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| Spandrel & Opacified Glass
Spandrel glass refers to those areas of a glazed wall located between the 'vision' panels of a building. They act to conceal unsightly structural columns, floor slabs and sheer walls which would otherwise be visible through normal glass.
The types of glass used in spandrel panels or 'non-vision' areas include:
- Ceramic Painted Glass (Colourlite®)
- Organic Opacifer
- Shadow Boxes
Ceramic Painted Glass
G.James manufactures the Colourlite® range of ceramic painted glass, which is offered in a range of standard colours applied to either clear, low iron or tinted substrates (refer to page 41 of the G.James Glass Handbook  4,667Kb to view the standard colour range).
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Fusing colour onto glass allows architects either to complement or contrast the many tones of vision glass used in today's buildings.
The application of Colourlite involves 'silk-screening' the selected colour, in the form of a ceramic frit, onto one side of the glass. Once the colour is applied, the glass is then heat treated in a furnace with sufficient heat to fuse the frit onto the surface of the glass substrate. The ceramic frit used consists of 70-95% glass flux and 5-30% ceramic pigment.
Organic Opacified Glass
To mask the view into a spandrel area with reflective glass, an organic (polyester) opacifier film is bonded to the coated (second) surface of a monolithic panel (ie. single piece construction). It is essential that glass used in these applications be heat strengthened to withstand thermal stress.
G.James does not recommend the use of an opacify film on glass which has a visible light transmittance greater than 25%, as it highlights any imperfection in the film application. Panels used in 'structurally glazed' applications require a cutback of the opacify film to ensure good adhesion of the silicone to the glass substrate.
For further information on this product refer to page 26 of the G.James Glass Handbook 4,667Kb.
Shadow Boxes
Some designers prefer the shadow box design using un-opacified glass to achieve uniformity between the vision and spandrel. The space behind the glass needs to be of a uniform colour and all the products within the cavity including paints, insulation and sealants need to stable under UV and high temperature.
The temperature in the spandrel cavity can exceed 100°C, and along with extreme humidity may result in out-gassing of unstable materials which can condense on the cooler glass forming a visible stain. To avoid condensation on the glass it is also recommended that the spandrel cavity be ventilated to the exterior.
For further information on this product refer to page 26 of the G.James Glass Handbook 4,667Kb.
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