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Bullseye Glass Targeted Again

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Bullseye Glass Targeted Again

Bullseye Glass Targeted Again

Bullseye Glass, the Portland glass furnace at the center of the debate about toxic metals, is in the crosshairs again. This time, the State of Oregon is warning Bullseye about its selenium emissions.

New filtration system in place at Bullseye Glass

Bullseye began working again just this month, following a months-long hiatus from producing stained glass that uses heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic and lead. The company reduced its output to control emissions in February, after readings showed high concentrations of the heavy metals in the air around the plant.

The company installed a filtration system to recapture heavy-metal laced vapors that are produced when the furnace makes certain colors of stained glass. The newest warning comes just weeks after the company resumed full production. According to the state, a recent reading taken from the air around the plant showed selenium in a concentration of 887 nanograms/cu-meter, which exceeds the state’s monitoring trigger of 710 ng/cu-meter.

Since taking the reading, the State of Oregon has asked Bullseye to confirm that it is using no more than 5 pounds of selenium per day, and that it is making the glass only in furnaces that use the new filtration system. State officials believe that the filtration system recently installed should be able to filter selenium emissions from the plant if the producer maintains limited use of selenium.

The State of Oregon does not currently have a maximum allowable limit on selenium emissions, but the Oregon Health Authority and the state’s Department of Environmental Quality are working to develop that standard. While selenium does not cause major health or developmental problems, it can cause respiratory irritation, coughing, bronchitis and breathing problems in exposed individuals.

The Bullseye case is being monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies around the country, which are coping with the same environmental concerns about their own art glass production facilities. The US EPA may release new filtration standards and reduce threshold filtration requirements. That could eliminate the current exemptions in place for small glass producers.

Painted glass is an optional substitute for stained glass. Painted glass is in place in many historic structures and provides a similar effect to stained glass. If you’d like more information about painted glass or glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: David Bilbo, via Flickr.com

Photovoltaic glass rises to the top

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Photovoltaic glass rises to the top

Photovoltaic glass rises to the top

Designers are looking for ways to reduce energy consumption in commercial spaces, and photovoltaic glass is emerging as a viable solution. Photovoltaic glass converts sunlight to electricity, and is increasingly being used to reduce energy commercial energy demands.

Apple recently announced that it will install a photovoltaic glass floor into its San Francisco retail store. The floor is able to generate as much as 90,000 kWh of electricity annually. The company’s new headquarters are also fitted with photovoltaic glass, and is expected to generate an eye-popping 5 MWh of electricity each year.

Photovoltaic glass coatings and films increase solar efficiency

The efficiency of photovoltaic glass is generally below 20%, but new research is improving the efficiency of glass, and making effective solar installations possible in more locations. Heliatek, a German manufacturer, has just completed the second phase of a large solar project in Singapore, using HeliaFilm, a film intended to collect solar energy on building façades and rooftops. The film is designed specifically for use in Asia, as a way to boost energy collection and meet growing demands in urban areas. The installed film currently covers about 200 square meters of space and generates about 110kWh of electricity. A third stage, which will apply transparent films to the existing collector.

Other research aims to improve the transparency of photovoltaic glass. Typically, photovoltaic glass is dark – nearly opaque – to improve the collection potential of glass. A new approach to photovoltaic glass involves taking advantage of the large amount of glass surface available in modern commercial buildings. If films or other coatings could improve the efficiency of energy collection and the transparency of glass, solar energy could support a significant portion of the energy that each building consumes.

Another approach to reducing energy costs is to discourage solar heat gain. Coatings like paint can accomplish this. Glassprimer™ glass paint creates a permanent bond with the surface of the glass, and resists UV radiation. At the same time, the paint can permit natural light transmission.

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

Photo Credit: Thomas Brown, via Flickr.com

Flat glass prices finally level out

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Flat glass prices finally level out

Flat glass prices finally level out

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index (PPI), the price of flat glass leveled out in July, for the first time in five months. Prices increased just .1% in July and .2% in August, following months of full percentage increases. Overall, the price of flat glass has increased 8% since last year, owing in part to increased demand for glass and relative shortages in raw materials used in the production of glass. In addition, glass intended for new construction must meet higher energy and safety standards.

Flat glass demand increasing for construction, autos

The construction and automotive industries account for the two largest glass consumers. Overall, demand for glass is expected to exceed $130 billion by 2020. Demand is also increasing for specialty coated glasses and photovoltaic glasses. In construction, these glasses are used to decrease energy consumption by controlling both solar heat gain and seasonal energy losses.

Increasingly, the automotive industry is turning to specialized glass to support new safety features. This increased specialization spurred Safelite, the nation’s largest auto glass manufacturer, to announce that it intends to withdraw from the auto glass manufacturing market by October. The company will still provide auto glass replacement services, but will leave manufacturing to smaller, more agile producers.

An 8% increase in the price of glass over a single year does not seem overly dramatic, but since 2008, the price of flat glass has increased 25%-50%. Flat glass prices have increased virtually every month since 2012. The long-term price increase stems from the fact that during the height of the recession, nearly one-third of the nation’s glass manufacturing plants were taken out of service, and were not replaced. The reduction in the number of producers, combined with the increase in demand, has resulted in longer lead times for production and an increases in the price of the product.

Some consumers are looking overseas for additional product, but transportation issues and lead times often make the cost of importing glass a wash.

One alternative to specialized glass may be glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently with glass surfaces, and provides superior UV protection. Glass paint can still permit light transmission while controlling solar heat gain, and is available for about $1 per square foot.

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

Photo Credit: M.L. Duong, via Flickr.com

Mercury glass makes a comeback

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Mercury glass makes a comeback

Mercury glass makes a comeback

If you’ve never heard of mercury glass (also called silvered glass), it just means that you weren’t born in the 19th century! Genuine mercury glass is a decorative, double-walled, hand-blown glass that has a layer of mercury or silver sandwiched between the layers. The term “mercury” is a bit misleading; elemental mercury is not used in the creation of this kind of glass, although early versions may have contained it. “Silvered” glass is made with a silver nitrate solution, and is not genuine silver, either.

Mercury glass was made as a tarnish-free alternative to silver, and was also used as a “cheap” substitute for genuine silver. Household objects like doorknobs, glasses, vases and candlesticks were prime candidates for mercury glass. As it began to fade from popular favor, mercury glass could be found in purely decorative objects like Christmas ornaments.

Original mercury glass is now a popular antique find. Because the glass was usually not perfectly sealed, antique mercury glass can tarnish or deteriorate. Delamination is also a common issue among antique mercury glass pieces.

Painting on glass

Some crafters like making their own faux mercury glass using mirror spray paint. This paint will adhere to glass, but doesn’t bond permanently, so the mirror effect will be vulnerable to impact damage and delamination over time.

True glass paint, like Glassprimer™ glass paint, makes a permanent bond with glass surfaces. This exceptional paint allows you to apply paint in any color to any glass surface. In addition, special frosting finishes allow painted glass to take on the appearance of frosted glass.

Glassprimer™ glass paint will not peel, chip or fade. It also provides exceptional UV resistance. This allows the paint to retain its color, even when exposed to direct sunlight. It can also help control solar heat gain, which reduces energy consumption.

Used in a decorative capacity, Glassprimer™ glass paint performs well in high-humidity areas like kitchens and bathrooms. It will enable you to create beautifully decorated, cost-effective glass surfaces for walls, cabinet fronts and countertops.

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

Photo Credit: Cheryl, via FreeImages.com

Stained glass future in doubt

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Stained glass future in doubt

Stained glass future in doubt

Churches around the United States are finding themselves in a new battle – one that pits their cherished stained glass artwork against the environment. Stained glass suppliers and manufacturers are being limited by federal regulations governing lead and other heavy metal emissions from glass furnaces. That makes the future of stained glass uncertain. It also means that churches will have an increasingly difficult time getting stained glass windows made, repaired and replaced.

Stained glass cost may exceed market demand

The US Environmental Protection Agency is considering new regulations that will significantly limit the emissions from glass furnaces. Ordinary glass does not emit significant pollution, but colored glasses – many of which are made by combining metallic salts with raw materials for glass – can emit high levels of heavy metals like lead, cadmium, manganese, chromium, cobalt, copper, nickel and uranium.

While some of these metals are stable at room temperature, the glassmaking process heats the metals to the point of vaporization. Most of the vaporized metals are released into the furnace exhaust. Furnace exhaust can be filtered, but the filtration systems are extremely expensive, and beyond the budget of most glass producers.

In addition, current federal regulations provide exemptions for smaller glass furnaces, but new regulations would lower the filtration requirements. The required filtration systems would likely be too expensive for small glass furnaces. Stained glass windows are completely customized, and can exceed $20,000 apiece. The loss of smaller glass producers would likely increase the price of stained glass beyond the reach of most churches, and increase the amount of time required to fulfill stained glass orders.

One alternative to stained glass is painted glass. Painted glass windows can provide a similar effect to stained glass windows, but do not compromise the environment during production. In addition, painted glass windows are easier and less expensive to repair and maintain.

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

Photo Credit: Sheta Chow , via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – Palm House, Kew Gardens

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Iconic Glass Structures – Palm House, Kew Gardens

Iconic Glass Structures – Palm House, Kew Gardens

In Southwest London, the iconic Kew Gardens houses the world’s most diverse collection of living plants – numbering about 30,000. The Herbarium at Kew Gardens contains about 7 million preserved plants. The on-site library contains about 750,000 volumes dedicated to plant studies. In 2003, Kew Gardens was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Palm House is glass, wrought iron

The Palm House is one of three major buildings on the grounds. It is a breathtaking glass structure made of wrought iron and glass. The building houses the Garden’s collection of palms. A second structure, twice the size of the Palm House, known as the Temperate House, is the largest glasshouse in the world. The third major structure in the Kew Gardens is the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which was opened in 1987. It houses plants from the dry and wet tropics.

Kew, which is an area that has been absorbed by London, has been the site of a royal residence since about 1300. The Kew Gardens were originally created in the late 1700’s by combining several royal residences. At that time, the Garden’s first curator was also appointed. The Gardens became a national botanical garden in 1840, shortly before the Palm House was built. The Palm House was constructed between 1844-1848 of wrought iron and glass. It is the largest surviving Victorian-era iron-and-glass structure in the world. The glass panes in the Palm House are all hand-blown. The original glass in the Palm House was tinted green to reduce the heat buildup in the building.

The Kew Gardens is one of London’s top tourist attractions. Annually, it welcomes more than 1.3 million visitors, and occupies about 300 acres.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialty glass coating product designed to bond permanently to glass. Glassprimer™ is low-odor, and comes in both oil- and water-based forms. If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Steve James , via Flickr.com

Getting more privacy from glass

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Getting more privacy from glass

Getting more privacy from glass

There’s always that one space in your home that would benefit from a little privacy. It’s the room with the misplaced window, or the unattractive view of the street or the building next door. You like the natural light it provides – just not the view. There are ways to keep the light from this window without having to put up with its issues.

Close the window, keep the glass

Curtains, blinds and shades can take you only so far. Yes, they can disguise the view, but in doing so, they also take away the light. Unless you’re ok with that, you need a better solution for those times when you need or want daylight.

Frosted glass allows most visible light to pass, but eliminates the view either into or out of the room. Frosted glass is a great option for the bathroom or bedroom. It can also work for windows that have an unattractive view of the building next door. Here’s the rub. Frosted glass is expensive. Traditional frosted glass uses a chemical or mechanical process to abrade the surface of the glass. It’s a permanent solution, so once it’s installed, it’s yours.

You can create your own frosted glass using Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint makes a permanent bond with the glass surface, so just like frosted glass, it’s forever. You can apply Glassprimer™ glass paint directly to the glass, using a brush, roller or a high-volume, low pressure paint sprayer. Minimal surface preparation is required, and you can order Glassprimer™ glass paint in any color with a frosted effect.

The benefit of using Glassprimer™ glass paint is that unlike true frosted glass, you can get it in virtually any color. Frosted glass is – of course – “glass colored.” It’s made by modifying the surface of the glass, rather than applied as a coating. If you use Glassprimer™ glass paint, you can incorporate color into your decorating scheme. You can create a translucent effect on glass in a color scheme that matches your room décor for about $1 per square foot of coverage. White always works for the frosted effect, but if you’re going for something more, Glassprimer™ glass paint is your go-to option.

You can also use Glassprimer™ glass paint to dress up interior glass walls and partitions. Use it in conference rooms or offices to minimize distractions, control light and heat gain, and to perk up an otherwise plain space. The glass partition can still transmit visible light into the space, and you can control how much of the glass partition is coated.

If you’d like more glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jisc infonet, via Flickr.com

New glass coating could reduce energy use

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New glass coating could reduce energy use

New glass coating could reduce energy use

Scientists at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore have developed a glass coating that permits visible light but blocks 90% of near infrared lightwaves. If applied to architectural glass, the coating could reduce energy consumption by nearly eliminating solar heat gain. The glass coating could prove to be especially useful in countries near the equator, where air conditioning accounts for most of a building’s energy use.

Glass coating can be applied to existing windows

The coating consists of 10-nanometer antimony-doped tin oxide particles. In the lab, the researchers could control the near-infrared light absorption by varying the concentration of the antimony-doped particles. Antimony-doped nanoparticles are already in use, but the commercially available mixtures feature particles that are much larger. By reducing the size of the antimony nanoparticles, scientists were able to achieve near complete infrared rejection.

According to the agency, a local glass company is already interested in licensing the coating. According to the developers, it is also possible to apply the coatings to windows that are already installed.

Reducing solar heat gain is essential to reducing energy costs in buildings. Low-emissivity glass has been proven to perform, but it is expensive and supply issues have arisen globally. Glassprimer™ glass paint offers the ability to block invisible light waves, while permitting visible light. Glassprimer™ glass paint is an industry leader in coatings and can provide about 250 square feet of coverage for about $1 per square foot.

Glassprimer™ glass paint performs well, even in direct sunlight and high humidty. The paint is specially engineered to bond permanently with the glass surface. Once cured, the paint will not peel, chip or fade. When applied according to manufacturer instructions, the paint is waranted for 10 years. It can also be tinted to match the paint palette of virtually all major paint manufacturers. That means you can incorporate Glassprimer™ glass paint seamlessly into your decorating plan.

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

Photo Credit: Jes, via Flickr.com

New Glass Bridge Closes Due To Popular Demand

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New Glass Bridge Closes Due To Popular Demand

New Glass Bridge Closes Due To Popular Demand

If you’re planning to visit China’s newly opened Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the Grand Canyon that surrounds it, here’s a quick travel tip: “Don’t.”

The company that operates the bridge shut the attraction down earlier today because it is “too popular.” The Zhangjiajie Bridge, which just opened on August 20, has proven to be too hard for visitors to resist. The bridge is designed to accommodate about 8,000 guests per day, but record crowds, estimated at 10 times the bridge’s daily maximum, have traveled to the Zhangjiajie National Park to see, and presumably cross, the bridge.

No word on when glass bridge will reopen

Company officials closed the bridge effective immediately, but rest assured that the closure isn’t permanent. Officials want to strategize and more properly prepare for the enormous number of visitors. Aside from the obvious long lines and the disappointment, visitors have been greeted with mounds of trash, no place to park and few amenities, including bottled water. Interest in the bridge has also spawned renewed interest in the rest of the park.

Officials made clear that there is nothing wrong with the bridge, and the attraction was closed to better allow them to manage the large number of visitors. They stress that there are no structural safety concerns with the bridge, but rather, they want to take a second shot at the logistics of moving such a large number of visitors through the park.

The bridge is the longest, highest glass bridge in the world, stretching about 1,400 feet across and rising about 1,000 feet in the air. Visitors might recognize the spectacular Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and National Park because it served as the inspiration for some of the visuals in the movie “Avatar.”

Park officials had initially suggested that the glass bridge be closed on September 5, but the company that manages the attraction opted for an immediate shutdown to begin making improvements. Planned improvements include parking lot expansion, changes to the ticket-booking system and improvements to the company’s customer service approach.

The company has not yet said when it plans to reopen the glass bridge, but is working diligently to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specially engineered coating that bonds permanently to glass and other impervious surfaces. If you would like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please see the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Safelite Auto Glass Drops Manufacturing

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Safelite Auto Glass Drops Manufacturing

Safelite Auto Glass Drops Manufacturing

Safelight Auto Glass announced last month that it will cease manufacturing operations by October 10, 2016. The company, based in Columbus, OH, is the nation’s largest auto glass installation company. The company’s manufacturing facility is located in Enfield, NC. As part of the closure, Safelite says that the first layoffs will begin in September.

Auto glass market on the verge of sea change

The decision to drop manufacturing doesn’t mean that Safelite is exiting the auto glass industry, but rather that the company will get its manufactured products from other suppliers. The company’s Enfield facility employs about 200 people and turns out about a million replacement windshields each year. Safelite will focus entirely on its windshield replacement service instead.

According to company officials, the decision to shutter the plant was based on the cost of the investments needed to maintain its position in the replacement windshield industry. Officials at Safelite said that the number of modifications required to meet both consumer demand and new automotive technologies, like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, led to the plant’s demise.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems come in a variety of forms, and may include imaging and image processing, computer vision, head-up displays, computer displays, LIDAR, radar and other display technologies. Each vehicle or manufacturer may have its own technologies, which may or may not integrate closely with the vehicle’s windshield. Additionally, auto manufacturers are introducing ADAS technologies at a rapid pace. Driver assistive technologies are currently among the fastest growing segments in automotive electronics.

According to the company, the days of plain glass windshields are numbered. The company’s manufacturing facility could not make the investments necessary to create the large variety of enhanced replacement automotive windshields. The Enfield facility was opened in 1970, but Safelite has made auto glass since 1947.

Other suppliers are expected to fill in the gaps left by Safelite, but it is unlikely that a single glass manufacturer will capture the majority of the ADAS windshield market. Safelite currently manufactures more than 1,000 distinct auto glass products at the plant.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specially engineered coating that bonds permanently to glass and other impervious surfaces. If you would like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please see the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jared Kelly, via Flickr.com