Major Projects Guide To Building With Glass

Date Published:

28/05/2008

The Cons

It's easy to see why using glass is becoming ever more popular. Like anything else, however, it does have its drawbacks. It can be very expensive and also requires a long timescale if it is used properly. The glass extension pictured here took six months and thirty five thousand pounds to complete, being designed and built off site. It was then transported to the traditional London townhouse that it now calls home.

A major concern with using glass is that it won't be as secure as bricks and mortar. This may be true, but reinforced glass is always used. This toughened material is usually doubled up for strength and also to provide insulation. And of course if your glass is structural and a thief tries to smash it and gain entry, there's a good chance the roof will come falling down on top of them...

Maintenance is also an issue. Your glass extension might look great at first, but with transparent material you have to accept it will require regular cleaning. With advances in technology there is now the option of self cleaning glass, which just requires the occasional hose down.

As a final drawback there's the age-old problem that all conservatories face - how do you stay cool in summer and warm in winter? There are various strategies that can take care of this problem. Ventilation, open access, air conditioning and heating systems should all be considered but controlling the climate of your glass room is a problem quite easily overcome.

As a rule, glass structures are often angular with lots of straight edges and right angles. This doesn't have to be the case, however. Take this extension that wraps around a dining room and is sunk into the ground. By using glass rather than brick walls they have opened up lots of space, gained valuable natural light and created a wonderful relationship between house and garden.

To be blunt, glass is expensive and tricky to use, so why do people use it at all? The answer lies in the results - there is no other material like it and as technology advances it will get stronger and more workable. For now, treat it as a luxury material that delivers a spectacle like no other. No wonder architects and grand designers go ga-ga over glass.