Meet newlyweds Sarah and Tim, who recently moved into a new home. Just married and excited about their new lives as ‘Mr and Mrs’, they were hoping that this move would be into a newly purchased property and not the rental that they have had to settle for. Sarah, however, makes lemonade with the lemons that life throws her way, so she plans to make this rental home a place they are proud of. Sarah is intent on doing some interior decorating and she has always wanted glass etched windows and doors in her home.
Glass is one element in the home where temporary design solutions are an option and you can explore your creativity
While renovations and add-ons are a no-no in a rental home, there are elements in interior design that offer a temporary solution. Frosted window detail is one such solution. The permanent solution to frosted windows is using the method of glass etching whilst the temporary solution is the use of window vinyl decals that have a frosted appearance.
Let’s have a closer look at these two options:
Glass etching is beautiful and will last you a lifetime but the process can give you a headache
Glass etching can be done in a number of ways to create a permanent frosted design on a pane of glass. The most popular technique used is abrasive sandblasting. Glass etching requires the glass to be removed and the treatment completed off-site and then the final product reinstalled. This is because the exercise is a messy one.
If your chosen supplier offers to do the glass etching in your home, be aware of the safety risks involved, as the chemicals used can be harmful to people and the environment. It is advisable to rather send the glass away for treatment.
If the glass etching you want done is on a large pane of glass or on multiple large panes, this can turn into quite an uncomfortable project, especially if these windows were protecting you from the outside elements.
If you consider the glass etching route you must be sure about the strength of the glass. Some glass, such as sliding doors, cannot handle the abrasive sandblasting technique.
Lastly, once glass has undergone an etching treatment, the etched area becomes porous and will pick up dirt, grime, oil marks and even stains. These marks are notoriously difficult to remove.
Frosted window vinyl can be removed, allowing you to be playful with your designs
Frosted window vinyl offers the same look and feel as glass etching. However, frosted window vinyl can be professionally removed without damaging your glass. This lack of permanency means that you can be more playful with your chosen designs.
Frosted window vinyl offers the same amount of privacy as permanent etched glass. What’s more, it offers UV protection and insulates glass. The frosted window vinyl decals that Window Art offers come with a 10-year guarantee but are designed to last a lifetime, so if you have settled on your design you can keep it for years to come without any hassles.
Temporary frosted window decals allow you to try out different looks
Sarah has a fairly modern taste when it comes to the look and feel of the home she wants to create. She likes the space to flow and with their rental being a stone’s throw away from the ocean she would like to enhance the bright coral sunsets to be enjoyed every evening on the balcony. The French doors that open onto the balcony are an excellent canvas for frosted designs and Sarah can achieve her desired look with temporary frosted vinyl decals with no argument from landlord.
Perhaps when Sarah and Tim finally purchase the property of their dreams she will opt for the frosted vinyl instead of glass etching based on her experience with it and the ability to change it as often as she likes.
