Glass floor today can be found not only in expensive restaurants, nightclubs or shopping centers, but also in private houses or cottages. These are very beautiful designs that allow the light to spread freely throughout the room, giving it more volume and personality.
It can be used to cover both the entire room and individual fragments of the floor. The glass floor is made of multi-layered transparent or tinted triplex or tempered laminated glass coated with a polymer layer.
Material features
Triplex is a special glass, which consists of several layers fastened together by different types of film. Its thickness can be up to 4 cm. This material is distinguished by high resistance to stress and abrasion, resistance to chemicals.
To ensure the strength of the floor, its upper part is made of tempered glass. When choosing a material, you should pay attention to its quality, which depends on the fixing film. It comes in several varieties.
Glass floor,made of triplex with ethylene vinyl acetate film has a low quality. At high humidity and low temperatures, it delaminates, which affects the strength of the glass. You can distinguish such a triplex in appearance - it has a matte color.
The material glued with polyvinyl butyral film has better properties. Such glass is intended for laying on large areas. The most expensive and high-quality - triplex, glued with a film of thermoplastic polyurethane. The glass floor must have a safety margin for safety reasons.
Glass floor design
The base for the glass floor is made of metal, wood or reinforced concrete. It must be smooth and solid. To illuminate the floors, a hole is made in the base through which the wires are led to the distributor.
The structure of the floor is a glass niche, which has various shapes and sizes. Inside it may be decorative elements (pebbles, sand, plants, corals, etc.). The structural elements of such floors are: a metal frame, glass panels and lighting. The load-bearing structure made of steel serves as a support for the glass plates. A metal frame is mounted along the perimeter of the niche with anchor bolts. It must be securely fastened, as the quality and life of the floor covering depend on it. To ensure a snug fit of the glass panels, a sealing rubber or silicone tape is placed between the frame and the profiles.
Glass slabs are matte, transparent or colored. They may be in two parts. The first is made of triplex, the second is made of tempered glass. The glass floor arranged in this way allows replacement of the damaged upper part of the flooring.
Types of glass floors
The glass floor has many varieties, each type gives the room its own exquisite and unique look.
- Tape floors. They are installed in paths along the walls, which visually increases the space of the room. It becomes lighter and more spacious. Under the glass, you can create various drawings, pictures that emphasize the originality of the coating.
- Gender in the form of a niche. Mounted on a frame and usually has a small size. Inside the opening, you can make a composition from any materials and supplement it with lighting.
- Colored mosaic. Such flooring is used in bathrooms, and together with lighting, the glass floor in the bathroom creates a romantic atmosphere.
- It is possible to cover a large space with glass. Such a floor must certainly have an installed backlight. Due to the material's translucent properties, a unique, unique design of the room is obtained.
Glass floor lighting
Illuminated glass floors have become a fashion trend in design ideas. A variety of color palettes and transfusion of many shades contribute to their unusual beauty. You should be aware that not all light bulbs are suitable for backlighting. Aslight sources use neon or fluorescent lamps, LED strip. Do not use halogen lamps, which will strongly heat the glass. Properly executed lighting emphasizes the uniqueness and transparency of the glass structure.
The advantages of glass floors
Glass floors, photos of various types of which are presented in the article, create an indescribable atmosphere of singularity, overflow of colors and shades.
Besides, they have a number of advantages:
- withstand loads up to 400 kg;
- safe, shockproof;
- resistant to abrasion, aggressive environment, temperature extremes;
- have a high level of sound insulation;
- durable;
- waterproof.
