What Glass Is Used For Windows And Doors?

Have you ever wondered what you could do to make your home more secure? That's right - there are steps you can take to make your windows 4-5 times stronger. Did you know that? All you need to do is choose a different type of glass - tempered glass.

Perhaps you think you have taken other measures to protect your home. Great, but don't stop reading because toughened glass doesn't just help keep the bad guys out. We'll also share how toughened glass can protect you and your family from accidents.

Want to learn more about this special glass and how it works? First, let's start with an introduction to the world of glass. Frankly, most of us know so little about glass that we just assume it was born equal. But consider this: there are many different types of glass, each designed for a different purpose.

By now, you may be wondering what type of glass is used in your everyday windows and how to tell if your existing windows are plain or tempered glass. But before we start talking about how to identify the type of glass you have, we need to understand both types.

What glass is used for windows and doors?

Annealed glass

The standard type of glass you can find in basic domestic windows is called annealed glass. Annealed glass is a softer glass that is slowly cooled during the manufacturing process to help it withstand temperature fluctuations.

Tempered glass

A stronger type of glass that can also be found in homes and businesses is tempered glass or toughened glass. Tempered glass is a type of safety glass that gains its strength from the rapid heating and cooling processes it undergoes during the manufacturing process.

International building codes require the use of toughened glass in certain areas, such as near showers, hot tubs and staircases, where there is a higher risk of someone falling into the glass. When purchasing, expect toughened glass to cost more than annealed glass.

What makes toughened glass a good choice?

Tempered glass is the preferred choice of window material for two reasons: durability and security.

Durability

Want to see how much abuse a tempered window can take? In side-by-side window glass tests, baseballs and golf balls simply bounced off tempered glass windows, but they would shatter annealed glass. Keep this in mind the next time you see a group of neighbourhood kids heading down the street to play baseball.

Safety

Fair warning: even a tempered glass window can break, but if it does break, it breaks in a very different way than annealed glass does. This is where your family's safety comes into play.

Annealed glass breaks into sharp shards that can become embedded in small feet and hands. If your elderly parents or your children fall through an annealed glass window, they can end up with serious cuts.

This is where toughened glass comes in handy. When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into smaller, smoother, more rounded pieces than annealed glass. Your loved one is less likely to be cut by the smooth edges of broken tempered glass.