# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Glass benchtops

## DIY Superstar

Hi everyone, 
Wondering if anyone has any experience with glass benchtops?  I have had glass topped furniture before and found it scratched very easily - but I'm guessing toughened glass would not have been used.  I have been able to find lots of info on line about the pros and cons for other benchtop materials but nothing on glass! 
Much thanks

----------


## Sybarite

Even toughened glass will quickly be covered in micro abrasions. 
I recently did a 4.8m glass countertop for a museum reception desk, so it was specified for an area that will get lots of contact, albeit mainly from people rather than implements, but the concept remains similar. 
For 10mm toughened glass we were advised by the supplier to use a minimum 19mm diameter support post every 800mm, which is a pretty large span.  
Admittedly the top was quite narrow and was glazed into a groove along one long edge but the other edge was cantilevered. 
We used 25mm posts every 300mm fixed with invisible UV glue and have ordered a protective film coating to be applied to the glass as a hindrance to scratching - this film is expected to be replaced every 12 months or so. 
I have never seen a glass top in a kitchen before and would have to question the suitability of the material for the task - too many chances for it to be scratched or chipped through accidental impact with large hard implements; toughened glass is not impervious to  scratching or chipping/breaking. 
However it would be an interesting exercise and I would definitely be curious to  see the outcome. 
Cheers, 
Earl

----------


## Ricardito

Glass as benchtop? You must be joking it scratches easily if you not careful then again it may shatter to pieces if someone puts a hot pan or something on it.  I have a glass top dining table with toughened glass and found that breaks and scratches too.

----------


## Bloss

:Wat they said:  not a good idea regardless of the glass type. Marks & scratches easily you can't cut on it (not that you should be cutting directly on a bench top anyway), a hot pan will likely cause a crack - a dropped item onto toughened glass can shatter it - and on the problems go. No upside so far as I can see.

----------


## Gaza

Could use a plastic that can be buffed and sanded to remove any scratches. 
What would the point be you will just be looking at the top of cabnet, 
I would use solid surface you could use some nice colours and get a great look

----------


## jago

I disagree about using glass I have seen both the tempered tops and the recycled type overseas (a hotel and a restuarant in NY last year)...a quick google on uk and these are the types,   GLASSeco recycled glass worktops. Green eco friendly kitchen worktops  Contract Glass 
off of aussie google ;  Kitchen Glass Benchtops, Glass Splashbacks, Glass Kitchen Benchtops, Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland 
I'm sure there are others just a quick google...of course I cannot vouch  for there strength or resilence  to scratching thats something you would take up with the supplier about what warranties they give. :2thumbsup: But think ceramic glass as  in cooktops

----------


## Bloss

Ceramic is not glass - at least as I understand it - different animals in performance although similar processes. The OP seemed to be talking plain old glass - and my points still apply I reckon.  Maybe I am old-fashioned, but IMO benchtops should be a utility surface able to be used for their primary purpose without too much concern about damaging the surface when doing so - or even when a rare extreme event occurs. There are so many good alternatives that do the job well, and in all sorts of materials, that we can keep the aesthetics to splash backs, walls ceilings and fittings and so on.

----------


## jago

> Ceramic is not glass - at least as I understand it - different animals in performance although similar processes. The OP seemed to be talking plain old glass - and my points still apply I reckon.  Maybe I am old-fashioned, but IMO benchtops should be a utility surface able to be used for their primary purpose without too much concern about damaging the surface when doing so - or even when a rare extreme event occurs. There are so many good alternatives that do the job well, and in all sorts of materials, that we can keep the aesthetics to splash backs, walls ceilings and fittings and so on.

  
Correct about them being different animals but they are combined with alumimum to create Ceramic Glass, as used in "glass" cooktops. 
From  a quick read of the UK sites they use 20mm tempered glass with a 'special" process could be marketing bolloxs but unless we as consumers challenge the old  nothing is going to develop. Who was using Ceasarstone 20 years; recycled glass, plastic with minimal quartz stone before the might of Gerry Harvey marketed it to the Australians. 
Hygiene wise glass (I have several glass chopping boards noisy but great for meat) is better than Corian or Ceasar which to should not have sharp blades used on it, Quartz or Marble should not have grease or hot substances put on them, Wood can be good but needs a look of work, Laminates chip and lift, Stainless (I love it but its the chef in me) is PITA to clean down. They each have the faliures in what they should do... we just have been marketed them better. The OP was asking about glass as benchtops he did not specify that it had to be normal glass and unless we can actually talk with knowledge on these new products (I cannot) its just hyperbole. 
If its purely function over form then its sad, bland and banal and fits in with all other mcbungalows out there  christ how did they ever build the Opera house thats right they hired somebody that  wanted to challenge perceptions and look what it has done for this country. :Pedantic OFF:  :2thumbsup:

----------


## DIY Superstar

> Ceramic is not glass - at least as I understand it - different animals in performance although similar processes. The OP seemed to be talking plain old glass - and my points still apply I reckon. Maybe I am old-fashioned, but IMO benchtops should be a utility surface able to be used for their primary purpose without too much concern about damaging the surface when doing so - or even when a rare extreme event occurs. There are so many good alternatives that do the job well, and in all sorts of materials, that we can keep the aesthetics to splash backs, walls ceilings and fittings and so on.

  Not talking "plain old glass" but the glass being marketed esp for kitchen benchtops. The tempered glass I had as a splashback for years was not cared for carefully at all (I even accidentally bashed it HARD with a hot cast iron pan once) and not a mark or scratch on it. That's not the same as the work it would get as a working kitchen countertop surface. I am assuming it would be at least the same tempering process. I doubt it would be the same glass used for halogen cooktops and the like (that's the most expensive part of those things) but it might be much the same glass as used for those "surface savers"? (You know the glass sections of benchtop people used to cut in to their laminate tops to take hot things straight off the stove??) 
The pics I have seen of kitchens with glass benchtops show a spectacularly beautiful and practical surface. I am just suspicious of scratching so wondering if anyone has had any first hand experience. Failing that, I might get a sample and attack it with a steak knife!

----------


## chalkyt

Having been in the glass door game in a past life, my caution with toughened (or tempered if you speak American) glass is that it will shatter if hit the wrong way. i.e. with a hard sharp pointed object. The factory that we sourced curved toughened (tempered) glass from used a spring loaded hand centre punch to Q.C. the tempering pattern. They placed the panel on a template, gave it one hit with the centre punch and bingo, a squillion small glass pieces hopefully falling inside the template outline... very impressive and a bit noisy! I even did the same thing when installing a toughened shower screen at home... dropped it on its corner onto the tiles (just a little drop trying to put the glass into the bottom of the frame) and ended up with a rather untidy pile of little bits and a trip to the friendly supplier to buy another expensive panel (and that's another story!!!!). 
So, unless the glass is made and guaranteed for bench tops (such as the material used for cooktops), I would think long and hard about ordinary toughened glass.

----------


## arms

So, unless the glass is made and guaranteed for bench tops (such as the material used for cooktops), I would think long and hard about ordinary toughened glass.[/quote] 
even the glass used in hot plates scratches if you use a steel based pan

----------


## arms

you have probably heard about the flooding in ipswich well heres my place and the shed ,

----------


## GCP310

first to try waterjet cutting melamine  :Biggrin:  
well it is HMR after all  :2thumbsup:  
no good mate, hope the CNC missed the water. that would be an expensive exercise.  :Cry:

----------


## Gaza

wow, 
if you need anything let me know i have double & triples of most tools, unless your cnc control box was up in the roof that will be stuffed. 
hope you are well insured.

----------


## Black Cat

Crikey Arms, that doesn't look too good! Hope you come out of it OK. Let us know if you need anything... 
Regarding glass benchtops - and speaking as someone who cooks a fair bit. I would not give it room in my place. Glass splashbacks - great idea, look lovely and are ideal if, like me, you hate cleaning grout. Glass benchtops - utterly ridiculous idea!!! Not at all suitable for the sort of work a kitchen bench does. Unless you have a 'show' kitchen and dine out at restaurants all the time it would be a really impractical solution.

----------


## arms

> wow, 
> if you need anything let me know i have double & triples of most tools, unless your cnc control box was up in the roof that will be stuffed. 
> hope you are well insured.

  if you are a business there are no insurance companies that will touch you so no cover for flood ,the flat bed control box fortunatley is as it turns out not only dust proof but mainley water tight as well even though the water reached 700 mm high on the outside over the duration of the submersion only 50mm of water seeped into the box ,inverter was the first thing to blow after switch on (about $2000 ) same thing with the edgebander ,invertet now a usless peice of diodes (another $2000).compressor refidgeration unit shot (new motor) but main compressor shot to life when required . funny thing about all this is its showing  me the back up of the different companies i have bought these machines from ,one is bending over backwards to help me get up and running ,while i am constantly phoning another to make sure that they have ordered the parts i require .being an old fart i have a saying that goes " i always remember those that help me but i never forget those that dont " think about it .
all up i am probably looking down the barrell of 20 to 30 thou if i can save the cnc and edge bander if not then the figure will be close to 170 thou .sobering numbers

----------


## Doc0055

There is always someone who is doing if tougher than you, I lost a few days work because I could not get too work. Not my means to work. 
Keep your chin up Arms, and I hope you can bounce back with the minimal cost. 
Cheers Scott.

----------


## arms

> There is always someone who is doing if tougher than you, I lost a few days work because I could not get too work. Not my means to work. 
> Keep your chin up Arms, and I hope you can bounce back with the minimal cost. 
> Cheers Scott.

  thanks scott , i have never been one to curl up in the corner and hide when adverstity hits , my motto is "the best form of defence is attack"
my kids were always having a go at me for the crap (in their eyes) that i had in the shed that they would have to clean up after i die and when they were all over on the weekend were laughing at me because i had to help them to clean out the shed .bloody kids .
Sheet happens and my business will survive ,i have been in ipswich as a cabinetmaking company since 1981 and online since 1999 i have built up a good reputation over the years and the online store generates more than enough work for me as it is without having to push for work in the local area ,funnily enough i do more kitchens in melbourne than i do in ipswich ,such is the power of the internet ,
as i drive around ipswich i see people that have had to throw their whole lives onto the footpath so that a backhoe can take it to the dump ,
luckily we at ipswich have learnt to take the punchs as they come and our council has been very proactive with aid and assistance for the needy .

----------


## Moondog55

CC and I hope you make a quick recovery from the damage Tom. 
I would actually love to have glass work tops in my kitchen; if only they were both tough enough and strong enough. 
I love stainless steel but it scratches and dings easily and wood is a PITA to keep looking good but hygienic .  I do like the way recycled glass looks as a surface but I do not see any way to keep it from scratching if using it as a work surface, as a decorative surface I see no problem

----------


## release r

i have glass tops in my kitchen because there was not enough time for anything else.I work within the glass industry (high end resi and commercial interiors mostly)and have seen afew here. i have also seen alot at glass expo.s in europe Mine are 10mm clear toughened painted black sparkle pearl, the edges are protected with an ali strip and an insert sink, it is also coated with  hydrophobic coating to help resist scratching and i've never used a knife on a bench top previous ones were laminex The only item that i can not disguise are joins(only have one) but i can live with that. It's easy to clean and looks good to me,

----------


## Moondog55

Can you hammer schnitzels on it??

----------


## jago

> Can you hammer schnitzels on it??

  Not eating at your restuarant if you hammer your meat!

----------


## release r

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq7M26LP7Vw]YouTube - Hammer Test on our Glass Doors[/ame] 
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHTsLVgLpXY]YouTube - Burglary gone wrong[/ame]
yes you can hammer schnitzels on it not that i do 
some other bench tops

----------


## jago

> i have glass tops in my kitchen because there was not enough time for anything else.I work within the glass industry (high end resi and commercial interiors mostly)and have seen afew here. i have also seen alot at glass expo.s in europe Mine are 10mm clear toughened painted black sparkle pearl, the edges are protected with an ali strip and an insert sink, it is also coated with  hydrophobic coating to help resist scratching and i've never used a knife on a bench top previous ones were laminex The only item that i can not disguise are joins(only have one) but i can live with that. It's easy to clean and looks good to me,

  How does it compare in price to granite or resin stone? Looks great BTW,  similar colour and sparkle to the NY restuarant kitchen tops I saw.

----------


## release r

my  tops were a freebee but i think somewere around 7-800 per sqm. Not actually worked out an exact price

----------


## Moondog55

Got any more freebees?? That puts them out of our budget 
Do they have to be heat treated after sizing or can they be cut with a diamond wheel to allow use of second hand pieces??
Impressive looking stuff

----------


## release r

the production process is the same as for splashbacks. No cutting after it has been heat treated (toughened)

----------


## journeyman Mick

> you have probably heard about the flooding in ipswich well heres my place and the shed ,

  Bugger! I was wondering how you got on with the floods (sent you a PM). How long before you're up and running again do you think? Work is almost non-existent up here and was toying with the idea of heading down your way to pick up work replacing kitchens. 
Mick

----------


## journeyman Mick

> Bugger! I was wondering how you got on with the floods (sent you a PM)..............

  Actually, I just checked my outbox and it looks like the PM dissapeared in the ether. Hope you get back on your feet quickly. 
Mick

----------

