Types of Glass
Glass is used in pretty much every home and building in the United States and abroad. Here is an overview of the most common types of glass.
Annealed Glass is a basic clear glass that can be cut into different sizes and shapes and is routinely used in older home windows, for pictures frames, table tops, and shelves. There are many other uses as well, but those are the most common. The glass comes in sizes ranging from just 3/32 of an inch to an inch thick. The most common sizes are 3/32” to 1/4”.
Tempered Glass is annealed glass that has undergone a heat treating process to provide durability and safety. The glass can withstand temperatures up to 320°C or 608°F and is harder to break than annealed glass. When tempered glass does break it is into little pieces instead of shards reducing the possibility of injury. The glass is used for a variety of purposes including windows within 2 feet from a door or 18 inches from the ground, glass shower doors and enclosures, door glass, and sky lights just to name a few. Tempered glass is cut before the heat treating process and cannot be cut after it has been tempered.
Laminated Glass
is a safety glass similar to tempered glass, but instead of being heat treated annealed glass it consists of two pieces of annealed glass with an interlayer of polyvinyl butyral or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). The glass is designed to shatter, but the pieces remain together. It is used for auto glass, storefront doors, security glass, noise reduction, skylights, and rails or balustrades among other uses. Laminated glass is typically made from annealed glass and can be cut, but is available with tempered glass that would need to be ordered to size.
Insulated Glass is two pieces of glass that are separated by a spacer and hermetically sealed to limit heat and prevent moisture from passing through. The glass for residential grade window panes can range in size from 1/8” to 3/8” and the thickness of the insulated glass is usually no more than an inch. Insulated Glass panes are typically annealed or tempered, but they can be made with laminated glass as well. Insulated glass is used for both windows and doors and must be ordered to size.
