Glass Sinks
The hottest trend in bathroom design today
is the handmade glass sink – often referred to as a vessel sink - which
has become the latest must-have for luxury homeowners. Our glass designers
can even help you incorporate lighting from underneath and above to
accentuate these stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces of glass art, which work
equally well in traditional or contemporary settings. Vessel-mounted,
fused, slumped, mosaic, under-mounted and hand-blown sinks have even
influenced the faucet manufacturers’ designs because of their
unprecedented popularity. When purchasing a glass sink from Glass Artists
Gallery, you can be confident that your glass sink design is not a
production house piece, but rather, an exclusive one-of-a-kind piece of
art.
All About Glass Sinks
Combine the
versatility in color and design offered by glass with the vessel
mount trend and it’s no wonder that Glass Artists Gallery can barely
keep up with demand. We find ourselves answering questions and
dispelling myths surrounding sinks just about every day. This page
was created to answer some of the more common questions.
Types of
Glass Sinks
To better
understand the three main categories of glass vessel sinks, it helps
to understand the three main types of glass activity:
Cold Glass
-- Working with glass at room temperature. Examples are mosaic
glass, stained glass, glass carving and etching.
Warm Glass
-- The process of fusing, slumping or other kiln forming techniques
at temperatures between 1100 and 1700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hot Glass
-- The process of blowing glass using a furnace that melts the
glass at 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the glass is gathered on
the end of a pipe, the artist forms the hot glass using a "Glory
Hole" (an oven that maintains a temperature of around 1200 degrees
Fahrenheit). The resulting work is then slowly cooled in an
annealing oven.
With the above in
mind, there are three main categories of glass sinks you will find
at Glass Artists Gallery:
Fused &
Slumped -- Glass fusing is the process of joining together
pieces of glass. When the right kind of glass is heated and then
cooled properly, the resulting fused glass piece will be solid and
unbroken. Using fusing techniques, the artist creates patterns and
designs in color. The resulting sheet of fused glass is then
slumped into the vessel shape. In the slumping process the glass is
laid into, or on top of a mold and heated just to the point where
it "Slumps" to fit the form of the mold. Once the glass reaches
the desired form it must be cooled quickly enough to stop the
movement that will result in cracking. Although this might sound
simple, the resulting sinks can be quite intricate in their design
and require hours of painstaking labor.
Blown
Glass -- Hand blown glass sinks are created through a
much different process. This "hot glass" process allows an artist
to create myriad different styles, colors, shapes and sizes that
are always unique. Layers of glass are "gathered" onto the end of
a "rod" or "pipe" and formed, blown and worked into a vessel
shape. Color is applied in many different forms at the beginning
of the process. Once finished, the piece is "annealed" for a
minimum of 48 hours for maximum durability. Due to variations in
the glass blowing process, every sink will be unique.
Mosaic Glass -- Pieces of hand-cut
colored art glass are adhered to the inside surface of a 1/2" thick
annealed glass bowl. Annealing is a process of bending the glass at
extremely high temperatures to assure durability of use in the most
extreme temperature conditions. The sink is then grouted with a
specially mixed blend of sand and tinted cement, then sealed and
finished with a protective clear polymer coating to create a smooth
surface which is colorful, sturdy, easy to care for and a
breathtaking focal point for any bathroom.
For a list of glass
terms and their meaning, visit our
Glossary of Terms
.
Durability and Care of Glass Sinks
How do we, as glass specialists,
reassure the end user of a glass sinks durability and care? Longtime
glass sink creator and glass artist Suzanne Guttman provides us with
some valuable tips. Suzanne has been making glass vessel sinks for 6
years. During the past 6 years she has created hundreds of hand
blown sinks that can be found in homes all over the world. Suzanne
is one of a dozen artists creating glass sinks for Glass Artists
Gallery customers, but one of only two creating her beautiful sinks
in the hot glass method.
Durability -- Glass sinks are
sturdy and most can withstand temperature changes of up to 70
degrees without breakage. However, users should avoid pouring
scalding hot water (over 120 degrees) into a glass sink. The
immediate temperature changes that result cause “thermal shock” and
may cause the glass to crack or shatter. Once cracked, the entire
glass sink would need to be replaced.
Virtually all professionally made glass
sinks are resistant to small accident breakage, such as dropping a
brush or plastic bottle into the basin. However, a heavy object can
shatter a glass sink, just as it would a porcelain sink. A
contractor should not install a glass sink where indoor temperatures
are unregulated, because wide temperature variances can cause
thermal shock and breakage.
Care -- Glass sinks are tough
enough to withstand everyday wear and remain as beautiful as the day
they were purchased, when treated correctly. They require no more
special treatment than a standard porcelain sink. When water spots
occur, a solution of vinegar and water will dissolve the spots.
Abrasive bathroom cleaners are not recommended.
Installation -- We recommend you
use a professional plumber to install these sinks. We have found
that the most common cause of breakage is during installation. The
drain on a glass vessel sink should only be hand-tightened.
Specifications -- Be sure your
artist has been creating glass sinks for a long time and offers a
warranty. A proper annealing process and the correct glass are
important considerations. Sinks must maintain consistency in
thickness and they must not be flat on the bottom, so as to prevent
creating a well and retaining water around the drain. They also must
be drilled correctly with a beveled edge which allows the drain to
sit level with the glass.
Glass Artists Gallery Testimonials
From: Mary Simon-Casati (client)
The sink arrived today it is absolutely
wonderful. we love it. Can't wait to start on the bathroom later
this summer. Will send pics when I have something completed. Thank
you very much for all your help. I surely will pass on Glass Artists
Gallery to people I know who are looking for similar stuff.
Thanks again,
Mary Casati
Glass Sinks Resource Links
GlassArtistsGallery.com
