The commercial marketplace of today requires innovative design elements such ascplexiglass which perfectly abide by the high standards of quality & durability. In today’s world, aesthetics is not the only concern of design enthusiasts and strength & durability go hand-in-hand along with the exterior beauty. Glass has always been the leading material choice of commercial store owners and shopkeepers. In the past, the delicate appearance and enhanced translucency of glass had encouraged store owners to select the traditionalistic glass windows. However, the fragility of glass has always been the cause of many safety & maintenance concerns.
Commercial store windows are an integral part of a business whose clarity & transparency make them a perfect marketing medium. The purpose of commercial windows is to exhibit the eye-catching products of the store to the outdoor world of potential buyers. Conventionally, glass has been used dominantly as a window material due to its incredible translucency & aesthetic appeal. However, the latest developments in the world of design paved the way for the creation of a new, lightweight, and high-strength glass alternative. Plexiglass sheets are the modern-day solution to store owners’ need for translucency. Click here to buy Plexiglas sheet
Nowadays, storeowners can select from two unique material options for commercial & store windows. The traditionalistic glass windows or the contemporary plexiglass windows, both options have their advantages & disadvantages. The modernistic replacement of glass is designed to satisfy the consumer needs for strength & long-term durability. However, conventional glass has perks of its own which contemplate the store owner process of window material selection. Following is a detailed overview of the benefits & drawbacks of both the conventional & contemporary choice of commercial window material. Especially for the store owners in search of aesthetic brilliance and long-term durability.
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Benefits of Plexiglass Windows
Plexiglass has some prominent advantages over the standard glass in regards to strength, durability, shatter-resistance, weight, and customization characteristics. Besides this, the modernistic glass sheets deliver all these benefits without compromising on aesthetics or exterior appearance.
- Lightweight
The contemporary sheets are less dense than the conventional glass and weigh considerably lesser than the sheet of glass. The lightweight augments the accessibility & ease of handling of the modernistic material and minimizes the chances of damage or breakage during transportation. As a result of lightweight, plexiglass sheets’ shipping cost is also lesser than the hefty glass sheets of the same dimension. Commercial marketplaces greatly value the lightweight and easy accessibility of modernistic glass as it solves major handling concerns of the standard glass.
- Enhanced Shatter-Resistance
The shatter-resistance of contemporary glass sheets is relatively higher than that of the fragile conventional glass. The modernistic sheet is a petroleum-based product that is not brittle as its traditionalistic counterpart. The low-shatter resistance of glass & frequent breakage has always been the leading cause of concern for commercial store owners. Enhanced shatter-resistance means greater durability and lower maintenance cost which is greatly admired by the commercial shopkeepers.
- Better UV Protection
Plexiglass windows provide better protection against the harmful rays of the sun which fade off the interior of the store. UV rays transmission affect the aesthetics of carpet and interior furnishing and result in increased cost of maintenance.
- Minimum Glare
Plexiglass sheets reflect light in such a way that reduces the unwanted glare & reflection which spoils the clarity & transparency of glass. Reduced glare makes these contemporary sheets a perfect marketing medium during the sunny days of the year. Commercial windows are in direct contact with the sunlight and reflection control is an essential characteristic of the store windows.
- High-End Customizability
Plexiglass is an incredibly customizable material which can be fabricated in any shape & size as per the needs of the users. The increased design versatility of the contemporary glass sheets allows store owners to practice creativity & ingenuity in design. Commercial store windows of today are designed in attractive & eye-catching shapes which require material of high customizability.
- Better Protection Against the Elements
The commercial plexiglass windows provide better protection against the elements of the outdoors. It is the preferred choice of material for severe storm conditions where risks of breakage & damages are incredibly high.
- Long-Term Durability
The modernistic glass sheets are relatively more durable than the contemporary glass and are able to withstand the tests of time. Enhanced durability means lower maintenance cost and is a characteristic that saves up a great deal of cost in the long run.
- Safer & Harmless
Plexiglass sheets are high-strength & robust material that doesn’t shatter & break easily. Even on breakage, these sheets are safe and harmless as it doesn’t spread into thousands of sharp shards. These sheets break into tiny spherical pieces which are not harmful.
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Drawbacks of Plexiglass Windows
No material in the world is entirely perfect and the contemporary glass sheets do also have some drawbacks. These drawbacks are a mere compromise for increased strength, lightweight, and enhanced durability of the material.
- Low Scratch Resistance
The structurally strong contemporary sheets of glass are prone to scratches because of its low scratch resistance. These sheets are incredibly reactive to abrasive cleaners and are subjected to crack formation when came in contact with solvents. That’s why a clean & smooth fabric or cloth is an essential element for these sheets maintenance and gentle wiping is only recommended because of the risk of scratches.
- Difficult to Recycle
The plexiglass sheets made up of plastic are incredibly complex to recycle and the cost of recycling is also greater.
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Benefits of Glass Windows
Glass windows may be traditionalistic & outdated yet their application is still present in the globalized commercial marketplace. These windows are preferred by small businesses & commercial store owners who have a low initial cost of investment. The present-day application of standard glass is probably due to some of the prominent benefits of glass over its contemporary counterpart.
- Low Initial Cost
The most prominent benefit of conventional glass is its low initial cost which makes it cheaper than modernistic acrylic sheets. The price of glass is dependent on many aspects such as size, thickness, glare-reduction coating, and UV-cutting. However, the standard glass loaded with similar characteristics as clear acrylic glass is still relatively cheaper.
- Improved Scratch Resistance
The traditionalistic glass is generally more difficult to scratch as compared to the contemporary plexiglass. The enhanced scratch resistance is an essential design characteristic for the store owners residing in populated suburbs & business areas. Commercial windows are exposed to the outside world and are always at the risk of damages & scratches from the hand of passersby.
- Easy to Recycle
The standard glass is an amorphous material that is incredibly simple & easy to recycle. This property is not directly beneficial for commercial store owners however, is a great characteristic for individuals sharing environmental sustainability concerns. Besides this, the cost of recycling glass is also cheaper and can be recycled and reused multiple times unlike, its contemporary replacement.
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Drawbacks of Glass Windows
The traditionalistic glass is an incredibly fragile material that has always been chosen for its aesthetics only. The delicate glass is easily shattered and is not the preferred choice of material for store owners having security concerns. The drawbacks of glass easily outweigh its benefits and are the reason the material is continually becoming obsolete.
- Low Strength & Durability
Glass is a fragile material that breaks off on the slightest impact and cannot withstand damages of the elements. The store owners always share a common risk of frequent breakage with the use of outdated glass. The low initial cost of the standard glass is canceled out by the frequent need for replacement due to its low strength & durability.
- More Reflection & Glare
The standard glass readily transmits natural light which causes enhanced reflection & glare that distorts clarity & translucency of glass. This is a greatly unappealing characteristic for commercial window material and reduces the marketing benefits of the windows. Greater glare is never preferred by store owners & consumers alike as it distorts translucency from both ends.
- Heavy & Weighty
The standard glass is relatively heavier than the modernistic counterpart which is less dense than the glass. The heavyweight of the glass causes a problem in relocation and also increase the overall cost of shipping. The bulkiness of glass is a major drawback as it restricts the accessibility and ease of handling of the material.
- Difficult to Fabricate
The customizability of standard glass is nowhere near that of plexiglass sheets which can be fabricated with great simplicity and ease. The standard glass cannot be cut and always shares a risk of breakage during customization & fabrication. The standard glass is only available in a number of regular & irregular shapes and shares no high-end customizability.
Plexiglass VS Glass: Which is best?
Commercial use requires materials that are sturdy and durable to withstand damages & harmful effects of the elements. Cost of maintenance & replacement is a concern which greatly worries the mind of store owners & shopkeepers. Comparatively, the contemporary plexiglass is much better than the traditionalistic glass for the commercial store windows. This suggestion is based on the parameters of enhanced strength, lighter weight, better durability, enhanced UV protection, and high-end customizability.
The modern-day needs of design continually evolve and such material is preferred which is durable to sustain the damages of time. Besides this, customizability is a must-have characteristic for the trendy contemporary materials of today which need to cater to the ever-changing design needs of the commercial space. Plexiglass windows is a one-time solution for all the security & aesthetic concerns of the commercial marketplace and turn out to be an economical option in the long-run.
The modernistic sheets of today are designed to develop high-end coherency between elements of interior space design and come in multiple colors, textures, shapes, and sizes. Frequent breakage and fragility have always been the leading concerns of commercial store owners which are completely resolved with the use of plexiglass sheets. In addition to high-strength & durability, safety is also one of the major concerns of commercial store owners. The store owner never wants to risk the wellbeing of the customers with the use of fragile glass which breaks into thousands of harmful sharp pieces. The contemporary glass has also developed an ultimate solution to such concern for consumer safety as it shatters into harmless spherical pieces of plastic.
The Final Verdict
Plexiglass windows are better than standard glass windows for commercial use both in terms of economics & performance. There exists a dire need for change in the commercial world of today which is still following the outdated windows made up of standard glass. A switch to contemporary replacement of glass not only saves up a great deal of maintenance cost in the long run but is also stronger & durable.
Safety & protection comes first in the commercial marketplace of today and no store owner should compromise on the aspect of safety. There always exists a risk of break-in & burglary with the use of standard glass and additional layers of protection are needed to protect the store or marketplace. The plexiglass is an ultimate solution in every way and is recommended for its ability to perfectly adhere to the ever-evolving needs of design enthusiasts.
About Fab Glass & Mirror
We recommend buying Fab Glass & Mirror plexiglass window sheets because of its increased strength & durability. We love the degree of freedom provided by the company for customizing my unique plexiglass products. They always provide 100% good quality service and great customer support. We don’t have to worry about damages during the shipment of material and the product is always delivered in perfect quality.
Fab Glass & Mirror always manage to maintain the high standards of quality and the final product never ceases to exceed aesthetic & performance expectations. Especially for commercial windows, We definitely would recommend Fab Glass & Mirror plexiglass window sheets for the store owners in search of a one-time solution for all their safety concerns & aesthetic needs.