Types of Glass Explained
SHEET GLASS Sheet Glass is made by passing the molten glass through rollers. This process gives an almost flat finish but the effects of the rollers upon the molten glass makes some distortion inevitable. The glass can be used in domestic windows but the relatively low cost of float glass (with its lack of distortion) has tended to restrict ordinary sheet glass being used for glazing greenhouses and garden sheds. Sheet glass can be cut by a glass cutter and no special equipment is necessary. The glass is often available in standard sizes only which will suit 'standard' sized glasshouses. Because of the standard sizes the price for sheet glass will be cheaper than glass cut to size. FLOAT GLASS Float Glass – sometimes referred to as Plate Glass - is a term for perfectly flat, clear glass. The term "float" glass derives from the production method. The molten glass is 'floated' onto a bed of molten tin - this produces a glass which is flat and distortion free. Float glass can be cut using a glass cutter and no special equipment is necessary. Float glass is suitable for fixed and opening windows above waist height. K GLASS Float glass can be produced with a special thin coating on one side which allows the suns energy to pass through in one direction while reducing the thermal transfer the other way. K Glass is a cost effective method of retaining the heat inside your home as the low emissivity coating bounces the heat back into the room. This type if glass is normally only used in sealed double (or triple) glazed units with the special coating on the inside of the unit. PATTERN GLASS There is a wide range of textured glass designs. The advantages of pattern glass are easy to see as they allow maximum light while maintaining privacy or obscuring unattractive views and also form an attractive decorative feature. There are five levels of privacy graded from 1 (least obscuration) to 5 (greatest obscuration). All are available in toughened or laminated and all are suitable for double glazing. TOUGHENED GLASS Toughened glass is produced by applying a special treatment to ordinary float glass after it has been cut to size and finished. The treatment involves heating the glass so that it begins to soften (about 620°C) and then rapidly cooling it. This produces a glass which, if broken, shatters into small pieces without sharp edges. The treatment does increase the surface tension of the glass which can cause it to 'explode' Cutting the glass must be carried out prior to the “toughening process as once 'toughened', any attempt to cut the glass will cause it to shatter. Toughened glass is ideal for glazed doors, low level windows (for safety) and for tabletops (where it can withstand high temperature) LAMINATED GLASS Laminated glass is made up of a sandwich of two or more sheets of glass bonded together by a flexible normally transparent material. If the glass is cracked or broken, the flexible material is designed to hold the glass fragments in place. WIRED GLASS Wired glass incorporates a wire mesh (usually about 10mm spacing) in the middle of the glass. Should the glass crack or break, the wire should hold the glass together. Wired glass is generally not considered a Safety glass as the glass still breaks with sharp edges. Wired glass is available as clear or obscured. Source: DIYData.com |