If you like the look of etched glass
but not the expense, a company called Madico of Woburn,
Mass. may have the answer. It’s called Decolite
- decorative film applied to the existing glass to
make it look etched.
Peter Yates of Window Film Systems in London, which
carries the product, says installation of Decolite
is not unlike wallpaper. It is backed by a pressure-sensitive
adhesive. A water and soap solution is sprayed on the
glass, the Decolite is applied and then the moisture
behind the film is squeegeed out. Likewise, the film
can be removed with about the same amount of effort
as wallpaper, using a razor blade scraper to clean
off the adhesive.
Yates says some people like to install the product
themselves, but as a rule, professional installation
is advised.
There are standard patterns, but Yates says his firm
specializes in custom graphics created by computer,
which makes the number of available patterns almost
limitless. The standard width of a roll of Decolite
is 91 centimetres (36”).
Decolite offers privacy, making it appropriate for
bathrooms or front doors, for example, but still allows
in plenty of light, says promotional material for the
product. It acts as a scratch-resistant barrier for
the glass it embellishes and in the event of a natural
or man-made disaster; it helps hold the glass together
to lessen the likelihood of flying shards. It protects
against smash and grab thefts and also increases the
visibility of sliding glass doors, says the firm.
The film screens up to 99 per cent of damaging, ultraviolet
rays and reduces the glare of bright sunlight. The
film can be cleaned with soap and water or with common
commercial cleaners.
|
