Bentley Home Renovation

Glass shelves make a great addition to your home. They’re far less heavy and cumbersome than wooden or metal shelves and are easy to clean. Plus, when compared with other materials, glass is resilient, meaning it will last for years without any signs of wear or tear. But are the benefits worth the hefty price tag?

To help you decide for yourself whether this is a good purchase for your home, consider these pros and cons first:

Pros: Glass can look very classy in any room of your house because it exudes an elegant sheen while still being sturdy enough to hold much more weight than others. If you have a lot of heavy books or other objects to display, a glass shelf can support them with ease.

Glass is also easy to clean, which is great if you have kids or pets in the house who are prone to spills and messes. Simply wipe down the glass surface with a damp cloth and it will look shiny and new once again. This will be especially convenient when you’re hosting parties where food might be served.

Another plus of glass is its transparency. While it’s true that glass is made up of many tiny glass particles, the fact that they’re so small and transparent means they let light pass through them without getting in the way. This makes them ideal for displaying artwork or decorative elements that need to be seen but don’t need any kind of other shading.

Cons: Glass shelves aren’t as durable as other materials. The main problem is that no matter how often you clean them, dust will always find its way inside. Unless you’re extremely diligent about wiping down your shelves each time you change their content, mold will likely take hold, causing little brown marks and discolorations on the clear surface.

Another issue is that glass shelves can be quite heavy, especially those that are larger. They certainly don’t require anywhere near the amount of effort to move around as other kinds of shelves, but they’re still quite weighty compared to many kinds of furniture in your home. This might mean you’ll have trouble when it’s time to change their contents.

And of course, with glass being breakable, you’ll always have to be careful around your shelves for fear that a little bump into them will cause them to shatter on the floor. This is especially a problem with large glass shelves where it may take less force to break them than you think.

Bottom line

In the end, whether or not glass shelves are the right choice for you will depend on your taste, the size of your home and how often you’ll use them. If you have light items to display or keep them in a part of your house where there’s less traffic, then glass might be a fantastic choice. Buyers are warned to keep their shelves out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources however to prevent damage. If you’re looking to buy, then The Home Depot has a huge selection of glass shelves you can choose from.