Regardless of the type of business you run, having a good storefront is critical in attracting customers, maximising security, and maintaining a solid business reputation.
What makes a shopfront good? Read on to find out.
Clutter-Free
No one wants to go into a store that looks cluttered and messy. Because of this, you should avoid putting too much signage and merchandise in your shopfront. Keep it relatively clear and make sure you clean it regularly.
Lighting
Making sure you have the right amount of lighting in your shopfront is also important in attracting potential customers. You want to have just enough lighting to illuminate your store and make it stand out, but not so much that it will appear overly-bright.
Security
Aside from drawing in customers, the main role of your shopfront is to keep your store secure. In order to achieve this, ensure the material your storefront is made from is strong and sturdy. If you want to install a glass shopfront, choose safety glass such as toughened or laminated glass. These glass types are significantly more resistant to force and less easy to break than standard annealed glass.
Easy to Maintain
Last but not least, for your sake, you want to ensure your shopfront is easy to clean and maintain. Select materials that stay cleaner for longer and don’t require excessive maintenance (such as glass and aluminium) over materials that get dirty quickly and require frequent touch-ups (such as timber).
If you’re wanting to install a new glass storefront in your business, call Magic Glass today. We can provide you with a free quote for a shopfront that will attract customers and keep your business safe!
Safety glass is a type of glass that is designed to be less likely to break and less likely to inflict serious injury in the rare event it does break. The two main types of safety glass include toughened (or tempered) glass and laminated glass.
One of the most common questions we get asked is ‘which type of glass is the safest?’ Although toughened glass is most commonly recommended for safety, it does ultimately come down to what it is being used for.
Toughened Glass
Toughened glass is manufactured through the use of thermally or chemically controlled treatment processes. It is these processes that strengthen the glass and make it more resistant to force.
Although it is very difficult to break toughened glass, it’s not impossible. In the rare event breakage does occur, toughened glass shatters into many smaller pieces rather than large, sharp shards of glass. Because of this property, it is much safer than standard, annealed glass and is significantly less likely to inflict injury. This is why toughened glass is often used in motor vehicle windows and diving masks.
Toughened glass is also Grade A safety glass and is therefore frequently used in areas and spaces where compliance with Australian Glass Safety Standards is a must. This includes schools, hospitals, low-level glazing, aged care facilities, and child care centres.
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass is composed of two pieces of glass with an interlayer commonly made from polyvinyl butyral. This prevents the glass pieces from shattering as they remain stuck to the interlayer rather than breaking off into sharp shards.
As laminated glass sticks together even when it is shattered, it provides much greater security against potential break-ins, severe weather, and sudden impact. Because of this, laminated glass is most commonly used in shopfronts, windows and doors, balustrades, and glass fencing.
If you’re wanting to install safety glass into your commercial or residential building and are still unsure which type is best for you, give Magic Glass a call! Our friendly team will be able to provide you with recommendations and point you in the right direction when it comes to installation.
We can also provide you with a free quote for custom safety glass fabrication and installation.
When it comes to reducing noise pollution, many people choose to install soundproof glass into their windows and doors. Before doing this, however, it is important to weigh-up your options as there are different types of soundproof glass, all of which have various pros and cons.
The two main types of soundproof glass are double-glazed and laminated glass.
Double-glazed glass is simply glass panels that have two panes instead of one. The space between the two panes is filled with either air or argon to further insulate the panel.
The pros of double-glazed glass is that it’s very energy efficient, weather resistant and soundproof. The main con, however, is that it can be expensive to double-glaze your windows.
Laminated glass is similar to double-glazed glass in that it is manufactured using two panes. The space between these panes is filled with PVB (polyvinyl butyral), a type of resin that is highly effective in blocking out sound.
Similarly to double-glazed glass, laminated glass is energy efficient, weather resistant and soundproof. It’s also effective in blocking out UV rays.
Laminated glass is challenging to install, however. Not installing it properly will result in it being less effective in both thermal control and soundproofing.
Both types of glazing have similar STC (Sound Transmission Class) ratings, so what it ultimately comes down to is price and convenience. Laminated glass is cheaper, however there are challenges with installation so you should always seek the help of a glazing professional.
If you’re wanting to further soundproof your building, get in touch with the Magic Glass team today. We can custom-make and install both double-glazed and laminated glass panels that will aid significantly in blocking external sound.
