I'm working on details for a bedroom addition, which is to have a light shelf inside high windows and a see-through balustrade. We're leaning toward a stainless tube steel framework and would like a translucent white material for the field. Budget is a factor. My clients like to sail so I thought about sail cloth, but not sure how to attach it to the framework. Or polycarbonate, or some other modern, high-tech material that I may not even know about. What have you done or seen that works?
Both--I had originally designed a bookshelf as a railing and a framed, drywalled light shelf, but my client is artistic and wondered if we could do something more light and airy. I loved the idea but don't have experience with some of these materials. Thanks for your help!
Non Sequitur
Jan 2, 22 1:30 pm
Holy dust collecting shelf batman... but joking aside, we've used white ceramic enamel frit glass before but not in a horizontal application. You can get acid-etched glass too if you don't want 100% opacity.
Wood Guy
Jan 3, 22 4:43 pm
Haha, yeah it will be a dust collector for sure. The housekeepers will have to deal with it. I hadn't thought of acid-etched glass but that makes sense; we used that for the new entry door so it would make sense to repeat it.
bowling_ball
Jan 2, 22 2:27 pm
PVC (heat-shrunk to fit frame). Polycarbonate, or acrylic...
ETFE or PMMA would be really interesting, but I don't know about budget.
I used Okalux for some clerestory glazing and it is an incredible material. Pretty cost effective too as it just goes in the air-space of an IGU. I've never seen anything transform daylight the way this does.
Everyday Architect
Jan 3, 22 2:36 pm
If you're leaning toward glass at all, you'll likely want laminated glass for code reasons ... and then you can just get a translucent white interlayer. No need for anything fancier.
Other options for membranes and plastic glazing as have been noted by others are good too.
Multiwalled polycarbonate sheets can be nice for these types of applications. Be aware that you only get UV protection on one side of it (at least I haven't found it with both sides protected) so make sure it's facing the right direction or you'll have some panels yellow from UV, and others look fine in a year or two. I've seen it happen when used in exterior railings, etc. It's less of an issue inside the building obviously, but it's also dependent on your window glass.
Wood Guy
Jan 3, 22 4:45 pm
Interesting idea. I've used back-painted glass and glass tiles, and have looked into laminated spandrel glass with a white interlayer, but it's been a while. Good point about polycarbonate and UV protection, thank you.
good thought...1/4" corian can be bent & is translucent to lighting per differential depths...could do some cool invisible imagery that shows when lit up!
Wood Guy
Jan 3, 22 4:46 pm
Thank you all for your help. I still don't have the option to thumb-up your comments but would if I could.
atelier nobody
Jan 4, 22 2:26 pm
I like the sail cloth idea - I would totally go down the rabbit hole of finding all the cool stainless steel fittings to detail out the connections. (I actually have gone down the stainless steel wire rope fittings rabbit hole, back when I was doing retail interiors, but that was over 20 years ago.)
Non Sequitur
Jan 4, 22 2:36 pm
I've done large-scale installations using white stretchy fabric and stainless gromets/cables or bent steel rods. Makes for a really neat light show. If ever I find my slides... I'll try to scan them. Yeah, getting close to 20y on that one too.
I'm working on details for a bedroom addition, which is to have a light shelf inside high windows and a see-through balustrade. We're leaning toward a stainless tube steel framework and would like a translucent white material for the field. Budget is a factor. My clients like to sail so I thought about sail cloth, but not sure how to attach it to the framework. Or polycarbonate, or some other modern, high-tech material that I may not even know about. What have you done or seen that works?
Is this for guard rail? Or Light shelf?
Polycarbonate
Framed fabric panels - glass fiber; silk screen; non-printed tyvek
Film applied to glass
Opaque shrink wrap on a frame
Art glass
Panelite
Kalwall
ETFE
Agree on this. + PMMA
Both--I had originally designed a bookshelf as a railing and a framed, drywalled light shelf, but my client is artistic and wondered if we could do something more light and airy. I loved the idea but don't have experience with some of these materials. Thanks for your help!
Holy dust collecting shelf batman... but joking aside, we've used white ceramic enamel frit glass before but not in a horizontal application. You can get acid-etched glass too if you don't want 100% opacity.
Haha, yeah it will be a dust collector for sure. The housekeepers will have to deal with it. I hadn't thought of acid-etched glass but that makes sense; we used that for the new entry door so it would make sense to repeat it.
PVC (heat-shrunk to fit frame). Polycarbonate, or acrylic...
http://www.solar-constructions...
ETFE or PMMA would be really interesting, but I don't know about budget.
I used Okalux for some clerestory glazing and it is an incredible material. Pretty cost effective too as it just goes in the air-space of an IGU. I've never seen anything transform daylight the way this does.
If you're leaning toward glass at all, you'll likely want laminated glass for code reasons ... and then you can just get a translucent white interlayer. No need for anything fancier.
Other options for membranes and plastic glazing as have been noted by others are good too.
Multiwalled polycarbonate sheets can be nice for these types of applications. Be aware that you only get UV protection on one side of it (at least I haven't found it with both sides protected) so make sure it's facing the right direction or you'll have some panels yellow from UV, and others look fine in a year or two. I've seen it happen when used in exterior railings, etc. It's less of an issue inside the building obviously, but it's also dependent on your window glass.
Interesting idea. I've used back-painted glass and glass tiles, and have looked into laminated spandrel glass with a white interlayer, but it's been a while. Good point about polycarbonate and UV protection, thank you.
these are interesting https://www.regal-plastics.com...
Barrisol might be an option too: https://barrisolusa.com/
Spend tons of money on Corian.
good thought...1/4" corian can be bent & is translucent to lighting per differential depths...could do some cool invisible imagery that shows when lit up!
Thank you all for your help. I still don't have the option to thumb-up your comments but would if I could.
I like the sail cloth idea - I would totally go down the rabbit hole of finding all the cool stainless steel fittings to detail out the connections. (I actually have gone down the stainless steel wire rope fittings rabbit hole, back when I was doing retail interiors, but that was over 20 years ago.)
I've done large-scale installations using white stretchy fabric and stainless gromets/cables or bent steel rods. Makes for a really neat light show. If ever I find my slides... I'll try to scan them. Yeah, getting close to 20y on that one too.