I was in an office park on the east coast the other day and found myself walking through a stunning, brilliant atrium. Oversized sheets of point-supported glass rising several stories high. I thought to myself, what a space!
Then, unfortunately, I walked through another. The glass was dirty, downright nasty in some areas, streaked from winter storms and still too cold to clean up.
The whole experience confirmed to me that Glass + Metal Craft recently made the right decision to offer a state-of-the-art coating for glass contained in our architectural systems. You can find this kind of a product on glass installed in baths and showers, but rarely on glass found in atriums, or canopies, or guardrails and the like.
We want to lead in this niche, as part of our overall philosophy of “design assist.” That is, to work with glaziers to add value that exceeds expectations. Like delivering architectural systems with brilliant, clean glass that can be easily maintained.
The coating is from Diamon-Fusion, a California-based company. By chemically bonding to the silica in glass, the Diamon-Fusion coating permanently seals the microscopic peaks and valleys of the glass surface. This prevents dirty snow and rain or stains from pollutants and pollens to penetrate the crevices. It acts to preserve the glass. More importantly, it helps retain “the curb appeal” of the architectural system by keeping the glass looking newer, cleaner, longer.
Another plus, Diamon-Fusion coatings also contribute to LEED points. And it’s approved by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as a protective coating for a wide range of surfaces, including acid-etched, sandblasted, tinted, curved, tempered, and laminated glass.
We’re excited to bring this product to this segment of the market. We hope our glazier partners will be, too. After all, an atrium can’t be both brilliant and dirty at the same time.