What Types of Glass are Commonly Available?
The Romans used some glass windows, but glass really came into wide use with the stained windows in cathedrals of the Middle Ages and beyond. The following types of glass are common in buildings: • Float glass: the most common type of glass used in windows, not a safety glass, will break into large, dangerous pieces. • Heat strengthened (tempered) glass: a type of safety glass that breaks into many small pieces, can have imbedded wire also. • Laminated glass: a type of safety glass that breaks but stays together as a unit.
