Safety glass is designed to minimize the likelihood of breakage and reduce the risk of injury if it does break. This category includes toughened glass manufactured for added strength and fire resistance.
Making Glass Stronger
There are two types of safety glass: heat-strengthened and tempered. Heat-strengthened glass is cooled more quickly than regular annealed glass, whereas tempered glass undergoes even faster cooling. Other methods to toughen glass include using multiple layers (lites) of glass.
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass involves bonding two or more layers of glass with a plastic interlayer. The heating and slow cooling process determines the glass’s strength, with faster cooling producing stronger glass. Heat-strengthened glass is nearly twice as strong as regular glass, making it more resistant to wind and impact. However, it breaks into large, jagged pieces and does not qualify as a safety glazing material by building codes, which require materials that break safely in applications like shower doors and storefronts.
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass, also called toughened glass, is created by heating annealed glass and then rapidly cooling it with air, known as air quenching. This process increases the glass’s surface compression and internal tension, making it four times stronger than annealed glass. Tempered glass maintains its color, chemical composition, and light transmission properties but is better at resisting thermal, wind, and impact forces. When it breaks, it shatters into small cubes, reducing the risk of injury and making it a certified safety glazing material. It is commonly used in storefront windows and identified by a permanent label or “bug” in the corner.
Wire Glass
Wire glass is produced by embedding a welded wire net into molten glass. While it does not strengthen the glass, it helps hold shattered pieces together, making it suitable for fire-rated windows and doors. However, wire glass is only half as strong as annealed glass and cannot be tempered.
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass consists of multiple glass layers with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer. This setup allows for clear or tinted PVB, which can vary in thickness. The unit is fused under heat and pressure in an autoclave. Laminated glass has many applications beyond safety glazing, including burglar resistance, sound reduction, and ultraviolet radiation screening. When laminated glass breaks, the particles of glass adhere to the PVB layer, preventing them from falling.
Bullet-Resistant Glass
Bullet-resistant glass involves multiple layers of laminate and glass with a polycarbonate material between the layers to absorb bullet impact energy. The thickness of the glass determines its impact resistance. Some types even allow one-way bulletproofing, enabling a person to shoot back while being protected.
Contact Cypress Door & Glass in Baltimore Today!
Adhering to safety regulations and best practices in glass installation ensures legal compliance and safety for both staff and customers. For more information, contact Cypress Door & Glass in Baltimore.