With the recent invention of toughened glass, it is now possible to have a form of bulletproof glass in your home. Toughened glass usually shatters when impacted with huge force, but instead of flying shards of broken glass, the pieces are held together by a thin layer on the inside surface. This feature makes toughened glass less likely to cause injury than normal window panes
This article discusses how toughened glass windows work and some advantages they might offer over traditional windows. With firearms becoming a more used weapon in our society, many people are looking into ways to protect themselves and their families.
One way that they do this is by installing windows made with toughened glass. This glass shatters when it is broken rather than staying whole like normal windows, preventing the shards from causing serious injury if the person most certainly would receive from a standard window pane.
In recent years, manufacturers have been working on creating a similar type of material for home use that may stop bullets from passing through them as well. This material called ‘toughened’ or ‘bulletproof’ glass has been produced using annealed glass and manufacturing techniques such as lamination and tempering.
What is Toughened Glass?
Toughened glass is a type of safety glass that is made from annealed glass, which is a type of glass that has been heated to its stress point and rapidly cooled (quenched) in cold air. This forms the toughening process and makes the windows tougher than traditional window panes.
When broken, toughened windows break into many small cubical pieces with rounded corners rather than sharp jagged shards like normal window panes do. Toughened windows are designed to be safer than normal windows for this reason. Toughened glass is four to seven times stronger than annealed glass. For example, you can normally stand on a piece of annealed glass without it breaking, but toughened glass shatters easily if something heavy lands on it.
Most toughened windows are made from low-iron tempered float glass with a minimum thickness of 6mm. Our polishing process creates a high-quality finish that has less reflection and allows more light into your home. Low iron tempered glass also makes the colour of our toughened windows very close to clear or ‘frosted’ which makes them perfect for bathrooms and kitchens where privacy is required. This is different from low e glass cost-wise and manufacturing.
Toughened glass is not perfect, it is very difficult to make and can be very expensive if mistakes happen during the manufacturing process. It becomes more susceptible to breakage when exposed to rapid temperature changes or temperature shocks which can cause stress fractures in the glazing.
Toughened Glass Cost
Heat resistance is another advantage of toughened glass. Tempered glass, also known as toughened glass, is a type of heat-resistant glass. For example, a typical splashback costs $149 for 700mm x 745mm x 6mm precut or $299 with textured glass. A custom cut, on the other hand, may cost upwards of $350 per m2. Tempered glass has many uses, such as a shower screen or a picture frame. It is 4 to 5 times stronger than normal glass and it can withstand sudden temperature changes.
The tempering process involves heating the glass up to 200 degrees Celsius and then cooling it rapidly by dousing it with cold water. Tempered glass shatters into thousands of small pieces when broken, but its edges are rounded and not as sharp as those of regular, non-tempered glass. As a result, tempered glass does less damage if shattered accidentally.
One disadvantage of tempered glass is that rainbows may form on its surface after it cools down from high temperatures or gets scratched during fabrication. These rainbows look like an oil slick on water and are caused by the different types of tempered glass used in the manufacturing process. Tempered glass is ideal for building screens, partitions or splashbacks due to its strength. However, it is not advisable to use tempered glass as a flooring material because it may break too easily if stepped on.
Toughened Glass Installation Cost
Installation costs may vary depending on a couple of factors. On average expect to pay around $100 but this cost may significantly increase or decrease depending on the difficulty of the task.
The first consideration is the position’s location. This emphasizes the importance of hiring local contractors. It may cost more to compensate for the time it takes to travel to and from the job site for a glazier from outside the area. Local contractors also have the benefit of knowing which local suppliers provide the best deals. An out of town contractor may have to send for goods from a distant location, resulting in higher material costs.
Depending on the condition of the glass unit, a replacement job may cost more or less. The quantity of wired glass toughened double glazing, or single glazed that is required may have a significant influence on the contract’s price. The difficulty of access to the roof may contribute to the cost of the project. Because of the complexity of installation, double glazed glass roof panels are more expensive to install. The cost per square foot for a glass roof depends on the thickness of the glass.
Replacement of double glazed window glass on the ground floor is less expensive because it is easy to reach. Because it is easy to reach and install, glazing table glass may be cheaper. The cost of a glass desk cover varies depending on the thickness of the glass utilized.
How to Check for Glass Window Temperature Changes
If a large temperature difference occurs between the inside and outside of a building, then a dramatic expansion or contraction of the glass may occur causing visible cracking on the surface. Temperature shocks can also happen with broken heaters, for example, this sudden change in pane size stresses the panel leading to failure from tensile stresses along with possible shattering from compression.
Toughened glass is not perfect, but it has been designed to fail safely and reduce the risk of injury from broken windows. It can be costly to replace toughened glass so prevention through safety films such as our easy-to-fit Armourcoat or Armorclad films may help avoid possible injury and damage to your home.
Toughened Glass vs Laminated Glass
Toughened glass is a type of safety glass that’s up to five times stronger than regular glass and it cannot be shattered with bare hands. It can withstand great force, such as from a hammer or rock. In the event that toughened glass does happen to break, it breaks into little pebble-like pieces that are not sharp enough to hurt anyone. Toughened glass comes with annealed tempering process which causes compression in the surface of the piece while laminated safety glass has a layer between two sheets of normal glass, thus creating a sandwich that holds them together when broken.
One major reason for using tempered glasses is because they don’t shatter into large jagged pieces like other types of windows. In the event that one of these windows break, it may shatter into small pieces of glass rather than large sharp fragments. This makes it a lot safer for people inside the building because they won’t have to worry about large shards flying at them or their children and pets. Toughened glasses are more expensive compared with laminated glasses because of the manufacturing process involved in making them strong and heat-resistant.
Why Choose Safety Glass?
This type of glass has a special coating that prevents it from shattering into large, sharp pieces when broken. In the event of breakage, it may break up into tiny granules rather than shards. This type of glass is highly recommended for areas where there are children and pets around because they won’t have to worry about being injured or their loved ones being harmed. Laminated glasses are more affordable compared to toughened glasses because both types use a layer between two sheets of regular glass as a way to hold them together when broken.
What is Double Glazing on Windows?
Double glazing is a common term for having two sheets of glass in the windowpane. It improves the insulation inside your home so you can save more money on heating and cooling bills. Double glazed windows are sometimes preferred over single-glazed windows because they don’t allow air to pass through, which prevents drafts from occurring in your home during the wintertime. The installation cost may depend on whether you have it installed at the same time as the sash window or if it is replacing an existing double glazed unit.
Toughened Glass vs Double Glazing
Double glazing is an older method of adding glass panes to your window that improves insulation. Double glazing adds two sheets of regular glass between which there’s a thick layer of air or sometimes, inert gas. The use of inert gases can improve the insulating properties even further because they’re less likely to conduct heat than normal air. The installation cost may depend on whether you want to replace existing double glazed units or if you are getting it applied at the same time as the sash windows.
Toughened glass is more durable than double glazing because it can withstand greater force without breaking. The toughened glass used for this purpose is up to five times stronger than regular plate glass and cannot be broken with bare hands. Toughened glass breaks into small pieces of pebble-like shapes so they are not sharp enough to cause injury. This type of window is recommended for areas where there are children or pets around the house, as they won’t have to worry about being injured by flying fragments of glass if one of these windows happened to break.
Does My Glazier Need to Be Licensed?
Glass is a dangerous product and there have been injuries and even deaths caused by glass. It’s important to have someone who knows what they’re doing handle the glass so it doesn’t suffer from any damages during installation. A lot of people think that being a glazier means you can do anything as long as it has something to do with glass, but you need proper training and certification before you begin working for commercial or residential properties.
A glazier is required to be certified in all products used on the job site, whether those are custom-made pieces or stock items. You might also need a separate license depending on where your business is located because some states require a special license for businesses within their jurisdiction. Most reputable glazing companies may ask for your contractor’s license and insurance information before they can begin working on the job site.
Make sure that your glazier is licensed with the glass and glazing association in Australia.
What Factors Affect Glass and Glazing Costs?
There are many factors that affect the total cost of installing or replacing the glass. For products like windows, there might be different designs that offer better insulation and protection for your home. On the other hand, there are also aesthetic considerations to take into account because you might prefer one design over another. You can also have custom-made pieces made if you want to bring something attention-grabbing to the area where they’ll be installed.
Glass is very common, but it can be expensive to use for windows and other structures. The price may depend on the type of glass you’re getting installed, its shape and size, thickness, whether it’s custom-made or not, and the number of pieces that need to be placed into your window frame. You can add more panes in a single unit if you think one sheet of glass won’t offer enough insulation from the elements when they’re outside.
In this job, all aspects may be taken into account when pricing work because there are many different factors influencing the cost of glazing services. For a cleaner installation or a better look in your home, you might want to go with a specific design instead of going with stock items. If you want a custom-made piece but you’re on a budget, you might want to explore the option of getting a used window as these are typically cheaper than brand new models.
