Glass guide: glass for house walls
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Glass wall manufacturers need to use high-quality toughened and laminated units. Learn more in our industry overview.
They say people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. But it's no longer the case that a mere stone could break a glass wall.
This is because of 20th- and 21st-century advances in structural glazing. Today, glass can be
walked on
– and if it can be walked on, you can be sure it's solid, durable, safe and secure.
Most of the time, house walls are made out of toughened glass (also known as
tempered glass) and
laminated glass. These are two types of safety glass – glass products that are used where extra safety is critical.
They fit into this category because of the way they break. Whereas standard annealed glass breaks into jagged shards that can injure homeowners, safety glass is built to break safely.
Why use toughened and laminated glass for house walls?
Toughened glass is tough – up to five times tougher than annealed glass. In theory, this makes it a suitable material for house walls. But it's also manufactured to shatter into smithereens when broken. Although this is safer than the shards created by annealed glass, it's not ideal for houses.
That's why house walls tend to be made from
toughened laminated glass.
Laminated glass consists of two or more sheets of glass that have been bonded together with a plastic interlayer. In the case of
toughened
laminated glass, at least one of these layers is also toughened.
It takes a lot to damage toughened laminated glass. And when the impact finally has an effect, the glass unit doesn't shatter. Instead, cracks spread across the surface, but the unit as a whole keeps its structural stability.
Soundproofing
Toughened laminated glass has noise reduction properties, which also make it a suitable choice for structural glazing, including house walls.
For noise reduction to be most effective, however, you'll need a specialised glass product called
toughened acoustic glass. Likewise, you'll need a suitable framing system that also helps to dampen noise.
Energy efficiency
These days, homes need to be energy efficient. Toughened laminated glass provides thermal efficiency as well as durability and noise reduction.
This is all thanks to the plastic interlayer (often made of PVB), which acts as an insulator and reduces the level of heat transfer. It also provides protection against UV (ultraviolet) rays.
Fire safety
Glass house walls need to be able to withstand fire. For this reason, you can get toughened and laminated fire-rated glass.
This is a laminated unit with a difference. The interlayer is made of a gel. When exposed to smoke and flames, the gel expands and acts as a barrier. This slows the spread of fire, giving building occupants longer to leave and the emergency services longer to arrive.
How ToughGlaze can help
At ToughGlaze, we provide toughened laminated units that are manufactured to BS EN 14449 standards and Kitemark-approved. These can be fire-rated, given an acoustic interlayer and cut to size all at our facilities here in Bedford.
Looking for a supplier for your next project? Learn more about our
toughened and laminated glass for house walls – or
get in touch to request a quick, tailored quote.
