Solutions for ‘Problem Glass’ in Buildings – Before, during and after installation

 

The main causes of ‘Problem Glass’ are MAD!

Moisture, Alkalinity and Dirt (MAD) can easily cause glass, exterior or interior, to become Problem Glass.  Glass is all around us and, when new, it promises visibility, clarity and cleanliness.  Unless glass is protected against MAD, it can easily break these promises before, during or after installation – with serious consequences for specifiers, fabricators, contractors, installers, building owners and occupants.

Problem Glass is any glass that has broken, or is likely to break, its original promises of visibility, clarity and cleanliness.  This causes glass to become increasingly difficult to clean and keep clean – a high-maintenance material of construction.  In spite of frequent and intensive cleaning, Problem Glass can easily lose its original visibility and “sparkling” appearance.

Problem Glass can also fail to achieve industry standards for light transmission that were met at the time of installation.  This has negative effects on daylighting in a building as well as reducing the well-being and productivity of its occupants.

Problem Glass is likely to be found anywhere one or more of the aggressive trio of MAD is present.  The two biggest enemies of glass are moisture and alkalinity.  Either individually or together, they can etch or dissolve the surface of glass, making it appear dull and sometimes white in appearance.  Some dirt can damage the surface, and further harm can be caused in efforts to remove it.

Moisture can be in its liquid form, such as rainfall, or as a vapour in high humidity areas.  Alkalinity comes from hard tap water, sea water and construction materials such as cement dust and building run-off from concrete, bricks or mortar.

Organic dirt does not normally attack glass but can attach firmly to the surface and be difficult to remove.  For exterior glass, this includes traffic film, bird droppings and tree sap.  For interior glass, organic dirt includes fingermarks and cooking oil vapours.

 Inorganic dirt bonds chemically to glass and is difficult, if not impossible, to remove using conventional cleaning methods.  Inorganic dirt on exterior glass includes sea spray, industrial emissions, metal oxides from railways and construction materials such as cement dust and building run-off.  For interior glass, an example is limescale from hard tap water.

Problem glass is most likely to be found in locations such as:

construction sites

• sloped glazing – conservatory roofs, rooflights
• buildings with difficult access for routine washing
• glazing exposed to run-off from concrete, bricks, mortar, stonework, lead flashing, silicone sealants
• glazing in polluted areas – city centres, industrial estates, near railways, coastal
• interior glass – shower enclosures, sand-blasted glass, kitchen splashbacks.

For more than 30 years, Ritec International Limited has developed and supplied innovative and cost-effective solutions for Problem Glass.  These solutions provide either ‘prevention’ for new installations or ‘cure’ for glass already installed – reducing or eliminating the risks of call-backs, delays in construction and complaints.

Ritec’s proven solution-provider is the ClearShield System™ for glass renovation, protection and maintenance.  Either in a factory or on-site, this innovative system converts Problem Glass into “non-stick” glass with easy-clean, low-maintenance, stain-resistant performance.

The ClearShield System™ is the winner of many international awards and other recognition for solutions to Problem Glass.  It is used around the world for the protection of all types of glass exposed to MAD and the renovation of glass surfaces already stained or damaged by Moisture, Alkalinity and Dirt.

For more information on ClearShield please contact one of our technical advisors

ESG welcomes ESG Floorlux Slip-Resistant Glass Flooring

Imagine slip resistant glass flooring and pictures of heavy duty rough surfaces immediately spring to mind. However ESG are turning this notion on its head with their elegant and smooth slip-resistant glass flooring, ESG Floorlux.

Designed with safety and aesthetic appeal in equal measure, ESG Floorlux comprises three glass sheets laminated together to create a glass floor panel. Depending on the assessed risk, ESG Floorlux is available in two finishes; ESG Floorlux Clear and ESG Floorlux Satin. Both have a unique pattern design on the surface that significantly reduces slip potential.

The patterned glass is made with a rolled glass process. The semi-molten glass is squeezed between two metal rollers. The bottom roller is engraved with the negative of the potter. Thickness is controlled by the two high precision metal rollers.

ESG Floorlux Clear is recommended for low to medium risk environments whilst ESG Floorlux Satin features satin strips across its surface to reduce the potential for slips even further.

Both products are made from 10mm thick toughened safety glass and are rated to Class 1 in accordance with BS EN 12600:2002, ensuring the glass pieces remain adhered to the films upon the unlikely event of breakage. Meeting the UK Slip Resistant Group’s recommended testing guidelines, specifiers can also be safe in the knowledge that the floor offers the necessary protection to limit the likelihood of slipping.

Please contact us on 01376 520061 for further information.

Tags: esg, ESG Floorlux, Essex safety glass, Glass floor, Glass Flooring, Vanceva

Highly sought after – highly secure?

A 'smash and grab'

Despite the credit crunch, high end retailers appear to be thriving. In recent months, although Thorntons has struggled to sell enough chocolate, Carpetright has been floored and Habitat has thrown in the towel; higher end retailers have been achieving considerable success.

In complete contrast, Mulberry, famous for its coveted leather bags, has reported profits up 23% on the previous year; Burberry has reclaimed its brand from the counterfeiters and is experiencing a definite renaissance; and LVMH, which includes brands such as Tag Heuer and Zenith watches and De Beers diamond jewellers, is going from strength to strength.

However, the danger for these desirable goods is much as it has always been – not everyone can afford to acquire them legitimately, so there is always scope for the unscrupulous to sell them through less than ethical channels. Sadly, luxury goods will always be a target for theft.

In the past the only answer was iron bars and steel shutters. These days we have more sophisticated means of protecting high end goods such as designer accessories and jewellery – in the form of some highly technical glass. This may seem odd, especially as in past times the bars, shutters and grilles were put in place to protect the glass as well as the goods that sat behind it, but times have changed. Glass has learned some invaluable new tricks and acquired some priceless qualities.

For a start, glass is much tougher than it used to be. Using technical interlayers sandwiched between glass panels, ESG now produces glass that has been approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers – and they know a thing or two about crime against property. We’ve also created ESG LPS1270, a highly secure glass designed to stand up to, and tested by, career criminals. It’s all about knowing your enemy. We’ve even produced ESG Ballistic, so that even if the criminal is armed, the glass you install can still help to stop him.

This isn’t all glass can do either. If you can’t see the goods, it’s very difficult to know whether it’s worth going after them. ESG Polyvision™ is made using technology that can be combined with all the security measures in our portfolio to produce a glass that’s not only secure, but which can be changed from optically clear (so you can see the goods on offer) to opaque (so you can’t tell if a crime is worth the risk) just by flicking an electric switch. What the eye doesn’t see, the criminal might just pass by. You won’t stop crime overnight, but you can certainly introduce a few very interesting deterrents that may make the prospective criminal look elsewhere for his next target. We suggest you try window shopping at ESG.

Tags: ACPO, Ballistic, BRE, BREEAM, EN356, esg, ESG Bullet Resistant Glass, ESG Polyvision, ESG Secure LPS1270 Intruder Resistant Glass, laminated glass, Loss Prevention Certification Board

NEW FIRE RESISTANT GLASS PRODUCT SELECTOR

Our new fire resistant glass site

With a vast number of fire resistant glass products to choose from, it is all too easy for the wrong type of glass to be installed. To simplify the specification process, we have introduced a product selection tool on our newly launched Fire Resistant Glass website – www.esgfireresistantglass.co.uk

The product selector simply asks a set of key questions and takes the user through to a selection of fire glass products to consider. Completing fields including duration, classification (integrity/insulation), and desired frame type, all available products are immediately identified, together with the associated test certificate number.

As one of the forerunners in the development of certified and multi-functional technical glass, we are one of the few companies to offer fire resistance combined with certified security glass.

The specification of fire rated glass can be complex to say the least, with architects having to interpret detailed technical data and understand the limitations of testing parameters. And, it gets more complicated when other issues need to be considered including, security, privacy and sound attenuation.

With our online guide and product selector, we aim to make it easier for architects and specifiers to select fire resistant glass products with additional benefits of enhanced security or improved sound control.

In particular, visitors to the site can learn more about ESG Pyrotech™, the most versatile accredited range of fire resistant glass products on the market.
Part of the Secured By Design range, ESG Pyrotech Secure™ can be incorporated with any of ESG’s security glass products. This includes glass tested to the Loss Prevention Certificate Board’s (LPCB’s) new security glass standard LPS 1270, which was developed to increase the current level of security offered by glass tested to European Standard BS EN 356:2000.

For peace of mind, the Quality Standards section of the website provides thorough details on the rigorous testing each product has undergone – the majority of which are undertaken by leading third-party European certifiers.

To find out more, simply visit www.esgfireresistantglass.co.uk

Tags: BRE, ESG UK, Essex safety glass, fire glass, fire proof glass, fire rated glass, fire resistant glass, fire safety glass, laminated glass, LCD Privacy glass, Loss Prevention Certification Board

ESG Tough Guys Complete ‘Survival of the Fittest’ for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

ESG Tough Guys

Ten of ESG UK’s toughest and fittest employees, headed by Production Director, Craig McGiffen, took part in the inaugural London Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest event on November 12th 2011.

This monster of an event was held at Battersea Power Station. The ten strong team completed a very muddy 10km of running with challenging obstacles en route including 10ft high walls, muddy skips, monster trucks and cars.

So why did team ESG do this? Yes, they are all crazy but they all wanted to raise some money for a very worthy cause – Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

Production Director, Craig McGiffen says “ We are all very proud to have completed the gruelling Survival of the Fittest event but we are even more proud of supporting such a worthwhile charity that provides inspirational and world-class care to hundreds of children every day.”

Tags: ESG UK, ESGUK, Essex safety glass, fitness, sport, Tough guy

Record sizing for ESG Polyvision™ LCD Privacy Glass

The development of ESG’s privacy glass product, ESG Polyvision™, has quite literally reached new heights. Already providing the largest sized privacy panels on the market, ESG have gone one step further; expanding the maximum size of ESG Polyvision™ from 1520mm x 3,200mm to 1,800mm x 3,500mm.

Commenting on the move, Scott Sinden, Managing Director of ESG, said:
“Without a doubt, designers and specifiers are exploring the boundaries of glass with the latest intelligent glazing solutions, and in doing so require larger sized privacy panels. Ultimately, this will help create more dynamic workspaces.”

It is expected that the greater degree of flexibility afforded by the increased sizing will appeal to those specifying privacy glass for office refurbishments. And, for those looking for an elegant projection surface without having to compromise on size, ESG Polyvision™ is ideal given its ability to be used as a rear projection screen.

Equally, for those looking to create an open environment during the day whilst restricting the view of the building during closing hours, ESG Polyvision™ is already proving popular.

The fact the technology can be used in conjunction with a full range of security glass is an added bonus – especially for City businesses and landmark public sector buildings. ESG Polyvision’s™ combination with either ESG Secure EN356 or LPS1270, which are fully certified by the Loss Prevention Certificate Board, is expected to be particularly popular.

All ESG Polyvision™ panels involve a PDLC film being encapsulated between 2 or more glass sheets. Using a minute electrical current, store managers can immediately switch the ESG Polyvision glass from clear to private (opaque) and vice versa. When the electrical supply is switched on, liquid crystal molecules align allowing incidental light to pass through, making the glass clear.

To find out more about how the ESG Polyvision™ can be used in a commercial setting, visit www.esgpolyvision.co.uk

Tags: ACPO, BRE, Electric Privacy Glass, EN356, ESG Polyvision, ESG Secure LPS1270 Intruder Resistant Glass, ESGUK, Essex safety glass, LCD Privacy glass, Loss Prevention Certification Board

Working glass heroes to complete ‘survival of the fittest’ for Great Ormond Street Hospital

Team ESG

Ten of our toughest and fittest (!) employees headed by Production Director, Craig McGiffen, are taking part in the the inaugural London Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest event on November 12th 2011. This monster of an event is at a monster of a venue – Battersea Power Station. The format is 10km of running with obstacles en route; but the organisers are loading a few more obstacles into the mix for some extra-muddy altercations.

So why are team ESG doing this? Yes, they are all crazy but they all wanted to raise some money for a very worthy cause – Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

So please dig deep and donate now at www.justgiving.com/esgglass

Tags: Essex safety glass, men's health survival of the fittest. ESG. Team ESG

Between the sheets – the art of lamination

Back painted glass

Capturing and immortalising a perfect image is a challenge for any artist, and to some extent, it’s also the mission that faces the architect – devise the ideal building concept, work out how it can be realised, and perhaps more importantly, select the materials that will ensure that it stays that way for centuries. A tall order, even if it isn’t a tall building.

Artists differ widely, working in a whole raft of materials; paint, metal, ceramics, stone, plastics, acrylic, pottery, wood, textiles and yes, glass. Architects often favour particular materials too, though it’s fair to say that most would include glass in their list of favourites.

These days we can actually use glass to assist in that most tricky of endeavours – realising a great design and preserving it for perpetuity. The selection of materials that can be used to create a building has never been wider, but glass is still one of the most important, especially now that it can offer so many more characteristics.

By laminating with technical interlayers, we can provide fire resistance, impact resistance, ballistic resistance, instant privacy and high security as well as its basic characteristics of being scuff resistant, dust resistant and waterproof – if need be, all in one panel. In terms of adding colour and other design elements, this is invaluable as the interlayer can be joined by any number of added extras to introduce colour and design.

Using the art of encapsulation, as it is known, we can place small or slender items of any medium between layers of glass, sealing them in, and preserving their beauty for ever and making unique, bespoke, designer laminated glass. This can include colour (and that itself encompasses everything from transparent, coloured Vanceva® interlayers to solid blocks of colour or a corporate logo); but it can mean much, much more. It could also include natural items such as skeleton leaves, graphic designs (full colour printed manifestation), films, metal fixings, LED lights, fabrics, paper or wood; any material with which an artist might like to work; and a few others besides. The only real limits are the imagination of the designer and the size of the object to be encapsulated.

Panels prepared by the laminating method can be used in a multiplicity of ways, especially when created using toughened glass, which is up to five times stronger than ordinary annealed glass. Designer laminate can make up screens, doors, furniture, tiles and splash backs, work tops, signage, table tops, corporate art, exhibition displays, lighting, partitioning, balustrades, stair treads and flooring.

We could say that this only scratches the surface of what can be achieved; but that’s the whole point, it won’t scratch or fade or spoil – it will stay as beautiful as the day we encapsulate it for you.

Now that has to appeal to any artistic soul – and all the practical ones too.

Tags: back painted glass, Colour, esg, laminated glass, Lamination, RAL, screen printed glass, stained glass, Vanceva

A sample of privacy

Now that ESG Polyvision™, the largest sized privacy glass, has hit the UK, leading glass processors, ESG, have seen a demand for samples from architects and specifiers.

For a cost of £200, which is refunded upon receipt of the first order, ESG are sending out samples of the glass, which is competitively priced to meet the demand for refurbishment projects.

Samples can be ordered by simply visiting the ‘Let’s Get Technical’ section of the newly launched ESG Polyvision™ website (www.esgpolyvision.co.uk), which also provides a thorough overview of current trends in the usage of privacy glass.

Tags: ACPO, Electric Privacy Glass, ESG Polyvision, ESG UK, Essex safety glass, LCD Privacy glass, LCD Privacy GlassGlass, security glass, smart glass

Check out our new intruder resistant glass video made onsite.

See just how tough our ESG Secure LPS1270 Glass is!

The team at ESG had so much fun making this video at ESG HQ last month. Watch how easy it is to penetrate anti bandit glass commonly used in shopfronts and then see how difficult it is to get through our ESG Secure LPS1270.

Tags: esg, ESG Bullet Resistant Glass, ESG Polyvision, ESG Secure LPS1270 Intruder Resistant Glass, Essex safety glass, LCD Glass, LCD Privacy glass, linked in, Loss Prevention Certification Board, LPS1270, LPS1270 standard, Privacy glass