Safety, Shatterproof? What do these words mean?

For the love of glass

Since we created that very first piece of glass more than 4000 years ago, humanity has been in love with the lustre and versatility of this magical material. Suddenly we could create a transparent material to use in all manner of household applications.

Glass has grown up.

While our love for all things glass remains the same, its apparent that modern glass will be unrecognisable to our ancient ancestors. The size of glass panels and windows, the intricacies of glass art and its applications in some of our most innovative technologies, have all lead to a whole new understanding and appreciation of this ancient material.

Not all glass is in the same class.

If you have ever had to replace a windowpane or installed new windows or sliding doors, you will know that the options available can be confusing and expensive. What does the different certifications and dimensions mean? Which type of glass is the one I need?

Shatterproof glass (Laminated glass)

“Shatter proof glass typically is composed of layers of glass sandwiched around layers of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). Rather than the window shattering, this allows the glass to absorb the impact into a “spider-web” shape, while still retaining its fixed shape,” according to Fortified Estate

This type of glass is ideal for household windows as it eliminates the risk of serious injury from glass shards should a window be broken. It is also used in car windows and commercial display cases.

Toughened safety glass (Tempered glass)

“Toughened Safety Glass is ideal for bolted structural glazing and frameless applications. Superb resistance to thermal stress also allows toughened safety glass to be used in refrigerator and oven doors, where ordinary annealed glass would be likely to fracture,” according to Glass Window Replacement.

This glass is usually employed when there are clear glass railings, or walkways in commercial buildings or residential constructions.

Annealed glass (Float glass)

“The term “anneal” is mainly used to describe the glass-cooling process conducted at a fabricator’s float plant. It does not include treatment with heat, unlike tempered glass,” according to Dillmeier glass

Annealed glass can be carved, drilled etched or used in other decorative applications like glass art and mirrors.

Fire rated glass.

This type of glass is mostly used for glass doors in residential fireplaces and commercial uses.

What does this all mean?

The biggest difference between safety glass, shatterproof glass and annealed glass is in how the glass breaks. Safety glass can withstand immense force before it breaks but it will break into smaller pieces once it does. Shatterproof glass can also withstand high force, but when it does break it will not “shatter” out of its frame. Due to the plastic sheeting that is baked into this glass it should only crack into tiny shards, but remain inside its frame. It is important to note that both these types of glass can be between four and five times stronger than annealed glass.

Both of these types of glass are also infinitely safer than standard annealed glass

Take note: When broken, annealed glass will break into large sharp shards which increases the risk of serious injury.

This doesn’t mean there are not certain applications where annealed glass is ideal, but you should know the difference and make informed decisions when talking to your glazier.

Happy with the type of glass but not the look?

If you’re not planning on replacing any glass doors or windows at the moment or you just moved into a new commercial space, there are other options available to you.

With Windowart you can change the glass you already have to suit your needs or reflect your design choices. They offer tinting, vinyl frosting and even provide contra vision glass art.

Tinting will help reduce glare and inevitable sun damage in both residential and commercial spaces.

Vinyl frosting can upgrade the look of your space or simply improve your privacy.

Contra vision offers the perfect solution to improve your commercial space’s privacy while making the most of your available marketing space.

Glass seems like a basic material, and we don’t give it much thought (until there’s a crack in your windscreen or a smudge on your window at least). However, there is clearly a lot more to it, and it’s worth educating yourself before you make a choice you’ll end up regretting later.