Expert extols virtues of glass

A building industry expert has said that glass is the building material of the present and of the future and that more has to be done to encourage new apprentices to see the benefits of a career in the industry.

According to New Zealand Joiner Industry Training Association chief executive Debbie Paul, the glass has grown from being simply a material used in windows to a bonafide building material.

"People think the industry is just a glazier up a ladder replacing a sheet of glass with some putty. But our glaziers never touch putty," she told the NZ Herald.

"Today, glass is such a versatile product because it is not heavy on maintenance. It can now be used in places that ten years or so ago were unthinkable."

Glass is now being used for everything from skyscrapers to conservatories and pool houses.

Only last month, Times Square in New York opened its newest attraction – the new TKTS Booth, which is made completely from glass.