Swiroset.com

Powering future

Pantry Doors With Glass: What Kind Of Frosted Glass Is Best For Providing Darkness In The Pantry?

Pantry Doors With Glass: What Kind Of Frosted Glass Is Best For Providing Darkness In The Pantry?

The kitchen is truly the heart of the home! More time is spent in the kitchen and dining room of a home than in any other area. It is the family gathering place where we not only share a meal, but also hang out and share our lives! Kitchen remodels are among the most popular types of remodeling. With the advancement of high-tech appliances, stunning counter surfaces, innovative faucets, lighting, and custom cabinetry, today’s modern kitchen has gone to a whole new level of customization!

A very important part of the kitchen is the pantry. Today’s redesigned kitchens will generally feature a nice walk in pantry, or at least a full-size pantry for easy access and a good amount of storage space. Everyone knows, the pantry is essential! When we walk into a kitchen, for example, when we buy a house, for example, or when we have ideas for a remodel, when we see a nice big kitchen pantry, we want it! Having enough space to keep things close at hand and well organized is a big part of having an efficient kitchen that we love to cook in.

But we don’t just want efficiency. We want pretty! And the pantry door is what our guests see! And we don’t just want pretty, we want UNIQUE! We want the pantry to complement and coordinate perfectly with our individual décor. There is no better way to add a custom touch to a pantry door than to have custom frosted glass. The glass creates an “open feel” and a contrasting surface to complement the others we see: granite or other counter surface, wood, perhaps stainless steel, complement the glass. So we know that glass is the best option to achieve an open and varied surface, BUT … we don’t want to be able to see INSIDE the pantry! Even with a well-kept pantry, we don’t want to see the cans or boxes and all the other goodies inside!

Solution? Etched glass, or also what is known as frosted glass.

They both mean the same thing, but did you know that there are several TYPES of engraving, which actually create various textures and effects?

There is sandblasted glass etching, acid etching, cream etching, ceramic frit, and of course there are also vinyl decals. All of these methods will provide a flat, white matte surface. The biggest difference comes with the SANDBLAST method, and that’s because sandblasting allows the artist to penetrate deeper into the glass, as the sand is sprayed through a hose with varying air pressure. Unlike the other methods and materials that only allow for “surface etching, sand acts as a carving tool, with the ability to create depth and shading, which are areas in the glass that fade and become transparent, creating a two-dimensional structure “. effect on design. The sandblasting nozzle is actually used as an artist brush and sculptors carving tool, as you would think of clay being carved with a metal tool. The sand actually melts the glass. When you run your fingers across the sandblasted surface, compared to acid etching or cream etching, you will not only be able to get ridges and edges of lines, or clumps and bumps, if the glass was 3D cut, but You will also notice a subtle difference in the actual surface of the glass will be slightly more porous and a brighter white than acid etching, for comparison.

Acid etching actually creates more “shine” in the etched finish. No “shading” can be done and the finish is not as bright white.

Cream etching is a technique most often used by the hobbyist for smaller items like wine glasses or other kitchen utensils. Creating a slightly whiter finish than acid etching, it also etches only the surface.

A ceramic frit is an enamel that is applied to glass with a large roller for full coverage applications or via a screen for screen printing applications. The design is made by placing a screen on a piece of glass and then pressing the ceramic frit, using a large squeegee, through the pores of the screen. After the frit is applied, the glass goes through an infrared oven to dry the frit and then through a tempering oven to permanently bake (glue) the frit to the glass. This method also creates a solid white finish.

In terms of maintenance, each method is quite durable. Everything can be cleaned with a soft cloth, using a typical glass cleaner. With acid or cream etching, you need to be a little extra careful not to scrub too hard while cleaning, but that’s rarely necessary.

The sandblasted surface is probably the most scratch resistant. Being a bit porous, it MAY absorb oils a little more deeply, but the oil can be removed with acetone. Using a soft white cloth, apply acetone to the cloth and rub. The surface is actually very tough … obviously permanent, and as long as you use a soft cloth, you can safely rub off any oil. To finish, follow up by spraying the entire area with glass cleaner and wipe clean. The only time the use of acetone is really necessary is if you put a little bit of butter or some other oil on someone’s hands, touching or rubbing the glass. Otherwise, sandblasted glass does not show dust and rarely needs cleaning.

Now for the GLASS THICKNESS: Most interior glass doors will come with 1/8 “thick tempered glass pre-installed. If glass inserts are ordered separately, 1/8” or 1 / 4 “. Both are tempered, they are essentially equally strong. Tempered glass is very difficult to break. The only really vulnerable places are the edges, which of course are already on the door frame. If the glass is ordered separately, Just be careful around the edges, don’t knock it against a counter or other hard object, where scratches on the door glass are not usually a problem.

Now let’s move on to the FUN PART! The frosted glass design! The best option to achieve the privacy you want, with a design at the LOWEST PRICE, is what is called A SOLID NEGATIVE FROST or ENGRAVED. With negative etching, the design elements are CLEAR GLASS and the BACKGROUND IS FROSTED for the dark. Line widths (for example for a border or pattern) should be no more than 1/8 “thick, although 1/4” is still adequate and will not allow true visibility unless the light is on and a person stands right on the glass, looking in!

With sandblasted glass, there is also the option of a 2D and 3D carved effect. These effects give the glass a truly handcrafted, higher quality look. Also known as “stage sandblasting”, the design will take on a completely different look in one of these techniques.

When it comes to buying a frosted glass pantry door, these effects cover most of what is available. Adding one to your kitchen will really create something fun and unique that you will be proud to display and enjoy every time it enters your pantry.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


*