A Complete Guide to Clear Corner Guards

Clear corner guards are the most versatile type of wall protection available for hotels, medical facilities, offices, educational facilities, and other commercial buildings. Corners in commercial buildings frequently receive damage from luggage, carts, wheelchairs, and other objects as people walk down hallways and other walkways. Clear corner guards can be installed at any point during the building’s lifespan to protect the walls of your building from abuse. Inexpensively priced, clear corner guards provide an economic option for wall protection without sacrificing quality.

Dimensions

Traditionally, clear corner guards come in a variety of widths, including .75”, 1.125”, 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, and 3”. Most manufacturers also make corner protectors for unconventional corners such as rounded bullnose corners and wide 135° corners. The standard heights for clear corner guards are 4’ and 8’. If you buy directly from the manufacturer, you may be able to request custom heights. Although it is possible, we do not recommend cutting down clear corner guards. The corner guard material (polycarbonate, also commonly known by the brand name “Lexan”) when cut with a power saw can cause the saw to kick back and injure the operator.

Type of Adhesion

There are three ways to install corner guards:

• screws
• nails
• double-sided tape

Screws are the most secure attachment to the wall followed by nails then tape. If your wall is textured or uneven, double-sided tape may not effectively adhere to the wall. This is because the corner guard is 90° and if the walls are not 90° then one of the corner guard wings will not touch the wall as much as the other. With screws or nails, the surface of the wall does not affect the quality of adhesion. Read below to learn how to install clear corner guards with each of these methods.

Material Strength

Clear corner guards are manufactured from polycarbonate, a strong plastic material used to make safety glasses, airplane cockpit windows, and skylight roof windows. Among the most impact-resistant plastics, polycarbonate withstands shattering upon impact. Additionally, the transparent nature of polycarbonate makes it a multifaceted option for numerous everyday applications.

To demonstrate the superiority of polycarbonate, we produced a short video where we tested the strength of clear corner guards from Commercial Corner Guards to that of corner guards from Home Depot and Lowe’s. We found that the clear corner guards from both Home Depot and Lowe’s (not manufactured from polycarbonate) shattered upon impact. Our clear polycarbonate corner guards retained their shape upon impact. Besides durability, we also discovered that our product exceeded our competitors in packaging, clarity, thickness, and price.

The Benefit of Transparency

Perhaps the most significant benefit of clear corner guards is their transparency. The ability to see the color or pattern of the wall through the corner guard provides an aesthetic appearance without clashing against the building’s interior design.

Cons of Clear Corner Guards

The primary downside of clear corner guards is that their transparency allows you to subtly see the tape, screws, or nails through the corner guard.

Cost

Generally the most inexpensive types of corner guards, the cost of clear corner guards ranges from a few dollars to upwards of $50 depending on the height and corner. Starting at $1.35, Commercial Corner Guards offers the most cost effective clear corner guards on the market. We manufacture our own corner guards, which allows us to avoid many of the added expenses of corner guards sold by suppliers.

How to Install Clear Corner Guards

Three installation methods exist for clear corner guards. Before beginning installation, thoroughly clean and dry the corners of the walls to ensure secure attachment. Remove the clear film from the corner guard if applicable.

Screws

The corner guard comes with pre-drilled and countersunk holes and self-tapping screws. Hold the corner guard against the wall and screw in.

Nails

The corner guard comes with nails. Hold the corner guard against the wall and nail in. Use three nails per side for every 4 feet of corner guard.

Double-sided Tape

Remove the tape backing and starting from the top, push the corner guard against the wall and work your way down to the bottom, applying pressure on both corner guard wings.