Welcome
There's a lot to learn about glass floor systems but it can be incredibly simple to install a beautiful glass floor in your home, or create a wow-factor hinged wine cellar display.
Structural floor glass basics
Safety First
The very first thing a glass floor system needs to be is safe and all our glass floors are supplied in toughened and laminated safety glass. The minimum thickness of glass required to be walked on for a domestic property is 25.5mm when supported on all four edges. Large spans will require thicker glass.
Both our hinged floor frameworks and fixed steel frameworks are fully certified to BS 1090-2 and the glass is designed and tested to a minimum concentrated load of 2.0kN and in accordance with BS EN 1991-1-1 2002.
Where a glass floor needs signing off by building control, we strongly advise you check with your local building authority that the goods being purchased are suitable to satisfy your own individual requirements.
Glass kitchen floor panel
Non-slip glass flooring
Anti-slip treatment
Non slip treatment is a service we offer to the top of your walk on floor glass and it can be used to reduce the potential for slip injuries on what is essentially a flat, polished glass surface.
How does your non-slip treatment work?
Our anti-slip glass treatment is not a coating as you may expect but rather a chemical reaction on the surface of the glass that removes a tiny amount of silica. The silica removal then creates tiny pin holes that act as a vacuum when walked on and increase grip. The treatment is however totally invisible to the naked eye and has no visual affect on the glass surface.
Our glass goes above and beyond industry standards, achieving a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) of 68, far exceeding the minimum requirement of 36+ to be considered low slip risk in dry conditions. Glass remains a high slip risk in wet conditions however and consideration should be taken by the end user to manage associated risks.
How long does it last?
The treatment, as we described above is not a coating so will not wear off, however with use the pin holes created will slowly begin to refill and over time the effects of the non slip application are reduced. We estimate that the treatment can be expected to last around 5 years with moderate use. If required, the glass can be retreated as many times as is required
HINGED GLASS WINE CELLAR DOORS
We supply our hinged glass wine cellar system in a variety of 'standard' sizes available to buy online, or contact us for a bespoke service.
Not big on wine? Customers use our hinged glass floors for a variety of neat storage solutions and even dress them up for Halloween.
We developed our hinged glass floor system over a period of several months, optimising prototypes to arrive at our final design which has proven exceptionally popular. The glass floor system is sold as a fully assembled unit which requires minimal installation, you just have to create the area beneath and rack it out however you like.
Each hinged floor unit is made to order in our Sheffield workshop and all materials are sourced locally. As a bespoke product, each one will take approximately 8-10 weeks to construct. The structural glass used is very heavy and is therefore fitted with gas strut mechanisms to assist opening and closing the unit whilst also holding it in an open position, at around 85degrees.
Our hinged floor design uses integrated finger pull handles and the hinges are stainless steel which are designed to fit flush into the floor level and avoid any trip ledges.
We also offer a locking mechanism which is very discreet and operated with a star key- essential to keep children, or partners and friends out when required!
Glass floor thickness
Walk-on glass floor thickness
Our structural glass floor panels are available in 25.5mm, 33mm and 39mm thick and all comprise toughened and laminated safety glass, but which thickness should you use?
Standard domestic applications for glass upto 2000 x 1000mm, when supported 50mm on all edges can use 25.5mm thick floor glass. Some people go thicker for their own peace of mind or if the glass is placed in an area of concern- such as kitchens where pots / pans could be dropped, then a double laminate is often preferred comprising 3 panes of glass, rather than 2 (as per our 33 and 39mm thick floor glass)
Thicker glass is usually required for commercial applications or for wider spans of glass however of course if in doubt, always consult your local building control to ensure compliance.
Walk on floor glass with black painted border
GLASS TOUGHENING
What is toughened glass?
Also known as tempered glass, toughened glass is upto 5 times stronger than regular glass. The toughening process heats the glass to around 650 degrees Celsius and is then quickly cooled. Toughened glass then becomes, well, tougher than standard glass and is more resilient to heat and shock than ordinary glass.
All our glass is toughened as standard.
What is laminated glass?
Laminated glass can essentially be described as two panes of glass that are laminated (or glued) together. The laminate interlayer is a sheet of plastic that bonds the two sheets together and acts to hold the panes together, if one pane of glass were to break.
Laminated glass is therefore much safer than standard glass. All our floor glass is both toughened and laminated.
Design of floor glass
Walk on floor glass should be designed in such a way that if one panel were to break, the remaining panel would have sufficient strength to continue to provide a safe level of guarding. Typically this therefore requires a minimum glass thickness of 25.5mm, comprising 2no. panes of 12mm toughened glass with a 1.5mm thick laminate interlayer and even thicker glass for large spans.