Getting Started With Glass Coatings

Unless you’re brand new to this industry, you’re familiar with the concept of glass coatings and the way they can elevate the functionality and appearance of your projects. But what kind of options are out there? The market has a lot more to offer than it used to in this area, and it's rapidly expanding. Let’s cover the big ones.

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Privacy Glass Coatings

Your customers want the natural light and the view that glass provides, but they also want privacy, especially in sensitive spaces like bathrooms, bedrooms, conference rooms, and offices. There’s a coating for that, or more realistically, there are dozens. Privacy coatings allow the aesthetic benefits of natural light without the privacy concerns. While more traditional, static coatings create a one-way protection from the outside of a building or room, more dynamic options respond to changes in lighting or the flip of a switch, to enable transparent glass when it’s wanted, and opaque privacy glass when it’s needed. 

Low-E Glass Coatings

Low-emissivity glass coatings are a game-changer for efficient climate control. Because they help to regulate the amount of heat that enters or escapes a building, they're ideal for projects where energy-efficiency's a big concern. Cool summers and warm winters are still possible, but now with less energy consumption, less strain on heating and cooling systems, and a lower cost overall.

Solar Control Glass Coatings

Solar control coatings are in a similar camp as low-e, but with different functionality and purpose. These are particularly well suited to areas with intense sunlight, where a solar coating can limit the amount of radiation and glare but still allow natural light to pass through. Like low-e, they help maintain a comfortable space and a low AC bill, but solar control likely won't help with heat retention in the winter.

Self-Cleaning Glass Coatings

Help your customers check “clean the windows” off their to-do list forever. Okay, maybe not forever, but for a really long time. Self-cleaning glass coatings break down dirt and pollutants when they are exposed to sunlight, and because they are hydrophilic, rainwater will leave them clean and streak-free. This makes them a huge advantage for high-rise buildings, where cleaning can be particularly cumbersome, expensive, and dangerous.

Anti-Reflective Glass Coatings

Ideal for situations where visual clarity is key, like retail or the arts, anti-reflective coatings do exactly that; they resist reflection. That means customers are spending more time looking at the product, the display or the view, and less time looking at the glass and their own face squinting at it.

Safety & Security Glass Coatings

“But glass breaks.” It’s the apprehension many customers express when discussing particular elements of their projects. It’s a fair concern, but one we are capable of addressing. On the one hand, safety coatings provide an extra layer of protection, increasing the strength of the glass and holding dangerous shards together in the event that it does break. On the other hand, security coatings can help prevent the break in the first place by making the glass more resistant to forced entry and impact.

Decorative Glass Coatings

Customer wants to add a touch of artistic flair to their building's façade? Decorative coatings are an excellent option. These coatings offer a wide range of customization possibilities, including patterns, textures, and colors. From vibrant designs to subtle etchings, decorative coatings transform plain glass into a stunning visual feature.

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But yes, this is just the beginning. Labs are regularly developing their own proprietary coatings and films, and they keep getting better and better. Do you have a favorite coating to work with or offer your customers? Share it with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. We don’t mind talking shop.