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Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: lazarcitec

Post Number: 1613
Registered: 05-2003
Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2016 - 06:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I was told today that Frosted Glass no longer exists and has been replaced by the terminology "Satin Etch". Can one of my peers confirm this?
J. Peter Jordan
Senior Member
Username: jpjordan

Post Number: 890
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2016 - 10:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

There are at least four different processes for achieving a "frosted" appearance. You van sandblast the surface, acid-etch the surface, you can apply a translucent ceramic frit, or you con laminate with a translucent Interlayers. I suspect that "satin etch" is a trade name for one of these processes.
ken hercenberg
Senior Member
Username: khercenberg

Post Number: 991
Registered: 12-2006


Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2016 - 10:22 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I'm with Peter. I hear it called all kinds of names. Different processes work best for different applications. You may want to contact someone at JE Berkowitz or one of the art glass companies for information about which option to use for your applications.
Dave Metzger
Senior Member
Username: davemetzger

Post Number: 628
Registered: 07-2001


Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2016 - 10:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Each process has its pro's and con's. One thing about abrasive-blasted glass is that it will show fingerprints if you look at it cross-eyed. Laminated glass with translucent interlayers overcomes that problem, but does not allow for the gradations of translucency available with complex patterns that can be achieved with abrasive blasting.
Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: lazarcitec

Post Number: 1614
Registered: 05-2003
Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2016 - 10:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Dave from Mike, my shower enclosure guy (who started all this): "Frosted glass was done by mechanically sandblasting the glass to create the look. This then would allow the oils of your hand/silicones etc. to stain the glass. With the new product staining is reduced to approximately 95%. If staining happens, simply clean with a soft towel and Denatured Alcohol, this will take it off."
ken hercenberg
Senior Member
Username: khercenberg

Post Number: 992
Registered: 12-2006


Posted on Friday, March 04, 2016 - 08:31 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Sounds like acid etching. That isn't supposed to take fingerprints. Check with Walker Glass in Canada. As far as I know, they're the only ones who acid etch glass on a large scale in this hemisphere.

There is also an applied finish that can be cleaned but it can be abraded so it's no good if people can touch it.
John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: bunzick

Post Number: 1668
Registered: 03-2002
Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2016 - 03:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

To Peter's list, I'd add surface-applied films, such as those by 3M.
Dewayne Dean
Senior Member
Username: ddean

Post Number: 28
Registered: 02-2016
Posted on Wednesday, March 09, 2016 - 10:56 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

We had a box lunch with Walker Glass yesterday.
They are indeed the only source in North America for large scale projects. They have some pretty fancy patterns for etching.
Randall A Chapple, CSI, CCS, AIA, SE, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: rachapple

Post Number: 92
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Friday, April 15, 2016 - 05:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I don't think anyone in the US can acid etch because of EPA regulations. That being said high quality acid etch as produced by Walker and as few others have the same surface properties as clear glass.
Sheldon Wolfe
Senior Member
Username: sheldon_wolfe

Post Number: 914
Registered: 01-2003


Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 03:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

That sort of thing has always bothered me. The process is too nasty to do here, but we're willing to let some poor schmuck in another country do it. Smacks of a lack of integrity.
Dave Metzger
Senior Member
Username: davemetzger

Post Number: 632
Registered: 07-2001


Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 04:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Sheldon,

Does this mean you won't be specifying etched glass in the future? In other words, you're gonna scratch the etch?
Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: specman

Post Number: 1394
Registered: 03-2003


Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 08:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Actually, the whole concept of etching glass must really frost him.
Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP
www.specsandcodes.com
Bill Coady CSI, CCPR
Senior Member
Username: billcoady

Post Number: 29
Registered: 06-2006


Posted on Monday, April 18, 2016 - 03:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

"Frosted Glass" has been used a lot like "Kleenex" to describe all types of translucent treatments on glass. Some examples are Acid Etched (Walker,Guardian, and others), Sandblasted (by local companies), etched frit (a ceramic frit application to simulate acid etch), and Laminated with diffused white interlayer (Vanceva's Arctic Snow is one that achieves this appearance).

The comments about cleaning acid etched are valid overall. Same applies to sandblasted and etched frit. Better quality acid etch will be less susceptible to stains and be easier to clean but if in high traffic/high contact area it is better to use diffused white interlayer in a laminate.
Louis Medcalf, FCSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: louis_medcalf

Post Number: 64
Registered: 11-2010
Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2016 - 12:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Laminated glass can be fabricated with alternating panels of clear and frosted interlayers for offices and conference rooms where an area of translucence is appropriate for reducing distractions when seated. Personally, I always arrive at meetings early so I can get a seat with a view out of a window!

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