What are the applications of embedded glass in building doors and windows
Sources:m.blidoo.com.cn | PublishDate:2025.07.02
The application of Mosaic Glass in building doors and windows combines decoration and functionality, forming artistic patterns or textures through the splicing and combination of colored glass, glass fragments, metal foil and other materials. The following are typical application scenarios and characteristics of it in building doors and windows:
1、 Application scenario classification
1. Historical architecture and classical style doors and windows
Features: Reproduce religious stories and floral patterns from Stained Glass in European churches, or ice cracks and flower and bird patterns from Chinese gardens, fixed with lead or copper strips to create a retro artistic atmosphere.
Case: Gothic church rose windows, Victorian style villa doors and windows, Chinese courtyard moon hole doors with glass partitions.
2. Modern decorative doors and windows
Function: As a spatial visual focal point, enhance the artistic sense of indoor and outdoor design through geometric shapes, abstract lines, or color collisions.
Application:
Glass doors/french window of commercial space (such as hotel lobby and restaurant partition);
Residential foyer, bathroom doors and windows (balancing transparency and privacy protection).
3. Balance design between transparency and privacy
Principle: Using irregular glass fragments or frosted glass inlay to block the line of sight while allowing light to pass through, suitable for areas that require lighting but privacy protection (such as bathroom windows, office partitions).
2、 The process and materials of inlaid glass
1. Core process
Lead strip method (traditional craftsmanship):
Wrap the edges of the glass with lead alloy strips (H-shaped cross-section), assemble them into a pattern, and then weld and fix them. It is commonly used for large painted glass doors and windows.
Copper foil method (Tiffany process):
The glass edge is wrapped in copper foil and connected by welding, suitable for small decorative doors and windows (such as desk lamps and wall windows), with delicate color transitions.
Adhesive splicing method:
In modern technology, high-strength glass glue is used to fix fragments or colored glass, which is convenient for construction and suitable for non load bearing doors and windows.
2. Common materials
Glass type:
Colored glass (stained with lead containing glass and soda lime glass), frosted glass, embossed glass, and hot-melt glass (textured by high-temperature melting);
Recycling glass shards (environmentally friendly concept, creating rough texture).
Auxiliary materials:
Metal frame (aluminum alloy, steel, copper), sealant (waterproof and moisture-proof), inlay strip (lead, copper, resin).
3、 Functional advantages and design points
1. Core advantages
Decorative: Customizable patterns (such as corporate logos, cultural symbols) that become artistic symbols on the exterior or interior of buildings;
Light and shadow effects: colored light spots are formed when sunlight passes through, creating a dynamic beauty that changes over time (such as the religious atmosphere created by painted glass in churches);
Sound insulation and heat insulation: Multi layer glass inlay combined with sealing treatment can improve the sound insulation performance of doors and windows (better than ordinary single-layer glass).
2. Key points of design and installation
Load bearing considerations: Large embedded glass doors and windows should be paired with sturdy metal frames to avoid deformation due to their own weight;
Waterproof sealing: Outdoor doors and windows need to be filled with weather resistant adhesive at the embedded gaps to prevent rainwater from seeping in;
Maintenance cost: Traditional lead strip processes require regular inspection of welding points for oxidation, while modern adhesive processes require attention to the issue of adhesive strip aging.
4、 Typical cases and style references
European Classical: The Rose Window of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (with stained glass inlaid with biblical stories and a diameter of over 10 meters);
Art Deco style: The doors and windows of the Chrysler Building in New York are combined with geometric lines and metal foil inlay;
Modern Minimalism: Embedding abstract patterns with monochrome frosted glass shards, paired with minimalist aluminum alloy frames, suitable for modern residences.
5、 Industry Trends and Innovation
Digital customization: By designing patterns through CAD and combining them with laser cutting glass, complex graphics can be embedded;
Functional upgrade: Adding laminated or hollow structures to embedded glass to enhance insulation and safety performance (such as impact resistance and UV protection);
Sustainable materials: using recycled glass or low lead environmentally friendly glass, in line with the concept of green building.