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It’s been a long while, but I think Fine Home building published a brief column once about bathroom windows that turn opaque at the flip of a switch. Some clever inventor sandwiched a “liquid crystal” between panes of glass. When a small electric current is applied the crystal is activated using the same technique as a calculator display – only much larger.
Did a product with this description really make it onto the market? If so, have any of y’all actually installed it or seen it in use? If I could just get a lead on where to look for it… I’ve got a client that really enjoys (and can generally afford) nifty gadgets – and he doesn’t like conventional window curtains or shades.
Thanks!
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Marvin made it a few years back. It was called "switchable privacy glass" and is now discontinued, so says their site. I don't know of anyone else who picked it up. Sorry.
P.S. I remember the price being around $100/sf, so it might have been out of your customer's price range anyway. Hope this helps. Rich.
*Installed a Marvin in a house a few years ago. It was pricey, but fairly easy to install. At least I don't remember anything painful regarding the installation.If the line was discontinued, I can understand why, as they led me to believe I was the only one who had ever ordered one from them.Call them. They may still have a few around, or may be able to track a distributor in your area that has one in a showroom and is itching to get rid of it.
*Long before my time--really--but I recently saw a re-run of the 1935 World's Fair, I believe. They had a house of the future that featured polarized glass that was moveable. To darken, you just moved the panels over each other. The same should not be hard to do in small bath windows. Personally, I have a window in our shower and I installed a new double-glazed window in the shower and then a spacer on the outside for an existing stormwindow and installed a venetian blind between the two--very private, inexpensive and nice looking! Good luck!
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It's been a long while, but I think Fine Home building published a brief column once about bathroom windows that turn opaque at the flip of a switch. Some clever inventor sandwiched a "liquid crystal" between panes of glass. When a small electric current is applied the crystal is activated using the same technique as a calculator display - only much larger.
Did a product with this description really make it onto the market? If so, have any of y'all actually installed it or seen it in use? If I could just get a lead on where to look for it... I've got a client that really enjoys (and can generally afford) nifty gadgets - and he doesn't like conventional window curtains or shades.
Thanks!