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romansleftshoulderpad · 4 years

Text

Secret Siren

Words: 3,459

Ships: Platonic LAMP, background pining analogical, mentioned background Remile

First fic of 2020! This is Part 2 of the Building Bridges Arc, so I suggest reading part 1 here.

Warnings: Mentions of Deceit, mentions of Remus, teasing about crushes, jealousy, insecurity, lying, as I am not genderflux the description of it ended up sounding rather Textbook-y so I would like to apologize to any genderflux readers in advance

WCBI Tags: @fandermom @patchworkofstars @poisonedapples @hogwarts-my-love @opaque-puppet @omni-hamiltrash @darling-elm @madly-handsome @strickenwithclairvoyance @limitededitionsanderssidesblog @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @ab-artist @sometimeswritingsometimesdying @because-were-fam-ily @gattonero17 @analogical-mess @joaniejustwokeup @whycantihavemorethan32characters @viva-la-pluto-dam-you

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Roman wasn’t at Logan’s very much. Logan very rarely had guests over in the first place, but somehow that made days like these a little more special.

It seemed like a perfect recipe for stress, but days just sitting in Logan’s room and watching the sky were the most relaxed he ever felt. It was a side of Logan only he and Virgil got to see. He was laying across his bed, bundled up in a NASA hoodie and tossing a pink rubble ball up into the air on loop. He seemed to not notice Roman sketching him as they listened to music on Logan’s old CD player.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t just get a Bluetooth speaker,” Roman teased as if he hadn’t heard the answer a million times.

“Your lack of comprehension disappoints me, Roman. Truly, I am saddened by this.”

“Holy shit!” Roman gasped. “Logan Zander Hamilton has feelings?! Are pigs flying too?!”

“Thanks for the heart attack, asshole,” Logan said, chucking the rubble ball at Roman who caught it without flinching. “You are, by far, the worst of my close friends.”

“Aww, you said we’re close friends,” he teased. “Can’t believe I'm worse than Remy though.”

“Remy is only a close friend when he isn’t being an asshole.”

“But he’s always being an asshole.”

“Exactly.”

Roman smirked and tossed the rubber ball back to Logan. “So what’s the rundown?”

“Rundown?”

“The list. Come on, you can’t tell me you have a ranking of your close friends and not tell me the ranking.”

“It starts with Virgil and the more you push this the lower you get,” Logan said.

“Aww. Where’s Narcissa?”

“Number four.”

“Patton?”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Having powers does not constitute friendship.”

“That’s harsh,” Roman said. “Toss me the ball back, would ya?”

Logan tossed lower than Roman’s hands and smirked as the force smacked straight into his stomach. “I just... I don’t trust him, I don’t know.”

“You didn’t seem too wary of him at Emile’s party. Hell, you even sat next to him!”

“Falsehood, I was simply looking out for his best interest regarding Seth. That doesn’t mean I trust him any more than the one-eyed little cretin.”

“Nice Monsters Inc. reference.”

“Thank you, I try.”

“Aww, for me?”

Logan cleared his throat. “Nonetheless, I think we just need to be more careful with our trust. We still don’t know what he’s capable of with his powers.”

“We don’t know what Virgil is capable of either. Plus, Patton’s powers already put him in the emergency room quite preposterously.”

“Never put that much alliteration into a statement ever again,” Logan said. “And of course we can trust Virgil, we’ve known him for years.”

“My point,” Roman corrected, “isn’t that we shouldn’t trust Virgil. My point is that we should give Patton a chance.”

“You’d almost think you have a crush.”

“A squish! No- I- I mean, there’s nothing, but you know crushes aren’t my thing.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Not this easily at least.”

“Because of your crush on Virgil?”

“You bitch!” Roman yelled, laughing as he smacked Logan with a pillow. “I’m over it, I swear. And the bigger issue here is your crush on Virgil and don’t you dare try to deny this you two are one heartwarming conversation away from becoming the next Remy and Emile.”

Logan turned bright red. “You honestly believe that Virgil would-” He hid his face in his hands. “You’re the worst.”

“I’m saying if he could open his fucking eyes and get it through his thick skull that you’re gayer than the crowd of a My Chemical Romance concert than maybe he’d actually try to ask you out.”

Logan slowly looked up from his hands. “He- What?”

“If you’re honestly surprised he’s into you, then-”

“No, no, that actually makes sense. He thinks I’m straight?!”

Roman sighed. “We’ve been trying to tell him.”

“Smart enough to make honors but not enough to realize I’m gay. Wow. This is very troubling, Roman. Am I- dare I ask- Am I not gay enough?”

Roman laughed. “Could be gayer.”

“I’m going to have to write ‘raging homosexual’ on my forehead, aren’t I?”

“I’m afraid so. Don’t worry, I’ll write ‘enraged aroace’ on mine so we’re even.”

Logan laughed and something seemed to radiate from him. When he opened his eyes they were a perfect reflection of the night sky. He was able to blink this away but it still managed to cause a sinking feeling in Roman’s gut.

Magic.

Of course...

It was impressive, to say the least, watching Virgil work. They were deep within the forest as Virgil ran amuck and Roman sat against a rock with his umbrella on one side of him and his sketchbook in his lap.

“Okay, okay!” Virgil yelled excitedly. “Get your umbrella ready, I’m going to make it rain.” Electricity sparked from his hands and surrounded him.

“I highly doubt that,” Roman teased, opening his umbrella. “Unless you mean cash-wise because I’m willing. I’m even willing to strip for you if you pay me. I’m a broke bitch, Virgil. Give me your money.”

“Shut up,” Virgil laughed. “You’ll break my concentration.”

He ran past Roman, jumping into the air and landing in a superhero pose that had clearly been rehearsed. With a loud crack of thunder, it did, indeed, begin to rain and Roman raced to sketch Virgil as quickly as he could before his subject moved.

“Well,” he muttered to himself. “At least I’m faster at drawing now.”

“You okay?” Virgil asked, sitting down next to him. The rain hadn’t been strong, and it was already starting to clear up, but it was just enough to wet his face and cause his shirt to cling to his muscles.

“I’m fine it’s just... I don’t know. I’ve been thinking. Bad thinking.”

“Phone a friend or call a national helpline?”

“Phone a friend,” Roman said. Virgil visibly relaxed. “Specifically some magical superhuman friends.”

“Still worried about your powers?”

Roman sighed. “I just... you have that cool shit you just did! With the lightning and rain, and Logan is starting to develop his powers too. Even Patton, we may not entirely know what his powers are but he has them!”

“Maybe it’s like puberty.”

“This is not like puberty. I haven’t been able to do anything since the cave and just- I can’t stop thinking about if something happens. What if someone is in danger and we all need to help them? I’d be completely useless to you!”

“Roman, you’re never useless to us. And nothing is going to happen.”

“How can you be so sure, Virgil?” He looked down and whispered, “What if someone goes missing?”

“That’s a very Logan thing of you to say,” Virgil teased, bumping into him. Roman leaned his head on his shoulder.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen. There could be anything out there.” He sighed. “And I want to help if it does.”

“You’ll get your powers, Roman, and I’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”

“You’re a good friend, Virgil.”

“Only because you’re a good friend in return.”

And so, they sat there, leaning against each other as the rain fell softly around them. It was calm, watching the rebirth of nature, as the deepest of Roman’s anxieties buried themselves away, giving him a break- even just for the time being.

Roman had gotten used to being at Patton’s house pretty often. Dot and Larry had seemed to warm up to him (and since Patton started seeing Seth, Larry seemed more trusting of Roman). “Happy New Year, Mrs. Hart,” Roman greeted with a smile.

“Oh, Roman, you can call me Dot.”

“No, I don’t think I can, Mrs. Hart,” he said, still smiling.

“Oh, very well, will you be staying for dinner tonight?” Dot asked.

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family time and-”

“Nonsense!” Larry laughed as he passed through. He leaned towards Roman and stage whispered, “You’re one of Patton’s better friends anyway.”

“Larry!” Dot scolded as Roman blushed in embarrassment. “What my husband means is that you’re always welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

“Mom, are you embarrassing my friend?” Patton asked as he came down the stairs, he wore a baggy sweatshirt and gym shorts and his hair was messy as if he had just woken up.

“Patton, you need to look presentable for company!”

“He’s seen me look way worse,” Patton justified.

“I’ve seen Logan look worse, which I think is way more important.”

“Go get changed,” Dot said.

“Fiiine,” Patton groaned, quickly running up the stairs. Roman couldn’t help but laugh at how their sweet and gentle Patton could so easily turn into the human version of a lemon.

“I’m sorry about him, he’s just been so off lately.”

“Every teenager is during the break, Mrs. Hart. You turn nocturnal. I’m sure he’s just making up for being awake past four A.M or something.”

Dot sighed. “I suppose you’re right. And I suppose you should also tell your mother you’re staying here for dinner.”

“Fine, fine,” he laughed. “You’ve twisted my arm. I’ll go call her.” He stepped aside from the kitchen and sent out a quick text. He knew his parents didn’t care, but he still felt bad about lying to Dot.

He looked up as he heard a thump down the stairs. Patton was standing in front of him, hair-styled meticulously with a white and blue floral button-down tucked into a pair of lightly ripped jeans with cat socks on. Somehow, even his glasses looked perfect.

“You clean up nicely,” he said.

Patton rolled his eyes but held a tiny sliver of a smile. “Whatever, my mom just worries about ‘presentation’ all the time. You don’t have to play along.”

“No, I mean it,” he said. “You, uh, look really nice.”

Patton laughed. “Well, thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.” Roman blushed as they headed up to Patton’s room. “I’ll warn you, it’s a bit messy. I’ve been trying to reorganize but, well, you know how it is.”

“Can’t be worse than Remy’s,” Roman shuddered. “We never ask why it’s messy. Not after the incident with Dad’s car.”

“Cool, so, uh, remind me to never go to Remy’s house ever again.” He opened the door and carefully toed boxes away, clearing a path to his bed. “New decade, new me.”

“So what are your resolutions?” Roman asked, moving a pile of clothes out of his way.

“I’ve never been one for resolutions, they’re so overwhelming and discouraging when you mess up,” Patton explained. “I just try to be me, you know. Every day is an opportunity to grow and be better. To move on from the past. I don’t need a calendar to tell me when to grow up.”

“That’s a very admirable ideology, Patton,” Roman said. “My goal is to just be even gayer.”

Patton laughed as he moved away unfolded clothes and miscellaneous stuffed animals. “That’s a good goal to chase.”

“Indeed it is, but I think you called me here for more than just resolutions,” Roman said, waving Patton’s notebook in the air.

Patton took the notebook and grabbed a pen. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, this just means you owe me a movie date,” he teased. “No superhero movies, though. I think we need a break from superhero stuff.”

“A movie date,” Patton laughed, flipping through his notebook. “I don’t think Seth would like it very much if we called it that.”

“Then we can go on our movie date and Seth can continue being the human version of Avengers: Endgame.”

“Endgame was good,” Patton said weakly. He looked away from Roman’s stare. “Okay, fine, it wasn’t. But that’s not the point. The point is that we’re trying to figure out who this mysterious victim is.”

Roman’s stomach dropped like an apple from a tree. “So, we’re sure this is going to happen?”

“We’re being prepared in case it does,” he said, scribbling names quickly. “I still can’t differentiate past from future in these dreams but... I think this might be both.”

“Both?”

“He’s taken Remus before. Or done something to him. The name Moira comes up a lot, I think that might be the name of the woman from the club.”

Roman grabbed his sketchbook and held his hand out. Patton tossed the pen at him. As he quickly scribbled, he thought aloud, “Was Moira a random woman in a club? Or was she Morality?”

“Morality is a girl?” Patton asked. “That would explain some of the dreams, but when we met he- she? They?”

“I don’t think he’s a girl now,” Roman said. “She’s definitely not cis.”

“Too bad we can’t just ask.”

“Morality doesn’t talk to you?” Roman asked. “Sometimes I wish Remus would shut up.”

“Maybe that’s your power,” Patton teased. He made a grabby hand towards Roman for the pen. “Thank yooouuu.”

“That’s a lame power,” Roman said. “Plus I’m pretty sure Logan does that weird meditative thing with Knowledge.”

“Too bad there’s not a way we can all talk to the spirits and figure this out. Wait-” He scribbled something quickly just off from the chart he had been working on. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“So who’s getting kidnapped?”

“I’ve seen Logan in the hallways of where I believe our victim is getting kidnapped. It’s not him.”

“Okay, good to know.”

“You’re always with me whenever I see the missing poster. And everyone else I’ve only seen at the party, which had nothing to do with that man.”

“So it’s not Logan and not me,” Roman said. “There’s a lot of people that aren’t me or Logan.”

“I haven’t seen Virgil in any dreams,” Patton said. “Do you think it’s him?”

“No, no, it can’t be. He’s super powerful when he’s just dicking around in his backyard. In danger? I don’t believe he’s our victim.”

“Okay,” Patton sighed. “Okay. We still don’t have much to work with.”

“We have time, right?”

“I hope so.”

“Time for what?” Dot asked in the doorway.

“Studying!” Patton lied. “Yeah, uh, we’re studying for, um-”

“Patton has Mrs. Green for chemistry,” Roman said. “And her class is the absolute worst. Luckily for him, I had her back in my sophomore year so I’m helping him study.”

“Aw well isn’t that nice,” Dot cooed. “Dinner is almost ready so you boys might want to start heading down.”

“Sounds great, Mom. But you should head down now, I smell burning.”

Something shone in Dot’s eyes. “Oh dear, I smell it too! Hurry down boys!”

“You’re a shit liar,” Roman said. “I hope you know that. I’ve literally never seen anyone as bad at lying as you are. You’re so bad.”

“Okay, okay, whatever. I don’t feel comfortable lying.”

Roman reached out to cup Patton’s cheek. He stiffened up but made no move to get away. Roman brushed his thumb across the skin under Patton’s eye. “Interesting...”

“What are you doing?”

“Your face turns pink when your powers work, well, part of it does. It’s like the night you first, you know.”

“I still don’t know how to get rid of it! Dinner will be ready any second now, what do I do?!”

“Relax,” Roman said, pulling something out of his bag. “This was too light for me, but I think it can work for you.” He opened a small thing of concealer and put some on his finger. “Hold still.” He leaned forward, gently applying the concealer and fully aware of Patton’s breath against his face. He silently prayed that neither of the Hart parents walked in.

He leaned back, ignoring the blush on Patton’s face. “That should work. Keep this in your blog in case something ever happens at school.”

“You think something like this will happen at school?”

“No, but it’s still better to be precautious. Now let’s go get some food, I’m starving.”

Roman had begun to spend a lot of his free time in the art room. He’d eat his lunch in a hurry, if he even ate at all, and quickly head over with his sketchbook in hand. It was nice to have a quiet space with just his earbuds and his art supplies.

Mostly quiet.

The earbuds hadn’t granted him silence for very long.

“She’s pretty,” EJ commented. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. You’re very talented though, who is she?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Roman answered.

“So, like a mystery woman?”

“More like a design I’m working on.” He flipped to a new page. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I guess not. I’ve never seen you around here before. Typically no one I know comes in here.”

“I’ve been a bit more motivated these past few weeks.”

“With mystery women?”

“You could say that,” he said. “I like your bracelet.”

“Oh, um, thank you,” EJ said, fiddling with the orange beads that spelled out “THEY-THEM”. “Not too many people notice it.”

“Are you fluid?”

“No, but I am non-binary,” they said. “I’m a demigirl but I’m also genderflux, which just means that how strongly I feel my gender changes. Sometimes I feel very strongly like a girl, other times I hardly feel like one at all.”

“So the pronoun bracelets.”

“When I don’t feel like a girl, she/her just feels wrong. They/them is fine whenever though, so if you’re not sure you can just use that.”

“Good to know,” Roman said. “I’m he/him all the time. I’m sure you already know Narcissa uses she/her, but the rest of us use he/him. Logan also finds they/them acceptable if that’s worth noting.”

“Good to know,” they teased. “Your group really knows how to throw a party.”

“Yeah, we all saw you and Narcissa on New Years,” Roman said. EJ blushed pink.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Roman quickly packed up his art supplies and put them in his bag before swinging it over his shoulder. “Where are you headed?” he asked.

“Art is my next class,” they explained. “I find it easier to wait here.”

“Fair enough,” Roman laughed. “I’ll see you around, then?”

“You certainly will,” they said with a smile as Roman left. Their eyes never left him until he was completely out of view. “And I’ll be seeing you.”

Roman was alone in his room, sketching every fine line and detail that came into his mind. He was never able to figure out his powers with the others. Could he figure them out on his own? He looked at himself in the mirror, his irises were red and his hair was turning grey. Green smoke twirled around his pen. “Are you just here to tease me?” The smoke didn’t answer. “You’re not very charming, you know. You can at least help me with this Patton mystery. I think he’s onto something here.”

Roman looked down at the drawing and saw Patton on one side of the page and Virgil on the lother. He glared at the smoke. “You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

He pulled out his phone and flipped to a new page. He had taken a good amount of photos from New Year’s Eve, and he wanted some drawings that weren’t strange magical lines. He pulled up a group shot from the party they had talked Seth into taking for them. He zoomed in on EJ’s face, the lighting gave them an almost orange halo. Roman picked up his pencil and started sketching. There was something familiar about their eyes. He brushed off the thought, deciding he needed to work on developing a more unique style.

He scribbled the rest of his friends onto the page, paying special attention to the highlights on Virgil’s skin and the curl of Logan’s hair along with the crookedness of Patton’s smile. By the time he was finished with the drawing, the smoke was gone and he looked like himself once again.

“Your tricks are getting rather tired, Remus,” he scoffed quietly. “You’ll need to find a new way to get my hopes up.”

He checked the time and realized it was getting late. He quickly put away his art supplies and headed to the bathroom, turning on the shower as he did a few more chores.

He turned on his speaker and let his Disney playlist play, putting away his phone as he quickly stripped down. He stepped into the hot water, imaging his stressors melting away down the drain. He closed his eyes and massaged shampoo onto his scalp, singing along to a song from the original Mary Poppins and completely oblivious to the soaps and hygiene products levitating around him.

#Sanders Sides fic #We Could Be Immortals

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timecanaried · 7 years

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so many miles between us now

Coda to 2.12 because we didn’t get to see the conversation between Sara and Rip that was spoken about in 2.13, and legion!Rip ended up being both painful and absolutely fun to write. This is my first time writing for this pair and this show in general so I might not have quite grasped their voices yet.

*********

She knew this was a bad idea the moment she opened the doors. But the alternative was giving up, and Sara Lance didn’t give up. And she sure as hell wasn’t about to give up on Rip Hunter. He’d never given up on her, even when he’d had every reason to do so. To forsaken Rip now, after everything he’d - they’d - been through would be not only unfair to him, but also unforgivable. The brainwashing had run deep courteousy of the asshole trio, but the old Rip, the real Rip Hunter, was still inside the imprisoned vessel somewhere.

And she wasn’t letting that Rip - her Rip - go without a fight.

Honestly, she didn’t know what she was expecting, coming in here to talk to him. Out there on the battlefield, Rip had been wounded and battle-torn and hadn’t intimidated her. He’d been the one vulnerable, lying in the dirt with Sara standing over him deciding his fate. Now, as she looked at him, some of the wariness had returned, and a slight inkling of fear came along with it. She was the Captain now, she was in charge here, but Rip emanated the very presence of power, even in his confined state. He was dressed all in black, so unlike the tan-coated clad Captain she knew, and the change in appearance had gone along with his demeanor. He had one leg perched over the other, a perfect gentlemanly appearance, and his arms were limp in his lap. He was seated more like a businessman than the raggedy wreck of a man he once was.

His lip curled when he spotted her, leering. “Well, well. It appears our dear Captain Lance has decided to grace me with her presence.” He shifted in his seat to lean towards her, his eyes mocking. “Whatever can I do for you, Sara?”

The use of her name - along with his acidic tone - sent shivers down her spine and she crossed her arms in order to hide how rattled she really was. Distorted images, still quite fuzzy and disconnected, ran through her mind: the gunshot, the way he almost tenderly touched her cheek like he’d done in the past, the hand clamped painfully around her neck, his cruel stare when he looked at her. It was there now. The gaze meeting hers was no longer that of her gentle Captain, but looked as though it had been permanently replaced with a cold distaste that chilled her to the very bone.

“Why don’t you start by telling me where the final piece of the Spear is, Rip? Or the whereabouts of Commander Steel?” She demanded tightly. When he didn’t answer, just continued to glower at her, she pressed on a little more forcefully; desperately. “Come on. Deep down, I know that the old you is still in there somewhere, and that Rip would still want to help us.” Help me, she added to herself.

Rip scoffed, rolling his eyes. “The old me was a fool. And you are as well if you believe I’d help you locate the last fragment. You really expect me to leave all of reality in you and your team’s grubby hands?”

“But you’re content to leave it to the Legion?” Sara asked disbelievingly. “The same bastards that abandoned you on the battlefield? If I hadn’t saved you, you would’ve been dead. They left you to die.”

“Wow, goodie for me then that you didn’t,” Rip said sarcastically. “The old me was wrong about you, you know. He never told you, not explicitly, but he left you in charge of the Waverider. He wanted you to be Captain in his absence. He believed that you - and you alone - had the temperament for handling such a task, but he was wrong. You’re not strong enough, Sara. Not anymore. You’re weak, and it’s the humanity that the old me encouraged you to embrace that has made you so. If you were smart, strong, you would have done the same as Thawne and the others did and left me.”

Sara bit the inside of her cheek in frustration, but forced herself to remain calm. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction. “No, Rip. You know what’s weak? The fact that your newfound loyalty to the Legion is going to let them rewrite the fabric of reality, when they’re the ones who betrayed you. They corrupted you. This team - your team - is still trying to save the world, to save you.”

“I never expressed any desire for you to save me, and quite frankly, I don’t need it.” He sneered. “You’re also wrong on the account that I feel any loyalty whatsoever to Thawne or his lackeys. I am loyal to myself alone.” Rip abruptly turned his back to her, and waved a hand carelessly in farewell.

“That will be all, Captain.”

She stood there for a moment just staring at him, stunned, and she was sure he could see her thunderstruck expression reflected in the opaque glass cell because she could, too. It was unlike her, to be so caught off guard by her own emotions. But Rip had been good at making her feel a lot lately. Finally, she remembered how to walk again and retreated back the way she came. Her legs felt like lead, as though they might cave under her. It wasn’t until she’d exited the brig that she realized the sudden weight upon her was agony. Tears sprung to her eyes and she harshly brushed them away.

Rip's curt dismissal had hurt more than any biting words he’d said.

#you ask and you shall receive #lol #time canary #rip x sara #idk how i feel about it yet

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downingdesigns · 5 years

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2019 Buyers Guide to Glass Countertops …Written by an Experienced Glass Fabricator

Content

Interviewing Your Glass Fabricator

Author Qualifications

Glass Countertop Types and Terms

Textures for Glass Countertop

Glass Countertop Cutting and Polishing

Lighting Glass Countertops

Metal Support Brackets and Installation Techniques

Glass Countertops Cost

Installation and Shipping

Remodeling Trends

Conclusion

ERRATA: The Dumbest Glass Countertop Ideas on the Internet

Thick Glass countertops are one of the hottest design trends in Kitchen and Bath remodeling today. No other material enhances the visual beauty of your space like the translucent nature of glass. It offers endless creative possibilities which high-end designers demand when their projects require a luminous focal point.

This buyers guide will help you understand the many decorative options available to make it “POP” in your home.

As a buyer, we recommend you ask lots of questions of your glass fabricator after website visits followed by On-Site tours and first-hand inspection of product quality.

Do your reputation research. Know what you are getting for your money in writing upfront. Here are some good interview questions to start…

Questions for your Glass Countertop Fabricator

Where are your products Made… In the USA?

Are they responsive via phone, text and email? Speak with Who will Measure, Design, Fabricate and Install.

Share your Vision with your Fabricator in Sketches and Photos from e.g. Houzz

Are your Inputs taken when Designing Glass textures?

Do they Feel Passionate about their work…or are they just a slab exporter?

Are they Reputable ?

Get a written Quote with all options itemized with Installation.

Author Qualifications

This guide was written by Jeff Downing of Downing Designs, a professional design-build-install studio that has installed millions of dollars of custom Glass surfaces. He has an intimate understanding of glass countertop fabrication.

Downing Designs has a truly unique approach where human interaction and creative insight are fluidly aligned to imagine a brighter future for your space. Great things happen (e g. Prototypes) when we cross-pollinate our ideas with others. The result is a functional piece of glass art that has an emotional connection with their clients.

If you Google “Buy Glass Countertops” you will see many keyword-stuffed, ad-driven sites posting misleading statements and very odd glass high bar support ideas. Please enjoy our ERRATA section at the end where we’ve called them out for their misleading statements and expensive glass countertops installed in strange, half-baked ways. Buyer Beware!

Glass Types and Terms

Glass Countertops can be fabricated from a variety of glass. Float Glass is commonly used. Float glass is a flat sheet created by “floating” raw molten glass (a mix of raw material and recycled glass cullet) over a bath of molten tin.

Float Glass glass pieces up to 177” x 127” x ¾” thickness are available and are well suited for flat, back painted countertops and splashbacks.

3/4″ Low iron Glass Backpainted White

Low-Iron Glass is a Float glass with low amounts of iron which render a light bluish hue. This is critical when viewing the edge, as you will see the color intensity greatly magnified. Low-iron glass is well suited for countertops and backsplashes.

“Clear” Glass is a Float glass with higher iron content that renders it a greenish hue. The thicker the glass, the deeper the hue. Dont use “Clear” glass if you are back painting the glass as it will tint your final result.

Tempered Glass is created from Float Glass by heating in an oven and then quickly cooling. Tempered glass is about 4x stronger than annealed glass, allowing it to be used for thin glass applications e.g. shower doors, sneeze guards. Tempered glass must have all cuts completed before tempering. Usually, glass that is ¾” or thicker need NOT be tempered for use in bathrooms vanity tops, or kitchen glass counters.

Designer Note: Lighting flat glass with LEDs is a waste of money because it has no texture to create depth.

Slumped Glass is made by placing glass over a mold then thermoforming at ~1300 degrees F in Kilns until the glass “slumps” and to the shape of the mould. Slumping glass over large textured ceramic sand beds creates textured glass Sinks and Glass Backsplashes.

Fused Textured Glass is a process where sheets of float glass are thermoformed over a large ceramic sand bed and fused together ~1450 degrees F and then annealed. The annealing process “heat-strengthens” the fused glass product to almost 2x annealed glass strength. Fused textured glass at 1.5” thick is very strong and is an extremely durable material.

Designer note: 1” thick countertops do not have the visual depth on edge vs 1.5” glass but cost only fractionally less.

Textured glass hides the appearance of fingerprints and minor scratches.

Fused Glass with Colors is created using an inter-layer “paint” of glass frit and enamels and then fired. Vibrant colors are possible.

Glass With Colored Frit Fused in between Layers

Hot glass is the process of gathering and molten glass and twirling it into the artists final vision. Beautiful small artistic glass sinks and pieces can be formed this way. Examples include Dale Chihuly and “Big Wave” Dave Wight.

White Glass countertops (aka Nano glass, Crystallized glass) are a fusion of recycled glass and minerals created at 3000 degrees. It is poured, cooled then polished to a very high gloss shine. White glass countertops share a non-porous nature with Glass.

Pure White Glass countertops change the spatial relationship of every room they reside. In fact, they make kitchens and baths appear ~25% larger.

White Glass Countertops in Kitchen

From a 2019 survey on Houzz: White countertops continue to grow in popularity. Nearly one in three counters are done in white (22%, 27% and 31% in 2017, 2018 and 2019 studies, respectively) making them the #1 countertop choice for homes.

White glass is much harder on the Mohs hardness scale (7) vs glass (5.5) or granite (6.2) or engineered quartz (6.7). It is a superior countertop material for outdoors as it reflects much of the solar energy, is UV-proof, non-porous, stain-proof, requires zero maintenance or sealing, and does not burn from cigarettes. White glass comes in slabs 120” x 60” x 1.2”

Black Glass countertops are similar to White glass…but a deep, pure opaque high gloss black. These will get hot in direct sunlight.

Recycled Glass Countertops is a matrix made up of small chips of colorful recycled glass chips in a binder and sold in slabs. A concrete based binder for your recycled glass countertops will require a sealant application. A resin-based binder will stand up to stains better, but can’t be used outdoors…UV light will degrade it. Many choices for colors and binders are available. Vetrazzo, IceStone, Geos are notable brands.

Textures for Glass Countertops

Texturing Glass Upon selection of the glass countertop to be used, fabrication can begin after measuring, templating, and texture design. A like a bespoke tailor, a full-service glass countertop designer-fabricator will demonstrate ALL of your options to accessorize your glass countertop to achieve the utmost in “wow” factor. These critical points include:

Stamped Textures provide a consistent textured look that is omni-directional. These can be interesting when selected for the right environment.

Hand Sculpted Textures are artistically carved into the kiln bed to create the texture you desire. Deep textures create drama and are spectacular when lit with LEDs and downlights.

Hand Texturing Kiln Bed fro Glass Countertops

Designer Tip: Communicate and review pattern suggestions, and refine these until happy. Select a glass texture that enhances the personality of your room “flow”. Don’t settle for a stamped textured piece of glass when for the same amount of money you can have a custom designed statement piece that flows elegantly with the lines in your home. Make sure your texture flows from one piece of glass to another across the seam in multi-sectional countertops.

Air Bubbles trapped between layers of glass are part of their endearing “flaws” since glass is not formed under a vacuum.

They enhance the visual interest and depth of thick glass countertops. More Bubbles can be creatively added to glass countertops (with chemicals) if that is your desire.

Cresting Wave with Bubbles Included

Glass Cutting and Polishing

Kiln-formed glass must be cut to size and have holes drilled. Waterjets, wet saws and polishing tools with plenty of water are used. Make sure your glass fabricator has these in his shop to efficiently move your glass from kiln to cutting to polishing.

Designer Note: Make sure you inspect the quality of the edge polish of your glass countertop upon arrival. If it has lines from a worn out CNC bit, reject it! Your glass edge should offer a perfectly polished lens into your glass.

Lines on Face due to Worn Out CNC bit…”Shiney but Liney”

Lighting Glass

Make sure you have a thorough Lighting plan for LED Edge Lighting, Down lighting and Ambient Lighting so they can all contribute to the WOW factor of your glass countertop.

LED Edge and Down lighted Glass Countertop…Note Dramatic Shadows on Floor

LED Edge Lighting is typically this is the best way to light textured glass countertops. Narrow LED strip lights on the edge of the countertop allow for high levels of striking high-contrast color. Done right, your glass countertop will “POP”…especially at night. Color and brightness are achieved with a controller, usually a smart phone app. This produces millions of stunning colors that can even dance to your music. You will need to run wires from the LED strips to a controller and transformer to a 110v power outlet. Use quality LEDs…this is not a place to save money as they can be tricky to replace once installed.

Designer Tip: Your LED cover and wiring should be minimalist and allow viewing into glass as well as reduce the pixel appearance from the front. Get a plan to conceal the LED wires through the supports and lower surface.

Minimalist LED Cover…no Visible Wires.

On A Lighter Side Note: Our “proprietary” research shows that properly lit Glass High Bars are in fact “Time Machines”. Apparently, a huge benefit of the upward angling and soft mood lighting from our glass high bars is that it “turns back the clock a few years”. (It makes my vintage 1959 wrinkles almost go away…we are not sure how to price that benefit just yet).

Down lighting from the ceiling will create a powerful mimic shadow upon the floor and lower surface. It is a perfect lighting technique for High bars to complement LED edge lighting.

Designer Tip: Modern LED downlights are available that create a tight, well-defined X-Ray shadow upon the floor. They are powerful, dimmable and consume very little electricity. Aim the light to project the shadows where you desire…preferably at an angle to make the shadows look bigger.

Ambient lighting allows the glass to pop naturally during the day in a sunny location. Low iron glass is naturally beautiful when lit with sunlight.

Glass Countertop without LED in Daylight

Same Countertop Down lit at Night

Under lighting Glass requires a tall structure on the underside of the textured glass to allow for even distribution of light…which may be unsuitably high for your countertop.

Designer Note: It also creates a very “flat” lighting effect that minimizes the contrast of shadow vs light and robs textures of their visual depth. It “highlights” the rib structure of the underlying panels…and is not pretty. (see below). This technique does however work well with onyx slabs.

Underlit Glass Countertop…Looks like an XRay!

Metal Support Brackets and Installation Techniques

Supports Metal support brackets of all shapes and sizes are available.Custom metal supports must often be fabricated to suit unusual installs e.g floor-mounted supports. Your metal fabricator should be able to offer you any design you wish. Make sure your plan for your high bar is sturdy and elegant. Methods of attachment of the glass to the support include:

Silicone. Best used to attach textured glass to flat supports.

Metal Caps. Low Profile caps are best if caps are used.

UV glue. Fastest bond for flat glass to flat metal supports.

High Bar with (3) Low Profile Caps, No supports

High Bar with Low Profile Caps, Stainless Supports in Ground.

High Bar with Custom Supports…attached by Silicone

Designer tip: Many designs are lazy and use ill-conceived support techniques. They often prevent you from freely rotating in your high bars stools because your knee hits the support. Or, they use “hockey puck caps” on top of the glass to prevent you from having an uninterrupted smooth flow across your high bar surface. Look for these “beauties” in the “Errata” section at the end of this article. Make sure your supports do not interact with your knees at your glass high bar.

Back painting glass maximizes the visual depth of the textured glass countertop, backsplash or sink basin, while hiding the ability to see under or behind the glass.

Designer Tip: Back painting is preferred to laminating or painting your underlayment because gnats can find their way between the bottom of textured glass and the top of the laminate where their little carcasses will pepper the background forever. Not Pretty. Silver metallic and white back paint add depth. Back paint can be tinted to match your decor.

Textured 1/2″ Glass Backsplash Backpainted with LEDs

Installation and Shipping.

Expensive Glass requires skillful planning and experienced manpower to install.

Designer Note: We have been on a few time critical installations where cabinets, plumbing, electrical work, ceiling plastering were all being dome in the same kitchen at the same time! This is not good.

Please have a schedule that allows the glass counter to be one of the last installations...just like a valuable piece of wall art. Having too many tradesman in the room after installation increases the risk of damage to your artistic piece.

Crating for Shipping. Crates are specially fabricated for glass countertops with plenty of sturdy foam to cushion it during shipping. Make sure you purchase insurance t cover the cost of both the glass as well as the shipping costs.

Solid Crate for Shipping Glass Counters

Glass Countertops Cost:

As you can see, there is a wide range of options for glass countertops. It is impossible to conclude a precise cost but these numbers below can give you a start.

$100+/sq. ft. for ¾” flat low-iron glass. Backpaint, thermoforming, waterjetting custom shapes, holes, etc. adds to cost.

$350+/sq. ft. for 1.5” textured low-iron glass. LEDs, backpaint, custom shapes, size of piece, supports, installation, etc. add to cost.

White Glass and Recycled Glass are $125-175+/sq. Ft.

Installation and delivery costs add to the above.

Remodeling Trends

In an interesting article on Houzz, they show that homeowners are increasing their spending more on High-End countertops vs other kitchen elements.

Houzz Survey…Buyers are Splurging on Countertops

Conclusion

You are going to have to place your trust and money in someone to faithfully execute your glass countertop project. If your vendor cannot confidently lead you through each step in the design, template, custom textural sculpting, fabrication, lighting, back-painting, supporting, securing, shipping as well as installing, then find one who can …or…risk a poor outcome. Glass counters cost too much to risk a poor outcome.

Find a passionate glass fabricator that can listen to you and bring out the best in your ideas, create a plan and lead you through the process. The result will be an unbelievable artistic “wow” piece in your home.

Jeff Downing is the founder of Downing Designs in Downtown Tampa, FL. He has represented Hewlett-Packard and Philips Medical amongst others before quitting to open his custom design studio. His teachings and blogs help architects, designers, etc. to embrace creative new ways to use glass in their projects. He previously represented ThinkGlass for several years before purchasing his owns kilns to bring his unique artistic glass visions to life.

ERRATA

STRANGE Glass statements we have scraped from the Internet…”Fake News”

“On average, the minimum cost for glass countertops per square foot is $75, while the maximum cost per square foot is around $105.”

Clearly they have never made a thick textured glass countertop.

“Annealed Glass—Similar to tempered glass, annealed glass has chemicals added to the resin mixture to increase its strength.”

A chemical added to the resin??? This is glass, NOT plastic.

“Nonetheless, there are many other factors that can increase or decrease the total cost of glass counters. Supplies such as sealants and adhesives add an average of $2.45 per finished square foot of surface area.”

Sealants???? Why do you need to seal glass? Its non-porous.

“Contact with acidic foods, drinks, and certain cleaners can affect the surface and require fixing”

Not unless you are serving hydrofluoric acid to your guests! Nonsense!

Odd Designs Ideas for High Bars

Underlit Glass Countertop…Looks like an XRay!

This ugly underlighting completely ruins an otherwise nice glass countertop. Very Odd looking.

Glass Countertop with Hockey Pucks and Archaic supportsWhere am I supposed to sit ? Knee and Shin bashing will occur. Careful of those Hockey Pucks! I think Ill stand.

Glass Countertop with Hockey Pucks and Intrusive supports

Again, where am I supposed to sit? Knee bashing will occur. Shins are safe here. Robs the ability to seat people normally.

Glass Countertop with fat supports and LED covers

Where does my glass of wine and dinner plate sit? Look out for those hockey pucks! Would the Chef like to see the edge of the glass on the backside while cooking? No Chance! Glass Counters should look great from all sides.

What is the Point? No Cantilever, Lots of Hockey Pucks,No room to clean under.

Lots of hockey pucks, and fat under side supports in an otherwise beautiful glass piece.

The post 2019 Buyers Guide to Glass Countertops …Written by an Experienced Glass Fabricator appeared first on Downing Designs.

from Downing Designs https://downingdesigns.com/glass-countertops-buyers-guide/

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dorcasrempel · 5 years

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See-through film rejects 70 percent of incoming solar heat

To battle the summer heat, office and residential buildings tend to crank up the air conditioning, sending energy bills soaring. Indeed, it’s estimated that air conditioners use about 6 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States, at an annual cost of $29 billion dollars — an expense that’s sure to grow as the global thermostat climbs.

Now MIT engineers have developed a heat-rejecting film that could be applied to a building’s windows to reflect up to 70 percent of the sun’s incoming heat. The film is able to remain highly transparent below 32 degrees Celsius, or 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Above this temperature, the researchers say, the film acts as an “autonomous system” to reject heat. They estimate that if every exterior-facing window in a building were covered in this film, the building’s air conditioning and energy costs could drop by 10 percent.

The film is similar to transparent plastic wrap, and its heat-rejecting properties come from tiny microparticles embedded within it. These microparticles are made from a type of phase-changing material that shrinks when exposed to temperatures of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. In their more compact configurations, the microparticles give the normally transparent film a more translucent or frosted look.

Applied to windows in the summer, the film could passively cool a building while still letting in a good amount of light. Nicholas Fang, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, says the material provides an affordable and energy-efficient alternative to existing smart window technologies.

“Smart windows on the market currently are either not very efficient in rejecting heat from the sun, or, like some electrochromic windows, they may need more power to drive them, so you would be paying to basically turn windows opaque,” Fang says. “We thought there might be room for new optical materials and coatings, to provide better smart window options.”

Fang and his colleagues, including researchers from the University of Hong Kong, have published their results in the journal Joule.

“A fishnet in water”

Just over a year ago, Fang began collaborating with researchers at the University of Hong Kong, who were keen on finding ways to reduce the energy usage of buildings in the city, particularly in the summer months, when the region grows notoriously hot and air-conditioning usage is at its peak.

“Meeting this challenge is critical for a metropolitan area like Hong Kong, where they are under a strict deadline for energy savings,” says Fang, referring to Hong Kong’s commitment to reduce its energy use by 40 percent by the year 2025.

After some quick calculations, Fang’s students found that a significant portion of a building’s heat comes through windows, in the form of sunlight.

“It turns out that for every square meter, about 500 watts of energy in the form of heat are brought in by sunlight through a window,” Fang says. “That’s equivalent to about five light bulbs.”

Fang, whose group studies the light-scattering properties of exotic, phase-changing materials, wondered whether such optical materials could be fashioned for windows, to passively reflect a significant portion of a building’s incoming heat.

The researchers looked through the literature for “thermochromic” materials — temperature-sensitive materials that temporarily change phase, or color, in response to heat. They eventually landed on a material made from poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-2-Aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride microparticles. These microparticles resemble tiny, transparent, fiber-webbed spheres and are filled with water. At temperatures of 85 F or higher, the spheres essentially squeeze out all their water and shrink into tight bundles of fibers that reflect light in a different way, turning the material translucent.

“It’s like a fishnet in water,” Fang says. “Each of those fibers making the net, by themselves, reflects a certain amount of light. But because there’s a lot of water embedded in the fishnet, each fiber is harder to see. But once you squeeze the water out, the fibers become visible.”

In previous experiments, other groups had found that while the shrunken particles could reject light relatively well, they were less successful in shielding against heat. Fang and his colleagues realized that this limitation came down to the particle size: The particles used previously shrank to a diameter of about 100 nanometers — smaller than the wavelength of infrared light — making it easy for heat to pass right through.

Instead, Fang and his colleagues expanded the molecular chain of each microparticle, so that when it shrank in response to heat, the particle’s diameter was about 500 nanometers, which Fang says is “more compatible to the infrared spectrum of solar light.”

A comfort distinction

The researchers created a solution of the heat-shielding microparticles, which they applied between two sheets of 12-by-12-inch glass to create a film-coated window. They shone light from a solar simulator onto the window to mimic incoming sunlight, and found that the film turned frosty in response to the heat. When they measured the solar irradiance transmitted through the other side of the window, the researchers found the film was able to reject 70 percent of the heat produced by the lamp.

The team also lined a small calorimetric chamber with the heat-rejecting film and measured the temperature inside the chamber as they shone light from a solar simulator through the film. Without the film, the inner temperature heated to about 102 F — “about the temperature of a high fever,” Fang notes. With the film, the inner chamber stayed at a more tolerable 93 F.

“That’s a big difference,” Fang says. “You could make a big distinction in comfort.”

“Windows have been one major bottleneck of building efficiency,” says Xiaobo Yin, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “Smart windows that regulate solar energy intake can potentially be a game changer. One great advantage of this work is the materials used, which substantially improve applicability and manufacturability of smart windows.”

Going forward, the team plans to conduct more tests of the film to see whether tweaking its formula and applying it in other ways might improve its heat-shielding properties.

This research was funded, in part, by the HKUST-MIT Consortium.

See-through film rejects 70 percent of incoming solar heat syndicated from https://osmowaterfilters.blogspot.com/

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