Toughened glass

It is mandatory to use “safety glass” in balustrades and although laminated glass is also available, the recommended product is toughened safety glass, which we use as standard.

Toughened safety glass has 4 to 5 times the strength of ordinary glass of the same thickness, making it ideal for use in sliding doors, shower screens and the side windows of motor vehicles.. It provides much greater resistance to impact and in the unlikely event toughened glass does break, the glass forms small particles, which reduce the risk of injury.

Toughened glass is manufactured by a heating and cooling treatment whereby high compressive stresses are set up at the surface with balancing tensile stresses in the centre. The high compressive surface stresses give toughened safety glass its increased strength.

Toughened glass is manufactured to conform with Australian Standard 2208 Safety Glazing Material for use in Buildings.

Toughened Safety glass offers a complete and proven solution whenever the benefits of ordinary glass need to be combined with safety, strength and resistance to thermal stress.

If the view is important, we recommend clear glass but in some cases tinted glass (grey or bronze or green), can enhance the features of your house.

Laminated Safety Glass

To make laminated safety glass, the manufacturer sandwiches a thin layer of flexible clear plastic film called polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between two or more pieces of glass. The plastic film holds the glass in place if the glass breaks, helping to lessen injuries from flying glass. The film also can stretch, while the glass still sticks to it. It is quite difficult to penetrate laminated safety glass, compared to normal window pane glass. The “sandwich with some give” that laminated safety glass is made of also helps hold the occupants in a vehicle! Banks use a multiple-layer laminated glass to help stop bullets. Laminated glass has less resistance to load than Toughened Glass. In balustrades it is normally two 3 mm sheets of float glass, laminated either side of tough plastic film (0.38 mm PVB).

It is more suitable for four edged framing (windows and overhead glass panels), than partially framed balustrades.

The cut edges of laminated glass can, if exposed for periods of time, be subject to some delamination of the internal vinyl layer, which can be unsightly

Both toughened and laminated glass types however are categorised as “SAFETY GLASS” and “comply” in glass balustrades, but the more expensive toughened option has strength advantages and would give a better service life.