WHAT IS TEMPERED GLASS?
Tempered glass is extremely strong and often used for its safety characteristics. Not only is it extra strong, but when it breaks, it breaks into little pebble-like pieces without sharp edges. Tempered glass is ideal for reducing the likelihood of injury in the event of breakage in applications like patio doors, side lights, and bathroom enclosures for showers and tubs.
Tempered glass shelving is used in environments where annealed, plate, or float glass wouldn’t be practical. When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into “dull” tiny pieces instead of large shard like pieces. Toughened or tempered glass is glass that has been processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments. It has increased strength compared with normal glass and will usually shatter into small fragments, rather than sharp shards, when broken. Contents Properties Toughened glass is strong, has enhanced thermal resistance, and breaks into small cuboid fragments rather than irregular shards of glass and therefore is less likely to cause injury. Uses Toughened glass is used when strength, thermal resistance and safety are important considerations. The tempered glass that is most familiar to the average person is the type used for side and rear windows in automobiles. Its most familiar property is to shatter into small cubes rather than sharp-edged shards. Within the home, tempered
It is a heat treated flat or bent glass. Fully Tempered glass, if broken, will fracture into many small pieces which are more or less cubical. Fully Tempered glass is approximately four times stronger than annealed glass of the same thickness. (Outside of North America it is sometimes called, “toughened glass”).
Tempered glass is “safety glass”. It is normal glass (annealed) that has been heat treated to make it stronger. It is required in all doors and in certain windows depending on their location. Tempered glass is difficult to break but when it does break it breaks into many small pieces instead of large dangerous pieces. Hopefully this will prevent serious injury in the event that someone walks through your patio door. Building codes determine where tempered glass is required and your contractor will determine those locations.
Tempered glass is the most popular safety glass used that meets Uniform Building Code standards. The heating and cooling process involved in making tempered glass produces a product four to five times ber than standard annealed glass. ACI Distribution’s tempered safety glass is recommended for use as safety glazing for potentially hazardous locations including entrance doors, patio doors, sidelites, and shower doors. If damaged, tempered glass will shatter into small, blunt glass fragments rather than sharper, more dangerous pieces. Tempered glass is the most economical means of meeting safety glazing requirements. Back to questions.
