You definitely love tables with glass tops. Be it your end table, coffee table, or dining table, there is something about glass that makes it look and feel better than other materials. Although they make any home look stylish, they also pose huge dangers. Here is why.
Tables that have glass tops have always been preferred by most homeowners. Their popularity is mainly as a result of adding sophistication and style in any home.
However, they are major contributors to injuries especially among children. Every year, emergency rooms are receiving an increasing number of children injured by glass tables.
Current reports indicate that emergency rooms receive about 20,000 cases of seriously injured children as a result of these tables annually. This figure is just for children. Adults also get injured. This figure shows that there are serious dangers with these table tops.
Children are fond of running around the home and jumping from one place to another and they may slip and fall on a glass table top. Adults tend to forget and they find themselves sitting on these tables and it may break under their weight and in the process get injured.
The elderly may also lose their balance only to fall on the glass and get injured. This happens very quickly and anyone can get injured.
What’s The Best Solution to This Danger?
The type and quality of glass you use for your table will determine its safety. Annealed glass is dangerous to use on tables. It breaks into several pieces of glass which are jagged and large. Such sharp pieces of broken glass can severe arteries in case you fell on them.
Tempered glass is the most recommendable glass for use on tables. It is similar to the glass used on motor vehicle windows.
It is also known as safety glass since it breaks into multiple tiny and blunt pieces. Although these tiny pieces may still cut you, they are less likely to cause serious injuries.
When you go out buying table tops made of glass, check for a mark or sticker labeled “Tempered Glass” or “Safety Glass”. In case you don’t find such a sticker, the glass might be annealed or regular glass and such glass is dangerous.
In case your table has regular glass, have it taken off and visit your local glass store to get a replacement. You can easily find a shop near you by searching on the internet or a local phone book.
They’ll use the current piece to cut tempered glass that’ll fit on your table perfectly. By doing this, you will have enhanced the safety in your home.
Whenever you admire a glass table top, always remember the dangers they present and if it is made of regular glass, have it replaced with safety glass immediately.
For more information, check out our FAQ on Glass Table Tops.