Are Glass Floors Slippery?
What You Need to Know about Glass Flooring and Slip Resistance
Glass floors are stunning, functional, and taking the commercial and residential design world by storm. Many, however, still have some basic concerns and questions about them. First and foremost? Are glass floors slippery? Here’s what you need to know.
Is Glass Flooring Slippery?
No, when designed, engineered, manufactured, and installed properly, residential and commercial glass flooring is not slippery. With the right anti-slip glass treatment, it provides just as much traction as any other flooring type.
Untreated glass is slippery, especially when wet, but untreated glass floors are not in compliance with today’s building codes and regulations.
Antislip Glass Options
While untreated glass can be slippery, especially when wet, any properly designed glass flooring will use some form of anti-slip glass treatment.
If you’re working with TCG Glass, you’ll have four main options:
- Using a kiln to permanently fuse pieces of glass aggregate to the surface of the glass panel.
- Baking an anti-slip treatment onto the glass surface in a process similar to silk-screening.
- Etching a pattern into the glass surface with acid.
- Using a proprietary TCG Glass system similar to acid-etched glass but without the frosted appearance. (This is only suitable for interior applications.)
Depending on your budget, aesthetic preferences, how much traffic you anticipate, and the location of your flooring (inside or outside), you can decide which anti-slip treatment is best for your project.
If you’re uncertain or want to know the relative pros and cons of each treatment type, speak to the glass manufacturer. They should be able to walk you through which option best suits your specific project and needs.
Compliance with Local and International Building Codes
Whenever a glass floor is going to be installed in any residential or commercial space, it must meet certain building codes, testing requirements, and regulation compliance. Some of these are local codes, and some are international standards.
Ensure your glass manufacturer is not only aware of but fully in compliance with all the relevant glass flooring anti-slip standards.
Interior and Exterior Glass Flooring
To be fully safe and in compliance with all building codes, both interior glass floors and exterior glass floors require anti-slip treatments.
Consult with your glass manufacturer to ensure your chosen anti-slip treatment will keep your exterior glass flooring safe and compliant, even in wet conditions.
Designing a Glass Floor? Get Answers and an Estimate Today!
If you’re thinking about adding a glass floor to your next residential or commercial build, make sure you’re dealing with a reputable manufacturer of architectural glass products.
We’re TCG Glass, a custom glass manufacturer with decades of experience, expertise, and knowledge in all things glass.
Using the right anti-slip glass treatment is just one facet of ensuring the safety of that product. If you have any questions related to glass floors or want to get a ballpark idea of what your glass flooring project will cost, contact us today. We’re always happy to help!
