Glass serves many uses in modern life. Insulated and specially treated glass keeps in warmed or cooled air and provides good condensation and sound control. Tempered and laminated glass makes doors and windows more secure. In large commercial buildings, glass panels give office buildings a distinctive look while reducing the need for artificial lighting. The creative use of large windows, glass doors, skylights, and sunroom additions makes homes bright, airy, and inviting.
Glaziers are responsible for selecting, cutting, installing, replacing, and removing all types of glass. They generally work on one of several types of projects. Residential glazing involves work such as replacing glass in home windows; installing glass mirrors, shower doors, and bathtub enclosures; and fitting glass for tabletops and display cases. On commercial interior projects, glaziers install items such as heavy, often etched, decorative room dividers or security windows. Glazing projects also may involve replacement of storefront windows for establishments such as supermarkets, auto dealerships, or banks. In the construction of large commercial buildings, glaziers build metal framework extrusions and install glass panels or curtain walls.
Besides working with glass, glaziers also may work with plastics, granite, marble, and other similar materials used as glass substitutes and with films or laminates that improve the durability or safety of the glass. They may mount steel and aluminum sashes or frames and attach locks and hinges to glass doors.
For most jobs, the glass is precut and mounted in frames at a factory or a contractor's shop. It arrives at the jobsite ready for glaziers to position and secure it in place. They may use a crane or hoist with suction cups to lift large, heavy pieces of glass. They then gently guide the glass into position by hand.
Once glaziers have the glass in place, they secure it with mastic, putty, or other paste-like cement, or with bolts, rubber gaskets, glazing compound, metal clips, or metal or wood moldings. When they secure glass using a rubber gasket—a thick, molded rubber half-tube with a split running its length—they first secure the gasket around the perimeter within the opening, then set the glass into the split side of the gasket, causing it to clamp to the edges and hold the glass firmly in place.
When they use metal clips and wood moldings, glaziers first secure the molding to the opening, place the glass in the molding, and then force springlike metal clips between the glass and the molding. The clips exert pressure and keep the glass firmly in place.
When a glazing compound is used, glaziers first spread it neatly against and around the edges of the molding on the inside of the opening. Next, they install the glass. Pressing it against the compound on the inside molding, workers screw or nail outside molding that loosely holds the glass in place. To hold it firmly, they pack the space between the molding and the glass with glazing compound and then trim any excess material with a glazing knife.
For some jobs, the glazier must cut the glass manually at the jobsite. To prepare the glass for cutting, glaziers rest it either on edge on a rack, or "A-frame," or flat against a cutting table. They then measure and mark the glass for the cut.
Glaziers cut glass with a special tool that has a small, very hard metal wheel. Using a straightedge as a guide, the glazier presses the cutter's wheel firmly on the glass, guiding and rolling it carefully to make a score just below the surface. To help the cutting tool move smoothly across the glass, workers brush a thin layer of oil along the line of the intended cut or dip the cutting tool in oil. Immediately after cutting, the glazier presses on the shorter end of the glass to break it cleanly along the cut.
In addition to handtools such as glasscutters, suction cups, and glazing knives, glaziers use power tools such as saws, drills, cutters, and grinders. An increasing number of glaziers use computers in the shop or at the jobsite to improve their layout work and reduce the amount of wasted glass.
Work environment. Glaziers often work outdoors, sometimes in inclement weather. Their work can, at times, result in injuries as they work with sharp tools and may need to remove broken glass. They must be prepared to lift heavy glass panels and work on scaffolding, sometimes at great heights. Glaziers do a considerable amount of bending, kneeling, lifting, and standing during the installation process.
| 1. | Read and interpret blueprints and specifications to determine size, shape, color, type, and thickness of glass, location of framing, installation procedures, and staging and scaffolding materials required. |
| 2. | Determine plumb of walls or ceilings, using plumb-lines and levels. |
| 3. | Fabricate and install metal sashes and moldings for glass installation, using aluminum or steel framing. |
| 4. | Measure mirrors and dimensions of areas to be covered in order to determine work procedures. |
| 5. | Fasten glass panes into wood sashes or frames with clips, points, or moldings, adding weather seals or putty around pane edges to seal joints. |
| 6. | Secure mirrors in position, using mastic cement, putty, bolts, or screws. |
| 7. | Cut, fit, install, repair, and replace glass and glass substitutes, such as plastic and aluminum, in building interiors or exteriors and in furniture or other products. |
| 8. | Cut and remove broken glass prior to installing replacement glass. |
| 9. | Set glass doors into frames, and bolt metal hinges, handles, locks, and other hardware to attach doors to frames and walls. |
| 10. | Score glass with cutters' wheels, breaking off excess glass by hand or with notched tools. |
| 11. | Cut, assemble, fit, and attach metal-framed glass enclosures for showers, bathtubs, display cases, skylights, solariums, and other structures. |
| 12. | Drive trucks to installation sites, and unload mirrors, glass equipment, and tools. |
| 13. | Install pre-assembled metal or wood frameworks for windows or doors to be fitted with glass panels, using hand tools. |
| 14. | Cut and attach mounting strips, metal or wood moldings, rubber gaskets, or metal clips to surfaces in preparation for mirror installation. |
| 15. | Assemble, erect, and dismantle scaffolds, rigging, and hoisting equipment. |
| 16. | Load and arrange glass and mirrors onto delivery trucks, using suction cups or cranes to lift glass. |
| 17. | Measure and mark outlines or patterns on glass to indicate cutting lines. |
| 18. | Grind and polish glass, and smooth edges when necessary. |
| 19. | Prepare glass for cutting by resting it on rack edges or against cutting tables, and brushing thin layer of oil along cutting lines or dipping cutting tools in oil. |
| 20. | Pack spaces between moldings and glass with glazing compounds, and trim excess material with glazing knives. |
| 21. | Operate cranes or hoists with suction cups to lift large, heavy pieces of glass. |
| 22. | Confer with customers to determine project requirements and to provide cost estimates. |
| 23. | Select the type and color of glass or mirror according to specifications. |
| 24. | Move furniture to clear work sites, and cover floors and furnishings with drop cloths. |
| 25. | Assemble and cement sections of stained glass together. |
| 26. | Measure, cut, fit, and press anti-glare adhesive film to glass, or spray glass with tinting solution to prevent light glare. |
| 27. | Create patterns on glass by etching, sandblasting, or painting designs. |
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