Decorating Your Home With Glass

Glass windows are a guaranteed way to upgrade your home or building's aesthetic. However, with so many types of glass to choose from, it can be difficult to decide on the type of window glass that suits your home. 

Here are 6 commonly used types of glass.

Float Glass This is a basic glass sheet before it is cut, treated and then upgraded and set into a frame. It is low-cost and colourless, yet is the starting point for all quality glass windows, doors and panels. 

Laminated Glass This extra-strong glass is a security-enhanced and created by fusing a minimum of two glass panes with an inner layer of polyvinyl butyral using pressure fusion and high heat. This type of glass stays in the frame if it's broken. For example, the windshield on your car is made with laminated glass to ensure that if it collides with something, the glass won't spray pieces of glass inside. For safety and security reasons, this would be one of the best options. 

Obscured Glass Obscured glass refers to any type of glass that isn't see-through but still allows light to come in. It comes in a variety of patterns such as frosted, etched or any other design that ensures anyone looking through it will only see vague shadows of what's inside. It's a great choice if you want to have more natural light inside. 

Annealed Glass Also called tempered glass, this glass involves taking frost glass through a process called annealing, which involves slowly cooling the glass to strengthen it by reducing the stress caused to it by quick cooling. Some windows go through the extra process of tempering to further strengthen the glass. 

This type of glass is too strong to cut. However, if hit hard enough, it can break into pieces that are smaller and less dangerous than they would be with another type of glass like float glass. This glass is a good option for low-level windows, big windows or windows in a busy area.

Insulated Glass These glass windows come in an optimised energy-efficiency unit. The unit is made with two or three glass panes separated by a space bar which contains argon, an insulating gas. The glass panes in this unit are typically tempered security glass or laminated glass. These glass windows are an excellent choice for an exterior glass window and can help you reduce your heating and cooling costs. 

Not all insulated glass units are the same, so ensure you choose one with the highest energy efficiency ratings. 

Low Emissivity Glass Finally, low emissivity glasses have a special coating that allows them to reflect thermal radiation. This low emissivity keeps out infrared rays, while still allowing light to filter through. During the summer, these windows direct heat away from your house. During winter, they reflect back the heat into the house.

Speak with a professional who offers window glass replacement services in your area.