We have written countless blogs about sandblasting versus vinyl stickers, and no matter from which angle you approach the debate, the truth remains – vinyl stickers win hands down every time. While we could use this entire blog to discredit sandblasting, let’s rather take a realistic, factual look at the pros and cons of both window treatments.
Here are four of the most crucial aspects to take into consideration when deciding on a glass treatment, and why vinyl stickers really are one of the best sandblasting alternatives:
The disruption factor
There’s no way of sugar-coating this – sandblasting is an invasive and expensive window treatment. The glass panes you want decorated have to be removed from their frames, and are treated off-site. This means you have to find an alternative way of protecting your home against opportunistic criminals that spot the wide open glassless gaps. Vinyl stickers are cost-effective and are applied in the comfort of your own home in just a few hours. This means there’s no need to worry about the safety of you home and belongings.
The privacy factor
The sandblasted part of any glass fixture, although frosted, does not provide additional privacy. You can easily see through the glass, especially night-time silhouettes and when it rains. On the contrary, vinyl stickers are completely opaque even when wet or at night when the lights are switched on. You would have to be within fewer than 2m of the glass to be able to spot the outlines of any person or item in the house.
The safety factor
Sandblasting can reduce glass thickness by up to 2mm. Not only does this substantially weaken the strength of glass in your home, but poses a security and safety risk. Sandblasted glass panes are easier to break, and should they be broken accidentally, everyone in the home is at risk from the dangerous shards. Vinyl stickers act as a protective layer to the glass it’s applied to. It strengthens the glass, making it shatterproof. So should the glass break, it will be held together by the vinyl preventing it from shattering into countless little pieces.
The protection factor
The South African summer sun, although enjoyed thoroughly by most, is extremely potent. Just as we protect our skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, we need to protect our furniture too. When choosing a window treatment, you have to ensure that it will protect the interior of your home. Sandblasting offers very little to no protection against the sun, whereas vinyl stickers effectively block out 95% of harmful UV rays while still allowing for 93% of natural light to stream in. Furthermore, vinyl stickers also help to keep out irritating glare so you can work on your laptop or watch TV without any disruption, regardless of the time of day.
Taking all of these factors into consideration, it is clear why vinyl stickers are one of the best alternatives to sandblasting. The Window Art team is ready to help you choose vinyl stickers to protect your home and strengthen your windows. For more on our extensive range of products, download our free Window Covering Guide.
Image Credit: https://applytoglass.com.au
