Glass Table Tops of America

In the heat of summer, sometimes the last thing you want to do is sit inside, even at mealtime. Fortunately there are simple and useful ways to take living outdoors during the summer months and cool off in style. There are specially made outdoor furniture pieces that can transform your patio or deck into a fully functioning dining area. One of the best surfaces for outdoor dining is glass, creating a visually appealing as well as clean place to gather for meals. Check out these great outdoor uses of glass and bring your indoor living out.

Glass Patio Table—Of course, the most popular use for glass tops outside is the glass patio table. Often made with a convenient hole in the middle for an umbrella, a glass patio table creates an outdoor dining area akin to the indoor variety. Available in all sizes imaginable, outdoor glass tables can be perfect for large family gatherings and summer parties. With seating for six, seven, eight and more, the rectangular style in the most popular, however you can get almost any shape and size you can dream up. With an easy to clean surface—just a little window cleaner—dining outside has never been easier.

Glass End Tables—A close relative of the patio glass table, glass end tables are also a popular choice for the patio or deck. When lounging poolside or deckside, a glass end table is the perfect place to keep a snack, a drink and something to read. The wipeable surface makes clean up a breeze and the ease of replacement for the glass makes it a great season-to-season choice. Give an outdoor dining set or seating area a nice finished look with a pair of handy glass end tables.

Glass Bar Tops—Growing in popularity are the outdoor bars that bring all of the festivities of inside right outside. To protect your expensive outdoor bar and keep the surface looking new, a glass table top is the perfect barrier. Cut to just the right size and finished with a nice polished edge, a glass top for your outdoor bar can save you a lot of backbreaking clean up and give you more time to enjoy your guests and your outdoor party. No more worrying about spilled drinks and messy blenders, a glass table top for the bar gives you peace of mind.

With summer upon us, making your outdoor living space more inviting can make a huge difference between entertaining well and being a bore. One of the best places to entertain outside is at a beautiful dining area, made especially for the out of doors. With the amazing choices in glass table tops today, it is easy to make a gorgeous an functional area to wine, dine and just relax. Remember though, when glass is kept outside, it is exposed to the elements. Take care of your glass by folding all umbrellas in glass tables to prevent bending and breaking. Use glass cleaner to keep pollen, bugs and dust from contaminating your eating surface. And always remember to bring in glass tables when the weather is to be fierce or at the end of the season.

Although you may typically think of a glass table top for the dining room table, there are actually uses for glass table tops in nearly every room in the house. With a little creativity, you can introduce glass throughout the home and give a new look of sophistication and style to your living space. Here is a quick guide to going glass in every room in your home.
The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the obvious places for a glass table top. Many families enjoy an eating space in the kitchen in the form of a breakfast nook or an informal dining table. A glass top would be appropriate for both types of dining space and can add a splash of style to the kitchen. A traditional circle or even a square would suit the kitchen best and give a wonderful gathering place for diners and guests. Whether it becomes the main dining area or just a breakfast nook, a glass table top in the kitchen provides an easy-to-clean beautiful all-purpose space.

The Dining Room

The benefits of a glass table top in the dining room are clear. Many families across America have gone glass in the dining room as a way to add style and grace to their formal dining space. The most popular glass for the dining room is the rectangle or racetrack oval shape. These oblong shapes allow for maximum seating and have the most “wow-factor” as a stand-alone piece in the room. The dining room table is quite often the place for families to gather and enjoy one another and having a glistening glass top gives the room a look that is unmatched.

The Living Room

More and more popular today are coffee tables with glass tops in them. A glass coffee table, end table or accent table is an easy and affordable way to add glass to your home. A beautiful option is a shadow box coffee table with a lifting glass top that allows you to place special decorative items beneath it and create a beautiful mosaic right in the table. Glass table tops are great for the living room as they provide easy-to-clean surfaces and can dress up a den-like space with ease. The living room is one of the easiest places to bring glass into the home and is a great room to start in if you are new to glass table tops.

The Bedroom

A final room in which glass table tops can easily be incorporated is the bedroom. Oftentimes, couples spend hundreds of dollars on beautiful dressers or drawer sets for the bedroom, only to place their loose change, pens and pencils and other pocket items on top. This can scratch, discolor and damage the gorgeous wood of the expensive piece. Placing a glass table top upon the furniture can protect the wood and give you years more use. The savings are obvious and anyone who is willing to spend on a piece of furniture ought to consider spending on a protective glass top.

The uses of glass tops in the home are many and can give your living space a facelift. Whether you use it as a dining surface, for a decorative touch or as a protective barrier, glass can enhance the look of nearly any room in your home.

Whether you are buying glass for replacing windows, for a new glass table top, or for a shower stall, you are bound to come across the option of tempered or non-tempered glass. So what does that mean anyway? The differences between tempered and non-tempered glass are great and can mean the difference between a safe piece of furniture or home project and an unsafe one.

In the most basic sense, tempered glass is glass that has been treated to be four to five times stronger than untreated glass. This type of glass is used when the possibility of human contact is high. Tempered glass goes through a whole different process than non-tempered glass.

Specifically, tempered glass is cut to shape before it is treated. This is because, once treated, tempered glass cannot be cut or it will shatter into thousands of little pieces. This is the nature of tempered glass and it is a safety feature that makes it so popular. After the glass is cut to size, the edges are belt seamed or sanded to remove any jagged or sharp bits. Then, the glass slab is washed to remove any debris that may be left over. Finally, the glass is heated to almost 1200 degrees Fahrenheit and immediately cooled. This is what gives the glass its tempered effect.

A piece of tempered glass will be just as smooth and as clear as a non-tempered piece of glass, it will simply be treated with heat as described and stronger. Sometimes tempered glass will look or feel rough. This is common among poor quality tempered glass and is due to insufficient washing of debris from the sanding step. All glass that has been tempered correctly will be as smooth and as clear as untreated glass. In fact, the only way to tell tempered glass will be to look for the mandatory tempered glass stamp applied to each piece of tempered glass.

So why bother going through the trouble of heating and cooling glass? Because treated glass is much stronger and safer than non-tempered glass. Any glass that will be in human contact should be tempered. This includes windows, doors, shower enclosures, glass table tops and desks. When tempered glass is broken, it cracks into thousands of pieces rather than breaking into sharp jagged edges that can harm. Of course, this makes for a much more difficult clean up, but it is worth it for the safety component.

Nowadays it is almost impossible to buy non-tempered glass for home use. But it is still important to check for tempering in any glass that you purchase that is prone to come in contact with humans or animals. Never try to work with untreated glass unless you have been schooled on the nature of glass and are fully prepared for breakage. Knowing the difference between how tempered and non-tempered glass acts can mean the difference between danger and safety.

If you are looking to transform your dining room from a boring, typical space to a gorgeous, attractive oasis, consider going with a glass table top.  For a simple and quick way to give your dining room a facelift, switching to a glass top can add elegance and grace to your room while maintaining the functionality that everyone seeks in a dining room.  Follow these simple tips to get the best glass table top for your needs and take your dining space form bland to brilliant.

·      What shape do you want?  Glass table tops come in a variety of shapes to suit your needs.  You can go with the traditional dining shape, rectangular, and maintain the customary dining table look.  A rectangular table allows your guests to be seated across from one another and makes passing food and conversation easy.  Another benefit of a rectangular table is the ease of seating.  It is easy to place chairs and benches around a rectangular table.  There is little leg bumping or squishing required to seat all guests.  Not only do you get a traditional look from a rectangular table, but you also achieve a classic look of glass, giving any room instant glamour.  Or perhaps a circular table would more suit your needs.  A circular table, although not able to seat as many people as a rectangular table, can give the diners a more relaxed, conversational feel.  Deciding what shape to go with can be a great place to start when choosing your new glass dining table top.

·      What size do you need?  Depending on the amount of guests that you wish to serve, you can decide on the size of table top to order.  For example, a 36-inch round table top will seat four people comfortably, whereas a 48-inch by 96-inch rectangular table top will seat twelve to fourteen people comfortably.  Consider the amount of entertaining you would like to do as well as how many people will regularly dine at your table.  Generally, a rectangular table will seat more people and may be the better choice for you if you plan to have frequent dinner parties or events.  When in doubt, it is always better to go a size bigger than you think you need.  This way, if unexpected guests or visitors show up, there is always ample space for  them.

·      Do you like a decorative touch?  The wonderful thing about a glass table top is the ability to customize it in so many different ways.  Because a glass top is easy to etch and carve, it is often a simple request in order to add a gorgeous touch onto your table top, such as an etched design or a custom edge.  The most popular customization is the addition of a beveled edge.  This is a simple angle carved into the edge of the glass that gives it a beautiful decorative touch.  This is often done one-inch from the true edge of the glass.  Another popular option is the engraving of a design around the edge.  This may be a flower-type design or a simple frosted line.  Whatever you choose, adding an engraved look to your glass table top can give it an added elegance and sophistication.

There are many things to consider as you shop for your new glass table top.  One of the major benefits of a glass dining table is that it is easy to clean.  No more table cloths to protect precious wood.  No more ugly pads to protect your table.  No more smelly oils and cream to make your table shine.  A glass top is best cleaned with a simple glass cleaner or even just a warm sponge.  The hassle of cleaning is much less with a glass table top, making your dining and entertaining experience that much easier.  As you shop for a glass dining table top, keep in mind the shape, size and customizations you are looking for.  This will make shopping a breeze and will bring you one step closer to the dining table of your dreams.