As much as we talk about Ultra Clear Mirrors, they miraculously don’t have their own blog post. And it’s about time!
So here it is!
What’s the Difference Between Ultra Clear and Regular Clear?
So we’re all familiar with ultra clear glass right? Because it all starts there. Glass with iron in it has a green hue to it – which is most of the glass we see around us unfortunately. It’s cheaper, and lower in quality, and the greener it is the more iron it contains. That’s why you’ll commonly see me use the long title of ‘Low Iron Ultra Clear Glass’, because that’s what it is. The glass has a low iron content so that there is no green hue to discolor the glass.
Mirrors start out as glass, so the glass is what is really crucial. They’re made by adding a silvering to the back side of a piece of glass, so if you use cheap green glass, you’re going to end up with a cheap green mirror – and that’s not good. Don’t spend your money on lower quality items because in the long run, you’ll be spending more in replacing them than if you go with a good quality piece.
Why Does it Matter?
So you may be sitting there saying, “ok, so what? If I’ve never noticed the difference before, is it really that important?” Yes, yes it is important. It’s important for the same reasons that Ultra Clear Glass in your shower enclosures, wine enclosures, back painted glass – in any and all applications for glass. You don’t want that discoloration!
Believe me when I tell you, white walls and ceilings don’t look good reflected green. Off white colors turn a weird hue in the reflection, and any kind of colored wall gets completely distorted. You wouldn’t put green glass over your brand new tile right? So why would you give it a green reflection? We would never paint a custom backsplash on the back of green glass to turn its true color, so why would you reflect your walls green?
Here is an example of the green you see in standard clear mirror. Pretty shocking right?!?
They’re Made Better
Our mirrors here at Builders Glass are a premium mirror made with a backing to last. So not only do you get a clean and pristine reflection with Ultra Clear Mirror, but you get a mirror that’s going to hold up strong. A lot of the green mirrors, because they are made with cheap glass, are also made with cheap silver backing. They tend to blacken around the edges faster, and spot up. Antique mirror is great when intentional, but not on your mirrors that you have had installed for only a couple of years. If that. If you’re doing a renovation or an upgrade, do yourself a favor and save yourself the time and money and get good quality mirrors that are going to last you a long time AND give you the best reflection possible.
Mirror Care
Speaking of blackening edges and premature antiquing, here is some really important information you should know regarding mirrors of any standard. Because you may not have Ultra Clear Mirrors at this very moment, but learning how to care for your mirrors now will help get you in the habit for when you do. It’s like getting a puppy before you have kids.
A lot of glass cleaners that are popular in homes are heavy with ammonia. Good for cleaning? Yes. But REALLY bad for your mirrors. Ammonia eats the silvering on the back of mirrors… which is what makes the mirror a mirror. So you can see how that creates a problem. A HUGE one. Yeah, that windex will make the glass real shiny but – after a while, it WILL eat through your mirrors.
But we have a solution! The best solution in my opinion. Hi-Sheen! This is our glass cleaner of choice here at Builders Glass, and we use it on every glass surface. With it’s low ammonia formula, it’s perfect for mirrors, and will insure that you get that really great clean without the damage. If you want to know about Hi-Sheen and more of what it can do, check out my little blog on it here.
Your mirrors are important parts of your home. They create the illusion of more space, help bring in light, and reflect the beautiful world around you that you’ve worked so hard to create! So when you’re ready for new mirrors, come talk to us about Ultra Clear. You can see it displayed here in our showroom and hey, you may even get inspired.
