There is a vast range of glass available to satisfy the requirements of each project. One of the common options is Spandrel Glass. When compared to vision glass, which is intended to be transparent, Spandrel Glass is intended to be opaque in order to conceal elements such as vents, wires, slab ends, and mechanical equipment between the floors of a building.
We have answered 6 common questions about Spandrel Glass below.
1. What is spandrel glass?
Spandrel glass is designed to hide existing building material components such as electrical systems between floors, walls, and ceilings. Ceramic frit and silicone elastomeric paint are the most commonly used products to ensure the glass is opaque or translucent. Spandrel glass, which must be heat treated, can be colour customized as a decorative or contrasting feature or to match the surrounding window wall.
2. Is spandrel glass tempered?
Spandrel glass must be HEAT TREATED to withstand high thermal stress. If the Spandrel is intended for an opening where safety glass is required by law or code or where human impact is a concern, the glass substrate should be TEMPERED. In other locations, the glass substrate should be ordered HEAT STRENGTHENED to avoid rare “spontaneous breakage” in tempered glass.
3. What colors are available on spandrel glass?
There are 16 standard colors which are readily available, as well we can match any color fan deck chip from any paint or color system manufacturer. There are currently over 23,000 colour matches.
4. Does spandrel paint have to be applied on low iron glass?
No it doesn't need to be applied to low iron glass, many projects are completed with standard clear glass. Low iron glass is more used for light colours to achieve the true color desired, as there is no green tint in low iron glass.
5. Can I put it into the vision area?
The short answer is NO, as stated in question 1 spandrel glass is used to hide building material components between floors, walls and ceilings. Spandrel glass typically has small perfections like craters and pinholes. To ensure these flaws don’t appear we do not recommend using in a vision area.
6. What types of glass products can spandrel be applied on?
Spandrel Glass can be applied to the following Glass types:
Clear
Low Iron
Tint
Reflective Tint
Acid Etch
Pinhead
If spandrel glass is the option best suited for you, we can offer samples from High Performance Glazing for your monolithic or insulating glass needs.
Standard Spandrel Colors
