We’ve got a vacation property which is rented out in the summer months. In order to protect the horizontal surfaces (bureaus, table tops, etc.) I originally made custom fit plexiglass tops. After the first rental season it became apparent which surfaces received the most use/abuse because the plexiglass got scuffed and scratched and looked pretty shabby. We replaced the plexiglass on the coffee table in the living/TV room with plate glass and have done the same with several of the other surfaces over the years as time and money have allowed.
That coffee table glass has been broken several times over the last ten seasons and actually has broken twice in the last month. The rental agent is urging us to put plexiglass on it but we’re resisting because it looks so bad in such a short time.
Should I be using tempered glass? Anyone got any better ideas?
Thanks.
Replies
translucent polycarbonite...
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i wouldnt use anything but tempered, thing to keep in mind that it will explode if the edges are hit just right. but will still be safer than regular glass.
Woods favorite carpenter
I put an after-market sliding back window in my pickup when I was in college. Used the flat, rounded-corner glass I took out as a coffee table top. Worked great !
Greg
Make a solid surface (Corian) top. Solid surface is 60% plexiglas with 40% aluminum tryhydrate filler. The tenants will scratch it, but the scratches will buff right out easily. If you pick a lighter color, the scratches will be unnoticeable. They will be unable to stain it and breakage is highly unlikely.
Kowboy
Formica is your friend. Put it on with double sided tape so you can change it if someone carves their name in it.
How about just replacing the coffee table with one of lessor value with a more durable surface?
Take them back to college, cinder blocks and 2x12's.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
In college I used a wooden cable spool.
and if its a high class rental you can also substitute brick pavers.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
I think John is right.
I did the vacation rental thing and I didn't do anything extraordinaire to protect any of the furnishings. I didn't have any problems. Maybe we were renting to a dfferent class of people though? We were renting for 2500 per week.
Buy a cast iron coffee table, that has no glass.
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How about replacing the glass with cement board and tiling over that. Pretty, and a durable surface. It will go quick since you don't have to worry about water leakage!
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Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
+1 on the tempered. Very durable.
That is a reason (in addition to safety) any furniture w/glass is supplied as tempered.
I have tossed tempered patio door glass 2 stories onto a gravel parking lot. The glass bounced.
Thanks for all the responses.
Just looking around the web I found some frightening stuff about furniture with what the buyer thought was tempered glass only to find out that it wasn't when it broke and severed both jugular veins! He lived.
I called a glass place this morning that does tempering and he recommended against it because of what happens if the edge gets hit.
I could make thin strips of matching wood to "picture frame" the tempered glass so that the edges wouldn't be exposed. Or I could just cut out a new piece of plexiglass every season. I called a sheet plastics place this morning. They said polycarbonate (lexan) was no more resistant to scratching and scuffing than plexiglass.
I don't know. I haven't made up my mind yet.
Tempered glass scratches more easily than reg. glass and is expensive. For a summer rental though, I would go back to the plexiglass.Much less chance of someone getting hurt on your property with your furniture. Depending on the size, you might do well to buy a whole sheet and cut up a bunch of pieces, then when the top gets messed up, just pull out a new one and your good to go.