When installing anything into your home, you want to ensure it’s made of the tough stuff. And when it comes to glass, that means toughened glass. Also known as ‘tempered glass’ or ‘safety glass’, this type of panel is used in most things including cars, buildings, furniture, windows and more.
Toughened glass is the safest there is, being specially treated to ensure safety and standards are met, and indeed, surpassed. In fact, toughened glass is up to five times stronger than regular glass, which is why it is used so widely. How does it happen? Simple really, by heating regular glass at high temperatures of around 650 degrees Celsius and then cooling the panel very quickly. By doing this, the glass becomes around 400% more resistant to heat and shock.
So, what are the benefits of using toughened glass?
The Benefits of Toughened Glass
1. Strength and Durability
As mentioned earlier, toughened glass is much stronger than normal glass meaning it can withstand a lot. It’s much harder to break than ordinary glass, which means it’s a much better choice for almost every area of your home, including windows, doors, balustrades, pool fences and more.
2. Safety First
When it comes to safety, toughened glass is much harder to break than regular glass, meaning it’s a much safer option for external doors and windows. Further, it’s specially treated so that if it does shatter, it breaks into small, blunt pieces rather than shards, preventing the risk of injury due to the broken glass. It also, of course, means it’s easier to clean up when breakages do occur. Finally, the edges of the glass are comparatively stronger than ordinary glass.
3. Resistant to Thermal Breakage
Because of the way toughened glass is made, it is resistant to thermal breakage caused by uneven heating in the glass. Examples of when thermal breakage may occur include a sunny, cold winter day when a window is partly shaded or when something is placed on the inside of the window, for example, a sign or blinds. In this situation, part of the glass will expand due to the exposure to heat and other parts of the glass will remain, simply because it is not being exposed to the heat. This causes stress to build up in the frame and shattering to occur. Because of the way the toughened glass is created, it’s the strongest form of glass to withstand thermal issues.
4. Suitability for Almost Every Situation
Glass has become almost an architectural element when it comes to buildings. Due to the nature of toughened glass, it can be used in almost every room of the house and in any situation, be it shower screens, windows or doors, balustrades or even ovens. In fact, because of the durability of toughened glass, it’s often used in the most utilised areas of the home, including splashbacks, glass shelving, and even glass floors.
5. It’s Great to Look At
While form and function are always more important than aesthetics, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the way your glass panels will look. Toughened glass looks stylish and elegant and because it can be used in almost every room of the house, it provides a cohesive, tasteful look throughout.
The Disadvantages
Of course, as with everything, there will be some disadvantages to using toughened glass. While it is one of the most useful glass products available, there are still some factors to take into consideration.
First and foremost, once tempered, toughened glass cannot be re-cut or drilled. Doing so would cause the entire panel to crumble. This means you have to be exceptionally certain on decisions and measurements need to be exceptionally accurate.
Second, while it does crumble rather than shatter and from a safety perspective, this is obviously better, this does mean that the whole panel will break. In comparison, the regular glass will most likely leave some shards in the window frame when broken. This may make it harder for people to enter through a broken window.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Most people you speak to though will say the advantages far outweigh the shortfalls. Being around five times stronger than regular glass, the safety, security, strength and durability element of toughened glass is by far a big selling point for decision makers.
Make sure that you purchase toughened glass in Australia with Trade Glass Depot. We aim to give you the best service, the strongest products, at competitive prices. Contact Trade Glass Depot and receive a free quote today!
