Using Toughened Glass to Keep Your London Property Safe
Installing glass architecture like balustrades, flooring, partitions or splashback in your residential or commercial property? Using the proper type of glass is vital for ensuring long term structural integrity and safety. Here in the UK, building regulations mandate using toughened safety glass for certain scenarios to prevent nasty accidents. Join Glazing Works London breaking down the ins and outs of specifying toughened glass correctly...
What exactly is Toughened Glass?
Toughened glass — sometimes referenced as tempered glass — starts identical to everyday float glass. The molten material gets stretched out on a bath of molten tin producing flawlessly flat panels with pristine clarity up to 20mm thick.
The exciting bit happens next!
Panels undergo a special heat treatment process in industrial furnaces. Glass heated to over 600°C until almost soft, then rapidly cooled with blasts of air. This extreme temperature change puts external surfaces into compression whilst inner material remains in tension. Makes the end glass 4-5 times stronger overall and significantly more resistant to impacts than untreated alternatives.
Even if smashed or chipped, rather than breaking into long sharp dagger shards which causes horrific injuries, toughened pieces stay firmly bonded together by inner tension crumbling safely into tiny cubed granules. Also holds considerably more weight when used structurally.
Call 020 8050 7046 today or request a quote online
to get started with Glazing Works London!
Where Building Regulation Require Using Toughened Glass
With human safety the primary benefit, UK Building Regulations mandate toughened glass gets used across London domestic and commercial properties in the following scenarios:
- Any glass item under 800mm from floor level and considered an injury risk like low level glazing or dividing screens.
- All structural glass elements over 550mm wide such as balustrades, stairs, flooring, canopy roofs and overhead partitions or doors.
- Any section of glazing lower than waist height deemed vulnerable to accidental human impact such as wide shop fronts or interior glass walls.
- Bathroom areas subject to wet conditions and glass elements including wet room partitions, basin splashback and shower screens.
- Glazed architectural features like glass box extensions and overhead atriums must use toughened products to account for snow loading.
When specifying structural or safety glass to Glazing Works London during planning phase, we’ll automatically factor necessary rating upgrades. Ensures compliance first time without costly retrospective amendments later!
Visual Differences Between Standard Annealed & Toughened Glass
Toughened glass differs aesthetically from regular float glass in two subtle ways:
- Distortion Wobble – The intense heat process causes slight ripples visible when peering through toughened panels. Mostly visible in reflections on glass with black backgrounds. Rarely impacts normal vision. Becomes imperceptible once installed few centimetres from walls or other materials.
- Visible Cloudiness – Compression process causes thousands of tiny imbedded crystals and bubbles. Creates faint cloudy appearance rather than 100% clarity expected from ordinary float types. Only noticeable upon close inspection so negligible impact.
Beyond those minimal quirks, correctly cut, polished and drilled handled - toughened glass looks visually identical to standard products after fitting.
Call 020 8050 7046 today or request a quote online
to get started with Glazing Works London!
Glazing Works London Quality Assurance Checks
Responsible glass contractors have duty checking toughened product compliance. Tell-tale signs of dodgy suppliers:
- Absence of official post-treatment certificates
- No permanent acid etched makers mark with BS or EN safety rating on panels
- Unwillingness to provide glass samples before dispatch
- Cages or A-frames racking preventing inspection
Always request Glazing Works London provide proof of toughening stage sign-off for that peace of mind reassurance prior to approving jobs. Raises alarm for wider failings if unable to furnish information!
Questions? Speak to Glazing Works London!
Hopefully that demystifies the toughened glass essential for keeping your next glazing projects fully compliant. Any other queries, ring the team at Glazing Works London on 020 8050 7046 for specialist advice specifying the appropriate structural glass solutions unique to your plans. Let our decades of experience give you total confidence during works!