Patio tables often feature glass tops that look great and perform well over time. But what is the right glass for a patio table? There are various kinds of glass in the market with many pros and cons. Read on to learn more!
Which type of glass is best for your patio table?
In most cases, tempered glass is the right glass for a patio table due to its safety. It is available in a variety of shapes, sizes, appearances, and colors.
Tempered glass also offers excellent strength. This is largely due to the way the glass is glazed. It will usually have a surface compression of about 10,000 psi. It is 4 times stronger than regular glass due to the involvement of cooling and heating processes in its production.
Due to this reason, the breakage of glass will be very less as compared to regular glass. Even if this glass will break due to some reason, it will not give sharp fragments instead it will break into oval-shaped small pieces.
Tempered glass for this table is available in a variety of sizes ranging from 3 feet all the way up to 12 feet. When you design your patio area, think about what size of patio table you’ll need. As you would guess, tempered glass comes in multiple shapes—square, rectangular, oval, and even hexagon.
Generally, this glass is translucent. But it is also available in tints from amazing subtle shades of gray and blue to brighter hues. The type of glass base can greatly influence the look of your table. Tempered glass with reflective qualities can also be used if you’re looking for a bit more “zing!”
Which thickness is best for your patio table?
The right selection of the thickness of glass for the table is extremely important. The larger the overall size, the thicker the tempered glass will need to be. The strength of glass should be capable of supporting its weight and the weight of the things that must be laid on it.
You can even buy tempered glass with a thin layer of protective coverage. This helps your patio table look great longer.
Don’t save money on glass
That might sound like a strange thing to say. But due to the relatively low price of quality tempered glass, it doesn’t make sense to save a few bucks and go with standard glass which can break easier. Broken glass could turn into a catastrophe!
As you might guess, thicker glass costs more but will last longer and be stronger throughout. Having a professional help you with your selection is likely well worth it. Just keep in mind that the thicker the glass gets, the weight goes up accordingly!
Basic Recommendations
If someone is looking for glass for smaller patio tables or side tables, then the 1/4 inches thickness of the glass is more than enough. This thickness is greatly serving the purpose of protective covers and glass tabletops.
If a glass top is required for an unsupportive table then the thickness of the glass should be at least 3/8.
Most of the time, the thickest piece of tempered glass you are likely to require will be 1/2 inch. This is more than enough to provide the durability and protection that is needed for very large tables.
Conclusion
When you are looking to buy a glass tabletop online, make sure to shop at Glass Genius. They are a top manufacturer and producer of quality glass for many purposes, such as wall cabinets, wall mirrors, glass coffee tables, shelves, and shower doors. They carry, not only tempered glass, with is the right glass for a patio table, but they also sell acrylic and plexus glass.
