Reeded (fluted) glass cut to size, Perth

Reeded, fluted or ribbed?

They are the same thing: glass with fine parallel ridges rolled into one face. Reeded is the usual trade name in Australia, fluted is what most interior designers and magazines call it, and some people say ribbed. If your plans or your cabinet maker say any of the three, this is the range.

Where it works best

• Kitchen and bar cabinet doors. Hides what is on the shelves but keeps the joinery light. 5mm low iron or 6mm clear is the usual choice.
• Internal doors and sidelights. Privacy between rooms without losing daylight. Must be toughened.
• Shower screens and bathroom partitions. 10mm toughened for frameless panels.
• Room dividers, wardrobe doors and display cabinets.

5mm, 6mm or 10mm?

5mm and 6mm suit anything held in a frame: cabinet doors, door inserts and window panes. 10mm is for glass that stands on its own, like a frameless shower panel or a partition fixed with clamps. If the glass is in a door, a bathroom or below 500mm from the floor, choose toughened.

Clear or low iron?

Clear reeded glass has a slight green tint that shows on the edges and in thick panels. Low iron has no green tint, so white joinery and pale stone stay true to colour. For a 10mm shower screen the difference is easy to see; on a small cabinet door it is subtle.

Which way should the reeds run?

Most people run the reeds vertically, along the longest side of a door or panel, which looks taller and hides fingerprints better. Horizontal reeds suit wide, low panels such as a sideboard or a bar front. Tell us the direction in the order notes; the pattern runs along the length of the sheet as standard.

How private is it?

Narrow reeded glass blurs shapes and hides clutter, but you can still see light, colour and movement behind it, especially up close. For full privacy in a bathroom choose frosted (acid etched) glass, or put the reeded panel where people are not right next to it.

Cleaning and which side faces out

The ribbed face collects dust and water marks more than flat glass. In a shower or kitchen, put the flat face on the wet side; on a cabinet door, the reeds usually face out for the look. A soft brush or microfibre cloth cleans the ribs.

Common reeded glass jobs

• Kitchen overhead cabinet doors: 5mm low iron or 6mm clear, toughened, polished.
• Bar and drinks cabinets: 5mm or 6mm, often with LED lighting behind.
• Internal French doors and sidelights: 6mm toughened.
• Frameless shower panels: 10mm toughened, flat face inside.