Spotting high-quality glass: an insider's guide
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What makes glass high-quality? Discover 5 essential things to look for when buying glass for a project.
As consumers, we live in a time of unparalleled choice. Show someone from the 1970s a modern-day consumer catalogue and you might as well show them a donkey with three heads. There are just so many options!
Yes, the market is flooded with products – and glass is no exception. Like most things in life, this isn't a black-and-white, good-or-bad scenario. It has benefits for customers and can give them a mild headache, too.
The main difficulty lies in identifying quality. How do you know, for instance, that one sheet of glass is clearer or stronger or more thermally efficient than another? To the untrained eye, they all look pretty much the same, don't they?
That's why we've put together this guide to spotting quality in glass products. We hope it helps you choose the right materials for your project, whether it's a DIY job or a commercial enterprise.
1. Clarity
Not all glass is clear. At ToughGlaze, we offer tinted glass, frosted glass,
glass with coloured interlayers, and more. Still, nine times out of 10, you want glass that's clear as day.
Not all glass, however, has an equally high level of clarity. This is because the manufacturing process can create unwanted optical distortions.
Take roller wave distortion in toughened glass. This happens during the manufacturing process. As the molten glass cools, it passes over large rollers, leaving a slightly wavy appearance.
Roller wave distortion doesn't affect the strength or durability of the glass. Often, you can only see it in a certain light. Even so, you want to be sure the level of roller wave distortion in your order is acceptable. Your best bet is to work with a reputable, experienced processor with high-end equipment.
The same goes for tiny scratches, bubbles, blisters and particle inclusions. Make sure these defects are kept to a bare minimum or eliminated altogether for peace of mind.
2. Energy efficiency
In recent decades, building regulations and best practices have changed dramatically in the glass and fenestration sector.
Rewind to the last millennium. Homes, offices and other public buildings were mostly single-glazed. This meant one thing: poor heat retention.
In winter, your heating would leak out into the street – and in summer, the building was a sweat lodge.
This way of living wasn't just uncomfortable. It was also bad for the environment.
Today, thermal efficiency and sustainability are more important than ever. But how can you tell if a piece of glass is thermally efficient?
Well, if you're buying
glass for windows, the more panes the better: you want double or triple glazing. This keeps the cold out and the heat in, meaning you'll be reaching for the thermostat less often.
Then there are special types of glass manufactured for thermal efficiency: low-emissivity (low-E) glass, for instance. This is coated in a microscopic metal oxide that reflects heat back into the room. Solar control glass has a similar effect via a slightly different method.
But perhaps your best bet is to invest in toughened or laminated glass. This is great at promoting heat retention – and it's tough as old boots, too.
3. Strength
When it comes to glass, strength is all. This is true whether you're getting new windows in the kitchen or managing a large-scale structural glazing project. No matter how clear and thermally efficient your materials are, safety calls for super-strong glass.
Toughened and laminated glass are the way to go.
Toughened glass is around five times stronger than standard float glass – and it's all thanks to the manufacturing process. Glass is toughened in a furnace at an extremely high temperature and then cooled rapidly.
This means that when it breaks, it shatters into lots of harmless particles rather than rough injurious shards.
Laminated glass, by contrast, is a kind of glass sandwich with a plastic interlayer bonded between two glass panels.
If you've ever walked past a broken car windscreen, you'll have seen how laminated glass breaks. The cracks spread in a pattern not unlike a spider's web, but the glass itself stays in its frame.
Some contexts call for extra toughness. That's where
security glass comes in. This is glass that's built to withstand bullets, bandits and bombs.
Toughened and laminated glass have all manner of applications. They can be customised, too.
4. Customisability
Does your glass processor offer plenty of opportunities to customise your glass? Chances are, they're working with high-quality equipment and have valuable experience under their belts.
Customisability is one of the unsung virtues of modern glass. It can be decorated in a remarkable number of ways, from a tastefully coloured splashback to a sandblasted office partition.
You can get your glass frosted, tinted or
sandblasted for privacy. You can get it
digitally or
screen printed with a logo or text to reflect your brand identity. Or you can get it fitted with
coloured interlayers that show your taste and personality.
If your budget allows, you can also explore the world of
smart glass. Sometimes known as "switchable glass", this is a fantastic product that can be switched on and off at the touch of a button.
Want a bit of privacy? Simply tap the button on your smart home app. This can be highly useful in settings where you need privacy on demand – from offices to hospitals to domestic bathrooms.
5. Work with the best
So far, we've looked at qualities of the glass itself. But where you buy it from is perhaps the most important consideration of all.
Whatever you're buying it for, you need to be sure that your processor is experienced, knowledgeable, flexible and accredited.
At ToughGlaze, we've been providing glass since 1993. We stock a huge range of
commercial glass products. Each and every one carries the Kitemark seal of quality.
So, if you're in the market for high-quality glass,
get in touch with ToughGlaze today for a quick, competitive quote.
