Smooth As Glass Life is full of contradictions. In the countertop industry we often describe the physical characteristics of our products by comparing them to glass. “Hard as glass,” “smooth as glass” and “shiny as glass” are all expressions in common use by fabricators. Interestingly enough, Stacey Caldwell of Smoke & Mirrors llc in Kirkland, Wash., quite frequently compares her glass countertop products to granite. In truth, there are similarities between glass and granite countertops when it comes to handling and certain machining functions. Like granite, glass should be stored and transported vertically. Glass is comparable in weight to granite. Glass can be cut and shaped using waterjet machinery or with diamond tooling, as may granite. And, like granite, glass makes an awesome countertop. But that is where the similarity ends. For starters, glass is very difficult to stain. It is a man-made product, using naturally occurring substances such as silica (typically about 70 percent) soda ash and lime combined with other chemicals used to to improve product performance or color the glass. It can be completely transparent, translucent or opaque. In its molten state it can be molded to just about any shape, texture or configuration. Unlike most other mainstream countertop materials, the fabricator who installs the product very rarely has anything to do with its construction. And every glass countertop is totally custom, with lead times ranging from four to 14 weeks.
“Smoke & Mirrors is akin to an old world guild house,” said Caldwell. “Before the Industrial Revolution, when you wanted any type of crafted materials you went to the Guild Master, who, in turn, went to the appropriate artisan within the guild to commission the work to be done. This simplified the process by only having to deal with one entity. That has been our way of doing business for five generations. We specialize in glass, stone, metal and wood.” Not All Glass is Created Equal Smoke & Mirrors mainly offers three types of glass products for use as countertops.
36 • Vol. 3, Issue 1, 2010 • International Surface Fabricators Association
Onami Glass is made from float, or standard window, glass. “It is then hand textured by our artisan Jim Duncan, using a special controlled glue chip process,” Caldwell explained. “We use Onami most often for our countertops for two reasons. First, it is the most cost-effective glass for countertops, but still very unique and artistic. Second, with the handmade texture, it is best for kitchens because scratches dissapear into the texture. It can also be back painted to any color if an opaque glass is desired.” Prices typically start at $125/sq. ft. Slumped Glass is float glass that is placed in a kiln on a specially carved “kiln mold.” As the