Polished or Unpolished Glass Edges: Which Do You Need?
Edgework is the option customers get wrong most often. It is also the one that cannot be fixed afterwards on toughened glass, so it is worth a minute.
What the two options actually are
Polished means the cut edge is ground and then polished until it is smooth, straight and clear. It is safe to handle and looks finished.
None leaves the edge as it comes off the cutting table. It is a clean straight break, but it is sharp, slightly irregular under close inspection, and not something you want exposed.
The rule
Choose polished anywhere the edge will be seen or touched. Choose none only where the edge will be completely hidden inside a frame, channel or silicone bead.
That is genuinely the whole rule. The trouble is that people underestimate how much of an edge ends up visible.
Where polished is required
- Shelves — every edge is exposed and handled
- Table tops and protective covers
- Mirrors not going into a frame
- Any panel finishing against an open edge rather than into a frame
- Shower screens and door panels
- Louvre blades, where the long edges sit exposed in the frame
Where unpolished is fine
- Window panes going into a timber or aluminium frame with beading
- Cabinet door glass fitted into a rebated frame
- Panels sitting in a channel on all four sides
Even here, think about whether all four edges are hidden. A pane framed on three sides with one edge exposed needs that edge polished.
The part people miss: toughening
Toughened glass must have its edgework completed before it is toughened. The toughening process puts the surface under compression, which is what makes it strong — and it also means the glass can no longer be cut, drilled or ground.
So the edge finish is locked in at the moment you order. If you order a toughened panel with unpolished edges and then decide you want them polished, the answer is a new panel.
The same applies to holes and cutouts. Read toughened or laminated if you are still deciding which you need.
Does polishing cost much?
It is charged by the linear metre of edge, so it scales with perimeter rather than area. On a small panel it is a modest addition. On a large shelf with four polished edges it is more noticeable.
Weigh it against the alternative. An unpolished edge on a visible panel is not a saving, it is a defect you will look at every day, and on a shelf it is a genuine cut hazard.
If you are in any doubt
Choose polished. The number of people who regret polishing an edge that turned out to be hidden is very small. The number who regret leaving an edge raw because they were saving a few dollars is not.
Enter your sizes on any product for an immediate price with and without polishing, so you can see the difference before deciding, or email us at info@affordableglassonline.com.au.