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A glazier is a tradesperson who primarily works with glass, installing it in structures such as windows, doors, and skylights.

Glass has been around since the Stone Age, when naturally-occurring glass was used as cutting tools and weapons. Glassmaking began long before people learned how to smelt iron, but the earliest produced glass was used to make beads, and may have been a byproduct of metalworking.

The term glazier was derived from the Old English glaes, a reference to a person who manufactures glass objects.

In its natural form, glass is bluish-green, a reult of iron impurities from the sand used in its production, a tint that is still common in beer bottles. When it is combined with chromium, the green tint is enhanced, as seen in wine bottles. Other colors are produced by adding various metallic compounds and mineral oxides to heated liquid glass.

Egyptians created the technique of changing the color of glass and the art of glassblowing to create glass objects, such as jars and bottles, and Germans created methods of creating sheet glass in the 11th century.

In the context of construction, glaziers design, cut, install, and repair glass in windows, skylights, and other fixtures in storefronts and buildings. The work can be demanding, and they are in danger of cuts from tools and glass, falls from ladders or scaffolding, and exposure to solvents. Glaziers generally work full-time.

Apprenticeships typically require a high school diploma or the equivalent. Glaziers learn the basics of the trade during a four-year apprenticeship or through on-the-job training.

On the job, they learn how to use the tools and equipment, and to measure, cut, and install glass and metal framing. They cut and fit moldings, and install and balance glass doors.

Technical training includes various installation techniques, basic mathematics, blueprint reading, sketching, general construction techniques, and safety practices. Apprenticeship programs are sponsored by union and contract associations.

Upon completion of the apprenticeship, glaziers are considered to be journeyworkers, capable of doing tasks on their own.

Some jurisdictions require glaziers to be licensed, which typically requires a combination of work experience and knowledge, as well as the successful completion of an exam.

Glaziers may be eligible for membership in the Glaziers, Architectural Metal and Glassworkers Union, or in the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

 

 

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