In the UK it is a requirement to have safety glass fitted in windows and doors in certain areas of your home.
Two types of safety glass
Rationel SAFETY glass should not be confused with Rationel SECURE glass which is primarily designed to deter burglars. There are two types of safety glass:
- Toughened: in the event this fails under impact, it will shatter into small harmless particles
- Laminated: in the event this fails under impact, it is held in place by an invisible resin interlayer and remains intact within the frame
Toughened glass for additional safety
Toughened glass can be three to five times stronger than ordinary glass, and therefore has a significantly greater breaking strength. If tempered glass is broken it will fall out of the frame into small, granular harmless pieces.
Laminated glass stays in place
By way of its inherent construction, laminated glass is strong, difficult to break and a good contributor to security. In the event it breaks through impact, the glass is held in place by the clear resin interlayer.
Laminated glass for anti-burglary protection
It takes time and effort to break a laminated glass pane making it the obvious choice for less visible windows around the home, where noise and a broken pane will not attract so much attention.
Preventing thermal breakage
Toughened glass is also ideal for any location where a window containing float (non-safety) glass may be at risk of cracking as a result of extreme temperature fluctuations. An occurrence commonly known as thermal stress.
The Presence of Safety glass?
It is not immediately obvious whether your window or door is fitted with safety glass – both float (non-safety) and safety glass types are completely clear, however a small permanently etched marking on the glass at one corner confirms the presence of laminated or toughened panes.
Do you need safety glass?
Safety glass is a Regulatory requirement for glazing within 800mm of the finished floor level, glazed doors, adjacent glazing to doors (within 300mm and up to 1500mm) and full height windows. The use of laminated glass is also a good choice if you want to enhance the security of a property.
