You take a lot of pride in your company. As a successful business owner, you’ve always put in the hours to hit your targets and offer top-notch service, and it shows. But your drive doesn’t just end with the logistics of running a business. It extends to other areas of business ownership, like ensuring your office looks up to date and reflects your company’s style and branding. 

How can you best achieve a sleek, modern look for your workplace?

When revamping your office, think about incorporating glass in your interior. Glass panels and partitions are one of the best ways you can update your look. They can help you achieve a style that fits your company’s particular aesthetic, emphasizing parts of your office that you want to stand out. But there are so many different types of glass partition, so how do you know which ones will best suit your particular needs? In this article, we’ll cover the five most common types of glass partitions used to revitalize office spaces, as well as their strengths. 

1. Glass Wall

Glass walls are a classic way to break up a workplace and give your office a very modern and chic vibe. But glass walls do more than just enhance the appearance of a workspace. They also provide several other benefits, such as:

• Letting in more natural light – Glass walls let the natural light coming in through your windows filter throughout the whole office, creating a bright, airy space that encourages alertness and productivity. Plus, because glass walls promote natural light, offices that use glass walls don’t have to rely on as many ceiling, standing, or desks lights, significantly reducing energy usage and costs.
• Making the space feel larger – Did you know that offices now are about 30% smaller on average than they were in the 2000s?¹ By installing glass walls and partitions, you can create the impression of more open space and make your office feel larger than it actually is. These types of partitions also take up less room than typical walls or other dividers, making them more space-efficient
• Allowing for easier removal – It’s much more challenging to remove typical walls or office dividers than taking out a glass partition. This means if you need to remove or adjust the placement of your glass partitions later on, you can do so without wasting your business’ precious time. 

Another positive of glass walls is their versatility. There are many different types of glass walls, so you can use them to serve specific purposes (unlike normal walls or dividers, which can really only be used in one way). Glass walls are also customizable and can be designed to fit and enhance spaces typical walls cannot.

Let’s take a look at some of the different types of glass walls available. 

Soundproof Glass

You probably have a space in your office that needs a little bit more privacy, such as a conference room where you don’t want meetings to be overheard. If so, then soundproof glass is the way to go. It helps:

• Eliminate 75-95% of noise in a space
• Maintain privacy while still creating an open workspace
• Soundproof a room to whatever level you desire

And if outside noise is an issue for your workplace, you can also have soundproof windows installed to keep your office quiet and productive.

Privacy Glass

This is another specialized type of glass wall you can use to revamp your office. Privacy glass can either be less transparent than standard glass or contain an opaque section to block views completely. 

Privacy glass can also:

• Help cut down on office distractions
• Increase employees’ feelings of security
• Provide an opportunity for further branding by displaying your logo on the translucent or opaque sections

Using glass walls puts you in control of your office design. They give you the flexibility to address privacy and noise concerns at whatever level you need and will make your office feel sleek and up-to-date.

2. Cubicles

Cubicles are a staple in many offices, and for good reason. Cubicles allow employees to have their own space and collaborate with others in their area when working on shared projects. They can also help you take full advantage of your office’s storage space as employees can keep their belongings in their own designated areas. 

By updating your cubicles with glass partitions, you can have the best of both glass walls and cubicles. Glass cubicles offer some advantages that typical cubicles don’t while furthering some of their existing benefits, such as:

• Making employee workspaces brighter
• Improving communication since employees can see each other
• Creating a more vibrant workplace

Plus, it’s easy to reinstall and reconfigure glass cubicles. And if you’re concerned that glass cubicles will offer less privacy, you can always customize them with privacy glass. This way, your cubicles can maintain your employees’ sense of security while still allowing them to better communicate with each other.

3. Sneeze Guards

The ongoing pandemic has changed how businesses operate. Protecting both customers and employees is a top concern for many employers. Fortunately, there are a whole host of new products that you as a business owner can use to promote healthy practices as your employees transition out of remote work and return to in-person interaction.

One such product is a sneeze guard, which allows you to create a safe barrier between your employees and your customers. Sneeze guards are a great product to use if your business has any customer-facing aspect, such as a reception desk, cashiers, or concierge service. 

With glass sneeze guards, your business can:

• Look more professional – Glass sneeze guards will give your business a higher-end appearance than their plastic counterparts.
• Keep you up-to-date on safety standards – The current recommendation for businesses with employees who can’t maintain six feet of distance is to use a barrier to provide additional protection against coughs, sneezes, and other respiratory droplets.² Continue to affirm your commitment to safety with glass sneeze guards.
• Increase customer comfort – Customers favor businesses that have clear social distancing precautions in place. In fact, a recent report showed that 77% of customers plan to be more conscious of health, safety, and cleanliness issues when shopping at businesses due to COVID-19.3 Installing sneeze guards is a great way to maintain consumer confidence.

When searching for a business to install your sneeze guards, you want to have access to various styles and mounting options so you can find the guards that best suit your needs and match your business’ look. The professionals at The Glass Guru can help you understand all the options available, offer complimentary estimates, and provide pricing that works within your budget.

4. Glass Railings

Elevate the appearance of any staircases in your office by installing glass railings. This accent will instantly make your staircases more attractive and eye-catching to potential clients or customers, and turn them into a standout feature of your workplace. 

Glass railings are also:

• Safer than railings with space underneath
• Easier to clean and maintain than wood or iron railings
• Customizable to match the aesthetic of your business
• Able to offer better views than a traditional railing

Glass railings can also last longer than wood ones since they won’t attract insects, like termites, that degrade wood. They’re also mold and rot–resistant, unlike wooden banisters, so you don’t need to worry about replacing or refurbishing them if they get wet. 

5. Portable Partitions

Portable partitions are another one of the types of glass partition you can install in your office space. Portable glass partitions are outfitted with rollers so you can move them wherever you need them to go. These partitions might be right for your office if you’re looking for something temporary that offers the maximum amount of flexibility.

These partitions can also be made with sound dampening glass to provide a noise buffer between certain areas if needed. Plus, they’re helpful as a social distancing measure to prevent COVID-19 if your workplace is a smaller space. Glass portable barriers can reduce potential transmission in the tightest parts of your office layout.

Your Dream Office is Within Your Grasp—Let The Glass Guru Help

You know what you want for your business, and that’s a great thing. At The Glass Guru, we want to help you execute your vision exactly the way you see it in your head. We ourselves are made up of business owners, so we understand where you’re coming from and want to make sure you get the products you deserve at a price that fits your budget.

The Glass Guru is committed to offering the most cost-effective solutions to our customers. We know your time and money are valuable, so we’ll educate you on all of our available options—from glass restorations and repairs to glass partitions and replacements—to ensure you achieve the perfect look and feel for your business. Just make sure you know the best way to clean glass to keep your office nice and clean and tidy. We also allow customers to come to our showroom so you can for yourself all the options available to you. 

Take advantage of The Glass Guru’s local professionals, and get started on your office remodeling project today with a free evaluation. Your office will never look better!

 

Sources: 

1. Building Design + Construction. The see-through office: Why interior glass is all the rage in workplace design.
2. https://www.bdcnetwork.com/see-through-office-why-interior-glass-all-rage-workplace-design
3. OSHA. Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace. osha.gov/coronavirus/safework 
4. MedalliaZingle. COVID-19 & The Future of Commerce. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/393073/2020%20Consumer%20Report/MedZing2020-Future-Of-Commerce-Report-FNL.pdf