A glazier is a person who is involved with structuring glass. He is a skilled tradesman who earns a living by cutting, removing and working with glass on a number of surfaces. These include doors, windows, mirrors, ceilings, the interiors of a house and so many more places. They are extremely important tradesmen mainly because a lot of the modern day interior designing banks on glass as the primary material of design. In the United States, there are more than 45,000 glaziers reportedly. Some of the states even require the glaziers to hold a license in order to pursue their profession. Functions of a glazier: Even though the definition sounds very simple, the job of a glazier is much more elaborate. It is not just merely cutting glass, there is a lot more to it. Let us have a look at some of the duties the glaziers perform.
Cutting, fitting and assembling glass on to metal framed structures. These are mainly put to use in the bathrooms including showers and bathtubs, display light casings, skylights and the likes.
A glazier is also responsible for transporting glass material in trucks. They load and unload the glass materials in the trucks. Glass is loaded on to the trucks by means of suction cups or cranes.
Fitting metal or wooden materials on to frames using steel and aluminum. This is done in order to facilitate glass fittings.
Working on windows or doors to get the wooden framework installed so that the glass can be attached to it later. This is done with simple hand tools.
In the case of a renovation work or an interior designing project, a glazier would be expected to move the furniture around to clear floor space and also cover some of it with pieces of cloth.
Once again, in case of renovation services, the broken and old pieces of glass are removed in order to make space for the new installations.
Smoothening glass pieces are an important part of a glazier’s job. They are expected to make the edges smooth, grind and polish the surfaces.
Interpreting blueprints in order to carry out installation processes.
Making patterns on glass with the help of processes like etching, sandblasting and design paintings in order to make way for new interior designs. All these are the various functions of glazier. Work environment: The job of a glazier is very physically demanding. This requires working odd hours because external constructions are usually not favored during the day. Besides, it would mean long working hours of physical labor in order to meet deadlines of projects. Glass transportation is also a major part of the glazier’s job profile requiring physical effort. Occupational hazards: The life of a glazier is not as safe and simple as it sounds. There are a number of occupational hazards involved. For instance, the tradesmen working at a site could be injured by the pieces of glass or tools falling from a height. Improper transportation of glass is another major problem for the glaziers. Since glass is a heavy material, it is risky to transport. There are a number of such dangerous impacts associated with working with glass. How to become a glazier? In spite of all the difficulties, there are many glaziers around the world. This is especially true for people interested in construction and architecture; they will find this job very interesting. To become a glazier, one would need a high school degree and then try to learn the skills of the trade by taking part in an apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program is typically carried out for four years.
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