paint glass or glass paint products please visit the rest of our website.

Photo Credit: Koizin, via Flickr.com

Permanent window paint for both commercial and residential uses

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Permanent window paint for both commercial and residential uses

Permanent window paint for both commercial and residential uses

Windows play an important role in the design of interior spaces, but not all windows are created equal. Ideally, a window offers a beautiful view, transmits a lot of visible light and generally improves the look and feel of the interior space. The reality is that some windows are badly placed, don’t transmit much visible light or offer a less than stellar view. Permanent window paint can help remedy defective windows in both commercial and residential settings.

Permanent window paint in the urban setting

Buildings go up in urban settings all the time. That makes urban construction denser. It also impacts the benefits of windows. Side windows that once offered a pleasant view of the street may be hopelessly blocked by a brand new building. Storefront windows may never get much direct light exposure. That reduces the amount of natural light that can penetrate a space. The nature of the business might also impact the desirability of a direct view into a building. In all of these cases, permanent window paint can help transform the utility of windows.

Permanent window paint applied to a commercial store front can open up new advertising and branding options. It can also eliminate the need for window displays, or generate additional privacy for the building occupants. That might be desirable in a restaurant space, or a space that offers personal services – like a salon, fitness center or a clinic.

Permanent window paint is easy to apply, and will not chip, fade or peel. If you use glass paint, which is designed to bond directly to the glass surface, the paint will perform flawlessly for years. Glass paint works well in challenging environments – those that have strong variations in temperature or humidity. Unlike ordinary paints, the changing environmental conditions won’t cause the paint to delaminate.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is also UV resistant, which means that the paint colors will stay bright and beautiful, even in direct sunlight.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, or how to use permanent window paint, please visit the rest of our site.

Photo Credit: Cobalt123, via Flickr.com

Back painted glass permeates world cultures

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Back painted glass permeates world cultures

Back painted glass permeates world cultures

Painted glass has been around for thousands of years, but medieval artists elevated back painted glass to an art form. Good ideas rarely stay put, so it comes as no surprise that artistic back painted glass escaped Europe. Initially, artists created back painted glass as a religious art form, but other artists applied the technique to secular scenes.

Examples of back painted glass can be found throughout Europe, Asia and India. Art lovers are rediscovering the transplanted art form and igniting interest in new works.

Back painted glass isn’t just for museums

The earliest examples of back painted glass hang in museums around the world, but you can take your inspiration from them! Making back painted glass is simple and gives your space a touch of elegance. You may not be an artist, but that doesn’t have to stop you from making some back painted glass of your own.

You can hang backpainted glass in your kitchen, bathroom or any other area in your home. Glass excels in the toughest areas of your home – like the kitchen and bathroom. It’s also a great way to protect the entryways of your home from mud, snow and dirt.

Although the weight of glass may give you pause, you can create a great effect using very thin sheets of glass. Using a paint that’s specially formulated for glass painting, you can create an amazing look that’s easy to install and maintain. Glassprimer™ glass paint is guaranteed to retain its good looks for a decade. Once cured, it won’t fade, peel or chip, even when it’s exposed to direct sunlight.

Creating your own back painted glass is cost effective, too. You can get exceptional coverage in any color for about $1 per square foot. If you’d like more information about back painted glass, or you’d like to see decorating ideas that incorporate glass paint, please visit the rest of our site.

Photo Credit: <a target=new href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/thaths/4482092754/”thaths , via Flickr.com

Stuck on how to paint glass?

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Stuck on how to paint glass?

Stuck on how to paint glass?

In the last post, we provided some expert tips for getting great results from glass painting. If you’ve never tackled a glass painting project, you might be unsure of how to go about painting glass. No worries. Here are a few tips to show you how to paint glass like a pro!

Getting great results from a painting project doesn’t require a Master’s Degree in Art. If you have the right equipment and take the right approach to your project, you can achieve professional-quality results. Here are a few tips to help you understand how to paint glass.

How to paint glass like a professional

Start with the end in mind. Spend some time thinking about the results you’re looking for. That includes thinking about your colors and materials. It may also require a bit of imagination. Try to think of your finished glass paint project in the context of your space. If you’re going for an “Art Deco” look, for example, think about the elements of your space that you cannot change (e.g., floor tiles, appliances, cabinets). How will they affect your finished project? Will their colors or surfaces harmonize with your new look? If not, and you can’t change them, you may want to consider an alternate plan.

Choose the right paint for the job. Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color. We can tint your paint to match the paint palette of virtually any manufacturer. That means you can use Glassprimer™ glass paint on the glass, and harmonious wall, floor or ceiling paint on the other surfaces in your space. Using the right paint on a surface makes a huge difference in the end result!

Use the right tools. You can apply Glassprimer™ glass paint using just about anything – brushes, rollers, sponges or a paint sprayer. We recommend using a high-volume, low-pressure paint sprayer for a couple of reasons. A sprayer can help you maximize and minimize your paint at the same time! You can apply the thinnest possible coats to your glass surface, which allows you to achieve maximum coverage. Thin paint coats dry fastest. They also provide the best results. We recommend applying 3-8 coats of paint to a glass surface for optimal results. If you use a brush, roller or sponge, be sure to leave ample time between coats to allow the paint to dry fully.

Photo Credit: Scott Lewis, via Flickr.com

Glass painting is easier than it looks

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Glass painting is easier than it looks

Glass painting is easier than it looks

If you’ve ever painted your living or working space, you know that getting professional results can be a challenge. You want a professional, finished look, but no matter how careful you are, you never seem to get the desired results. The good news is that glass painting is easy to do and delivers a beautiful finish. Even better, glass painting doesn’t require special tools or training.

Professional results from glass painting

Working with glass surfaces is incredibly easy. It’s also a very forgiving surface when it comes to cleaning up drips and imperfections. Here are four expert tips to ensure that you get the right result every time.

Prepare your surface! The biggest mistake people make when painting (anything) occurs even before they apply a single drop of paint. Good surface preparation ensures that you have a good result. Porous surfaces require a lot of surface preparation. Small holes, scratches, chips and other mishaps will all show through the paint. Glass doesn’t have any of these issues, but you still need to do proper surface prep. Clean the glass surface with alcohol and steel wool to remove any dust, dirt, adhesive or anything else that might have dried on the glass surface. Working with a perfectly clean surface will yield the best finish.

Work slowly! There’s no point in racing through a painting project. Working slowly ensures that you get smooth, even coverage across your entire surface. One mistake people often make when the painting is skimping on the number of coats they apply. If you’ve ever painted a surface and later thought that the paint “dried to a different color,” it’s probably because you didn’t apply enough coats of paint. Generally, a single coat of paint won’t offer enough coverage, regardless of the surface you’re working on.

Let the paint dry! This goes along with Tip #2. Allow each coat of paint to dry fully before you add another coat. A paint can be dry to the touch in a few minutes, but only the surface paint molecules are dry. Let the paint sit for 2-4 hours after applying another coat. This allows the solvents below the surface to evaporate properly. It also makes the paint more durable.

Don’t wait to clean up your mistakes! Clean up excess paint, spills and drips sooner rather than later. Cleaning up wet paint is much easier than cleaning up dry paint, so keep a wet sponge or cloth handy to wipe out your drips. If you have to remove dry glass paint for any reason, you can use a single-edged razor blade to get the paint off the glass surface, up to a point. Glassprimer™ glass paint alters the surface of the glass. Once the paint cures completely, you won’t be able to remove it at all. If you spot an imperfection, smudge, drip, etc., move quickly to clean up your mistake!

Photo Credit: EnKayTee, via Flickr.com

Painted glass makes a great addition to your office space

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Painted glass makes a great addition to your office space

Painted glass makes a great addition to your office space

Commercial decorating requires a lot of forethought, simply because commercial spaces aren’t like residential spaces. A commercial space may entertain a lot of traffic, or it may be a quiet little enclave for just a few office mates. In either case, the demands on the interior design may be more intense than those found in a residential space. One commercial consideration is the availability of natural light. Painted glass offers a lot of advantages for commercial interior design, and it’s worth considering for your decorating plan.

Painted glass is at home in the office

Glass works very well in commercial interior design for several reasons. First, it can distribute limited natural light around the work space. Usually, commercial interiors don’t have a lot of access to windows. Commonly, windows may sit only on one or two sides. WIndows that face east, south or west may end up admitting too much light! That can be as much of a problem as a space that doesn’t have enough light. Painted glass may provide light control, making the interior space more comfortable.

When you’re working with glass, light control equals heat control! Glass interiors can really heat up inside. This causes multiple comfort problems. No one likes excess heat, and the workspace can become uncomfortably hot. Second, excess heat increases the cost of cooling the space to a more comfortable temperature. By limiting the solar heat gain using painted glass, you can keep a space comfortably and cost-effective.

Third, glass doesn’t transmit sound very well, which makes it a welcome addition to a commercial space. Using glass walls in offices and conference rooms can help deaden sound. That makes the entire office space easier to work in by controlling noise. Painted glass also offers privacy, and reduces distractions. It’s also a great way to reduce the “fishbowl” effect of working in a clear glass office space.

Photo Credit: Andy Piper, via Flickr.com

Glass paint makes a DIY project easy

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Glass paint makes a DIY project easy

Glass paint makes a DIY project easy

After a fairly long hiatus, glass is making a comeback as a structural and decorating surface in homes. Designers have reintroduced glass into commercial spaces in the last three decades. That’s created a new interest in glass use in residential designs . Not everyone can move into a newly designed space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of glass decorating ideas. Glassprimer™ glass paint can help you make the most of decorative glass in your home.

Glass can give you more than a unique look. Back painted glass can also be used to cover surface imperfections that make decorating difficult. Painted glass laminates can disguise missing or damaged plaster, areas that repeatedly crack or stains that seep through paint.

Painted glass laminates also work well in challenging areas of your home, like kitchens and bathrooms. These rooms are tough to work with because they regularly get wet and messy. They also happen to be the most visible rooms in the house. You need to be careful with decorating decisions in these rooms because they can seriously impact the value of the home. A solid decorating plan here can really increase the value of your house.

Glass paint is the key to success

Creating your own painted glass panels is easy when you use the right paint product and the right tools. Making your own painted glass can save thousands of dollars, and it’s easy to do.

The key to a successful glass paint project is using the right paint. Most paints won’t stick to glass, and won’t tolerate abuse of any kind. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated for use with glass. It bonds permanently to the glass surface, so it won’t fail like ordinary paints. Aside from making a permanent bond with glass, Glassprimer™ glass paint won’t fade, even when it’s exposed to direct sunlight. It also stands up to humidity – an important consideration if you plan to use it in the kitchen or bathroom.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is tintable to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer. You can incorporate it quickly and confidently into your decorating plan. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, or you’d like to place an order, please visit our store!

Photo Credit: saragoldsmith, via Flickr.com

GlassPrimer™ is the ideal glass back splash paint

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GlassPrimer™ is the ideal glass backsplash paint

GlassPrimer™ is the ideal glass backsplash paint

In the last post, we talked about making your own backpainted glass backsplash. In this post, we’ll look at why Glassprimer™ glass paint is the ideal glass backsplash paint.

Not all glass backsplash paint options are equal

Paint is expensive. Today’s paints are much different than those you may have worked with in the past, and it’s tempting to want to find the least expensive paint to complete a project. But there’s real value in choosing the right paint for the job!

Glass is different! Glass isn’t an ordinary surface, so ordinary paint doesn’t work well on it. Paint will dry on anything, but to really stick, the paint needs to work its way into the surface that’s being painted. Glass isn’t porous, so there’s nowhere for the paint to go! It sits on the surface, and the solvent eventually evaporates. The paint looks dry. It feels dry. But it’s vulnerable to damage. Because the paint isn’t really attached to the surface, it won’t stay in place very long.

To get good performance on glass, the paint needs to modify the glass surface so it has something to bond to. Specially formulated paints like Glassprimer™ glass paint are engineered to make nanoscale modifications to the glass surface. This allows the paint to cling to the glass in a way that ordinary paint just can’t.

Standard conditions will deteriorate ordinary paint. Temperature and humidity change all the time. A bright, sunny day, a quick rainstorm, a steamy shower – even cooking dinner in the kitchen can change the local environment in a way that affects paint. Cooking releases some food particles into the air. As a result, the kitchen walls get loaded with food splashes, grease, smoke particles and other visible matter. These also affect the paint. Food acids can weaken paint, as can the cleaners people use to remove them from the walls! You need a paint that’s specially formulated to stand up to tough environments.

Glass works well in the kitchen

Using glass as your outward surface makes a lot of sense, especially in the kitchen. The glass surface won’t absorb grease, smoke particles, food spatter and other kitchen hazards. It won’t harbor bacteria, and it’s easy to sanitize. Using a quality glass backsplash paint on one side, and mounting it to the wall gives your kitchen walls the colorful appearance you want, and the easy cleaning surface you need.

If you’d like more information about our specially formulated glass backsplash paint, please visit the rest of our site.

Photo Credit: Chris Hunkeler, via Flickr