What is Tempered Safety Glass and do I need it?
Tempered Safety Glass is a type of glass that has been repeatedly heated and cooled. This makes the glass much stronger than ordinary glass. Also, if Tempered Safety Glass is broken, it crystallizes into small, harmless shards that won’t cut or hurt curious little hands or pets. You don’t need Tempered Safety Glass unless you’re dealing with an extremely large continuous glass surface such as a sliding door, in which case the stress of its own weight and the likelihood of something hitting it mean safety glass is a better option. Also, Virginia and North Carolina building codes require any glass within 18 inches of the ground or 36 inches of a door to be made of Tempered Safety Glass. This prevents someone from kicking through a low window, and protects your house from someone breaking a window, reaching through, and unlocking the door.
