Question:
We have a c.a 1970’s home with floor to ceiling glass in the dining room. There are four large panels of glass. Is there any treatment (like glass tiles, or even wallpaper) that will adhere to the glass or will we have to demo all of that glass before we decide on a more modern wall treatment?
Answer:
One of the most economical solutions to large expanses of glass is to paint the glass( on the interior ) flat black, making sure that the glass is completely covered with a heavy layer of black, latex flat paint. Once you do this, you can install almost anything on the interior, such as new sheetrock, new paneling, the infamous shiplap that everyone loves, etc. The exterior facade will show a completely black panel, and the interior will be anything that you have decided. Of course you will have to construct a wall of wood 2X4’s on the interior to accept whatever finish that you have decided upon.
It is important that you consider solar gain. The painting of glass promotes solar gain and will cause the glass to expand when the sun heats it up. If the glass is insulated and the framework is wood, there should be enough expansion and contraction capability to absorb the expansion of the glass as it occurs, however, there could be some cracking of the glass once it is painted. If the construction of a wall is too much expense and effort, then simply paint the glass. Glass paints quite easily and with the new latex paints and creative techniques of masking, you can come up with some very creative ideas.