Walking on water

Forget the constraining limitations of the metaphorical glass ceiling—glass has reached all new levels by finding a home where one might least expect it—on the floor. Despite connotations of fragility, glass is actually much more durable than believed and can add a touch of sleek, contemporary styling to even high-traffic retail environments.

As a flooring finish, glass adds finesse to a space because it is a rare and dramatic alternative to the standard ceramics, vinyls and marbles that dot the retail flooring landscape. "Glass is unique. There's a high demand for it, and it's just a lot more interesting than carpet," says Steven Muller, president of Glass Tile USA, a unit of Commercial Interiors Direct, Pompton Lakes, N.J. "With any new finish that's unique, one of the biggest advantages is that it's very eye-catching. It almost feels like you're walking on water."

An intriguing feature of glass flooring is the ability to deliver uninterrupted light throughout a space in addition to adding a lucid, crystalline effect underfoot. "If you have a bridge or stairwell or walkway with a regular type flooring—concrete, wood or whatever—it doesn't allow light to come through," says Tim Czechowski, co-owner of Artwork in Architectural Glass with offices in Newport Beach, Calif., and Atlanta. "The daylighting is probably the coolest thing and the biggest advantage of glass flooring for most architects. People are really into having bright areas, and this flooring lends itself nicely to that."

Jaime Flatekval, director of marketing for Joel Berman Glass Studios Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, agrees that the light-bearing aesthetic quality of glass floors has added to its high demand in the market. "Structurally it's sound, and because of the light-enhancing quality, it gives an open effect to a room or an environment—that's what people are looking for," Flatekval says.

As with any flooring surface, safety is a priority when using glass. Support structures and weight-load requirements must always be taken into account in order to determine the proper thickness of the glass. According to Czechowski, most glass has to be either a two-ply or three-ply lamination with a resin to provide the strength to hold the layers of glass together and prevent breakage.

The next level of safety comes in assuring the glass surface is textured with a non-slip finish to prevent slip-fall accidents within the store environment. "The floor tile is specially textured so that it's slip resistant, wet or dry," Muller says. "That's a very big concern because slip and fall issues are a big deal in commercial applications." The surface of the glass is textured and then applied with a special non-stick of tiny granules that becomes another element of the texture. "It doesn't show the scratches or any kind of wearing because of the way that the texture works," Flatekval says. "It actually enhances the design over time."

A third measure of safety in glass flooring comes with an optional process called tempering. "Tempering is a procedure of heating and cooling the glass that changes the molecular structure of the glass to make it much more dense," Muller says. "It also adds a feature of safety, because if tempered glass is broken, it breaks in very small cubes, rather than in shards." Tempered glass can increase the strength and durability of a floor panel by tenfold, adding density and making the glass more resistant to breakage or scratching.

Just as people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, retailers who install glass floors shouldn't abuse their floors. "No matter what you think, it's still glass," Czechowski warns. "If you treat it improperly or have an elephant dancing on ice skates, it will break." Glass will stand the test of time, but retailers still have to take the same precautions they would with other polished finishes. Proper transitional walk-off areas at the entrances and exits of buildings to minimize the amount of sand and grit brought from outside are recommended. "Glass is a very durable product actually, and when it's laminated like ours it's very solid," Flatekval says. "It holds up to 250 pounds per sq. ft."

Glass flooring can make a clear-cut difference in making your space distinctive and memorable. As the trend toward airy, open spaces continues to dominate the design world, perhaps glass is the answer to adding that vitreous finishing touch. "The benefits of the transparency in using textured glass bring about a feeling of real lightness and sophistication," Flatekval concludes.