Choosing your glass carefully will add to the interior comfort of your home. Standard clear glass was once the only choice available to homeowners. Today there are many glazing options available. The options shown are some common glass types with an indication of their thermal qualities. The decision in glass selection is usually one of balance between light, heat and fading control (from UV – ultraviolet radiation). The greater the light transmission the less heat and fading are controlled.
Glass Types
Clear Float Glass (Annealed)
FGI Clear Float Glass is a visually colourless and distortion free glass providing high light transmission (daylight) and clarity. Clear Float glass is the core base product for most of performance glass products and is commonly used in windows and doors
- Float glass offers no additional performance benefits in terms of insulation or reduction in solar heat gain
- Float glass will shatter and may produce dangerous shards of glass if broken
LowE glass
Low Emissivity glass has a thin metallic coating on the glass that reflects thermal radiation or inhibits its emission reducing heat transfer through the glass. Low E glass reflects the radiation rather than absorbing it, improving insulation. LowE glass is available in a range of colours including, Clear, Neutral, Blue, Green and Grey
- LowE glass provides improved insulation properties and is a good choice in all climate situations.
BRG recommends Viridian Smartglass as its single glazing choice to help keep your house cool in summer and warm in winter.
For larger items, BRG uses the Viridian ComfortPlus™ range of laminated glass that has been developed to meet objectives of transparency and high performance solar control with low reflection. Equally, it economically manages the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Contact us for more information.
Tinted Glass
Tinted glass is produced by adding metal oxides to float glass during manufacture. Tinted glass absorbs and re-radiates solar energy reducing heat and in can provide cost efficient climate control. Tinted glass also reduces sun glare and is aesthetically appealing.
Tinted glass is available most commonly in colours such as Grey, Green, Bronze & Blue.
- Tinted glass may be used to control solar heat gain but typically provides limited insulation benefit
- Tinted glass will shatter and may produce dangerous shards of glass if broken.
Reflective Glass
Reflective Glass achieves offers greater solar control than standard tinted float glass and can be used to create a specific visual appearance in a building.
A metallic coating is applied during the manufacturing process and creates a highly reflective appearance. Reflective glass is typically available in Clear, Neutral, Green, Grey, Bronze and Blue colours.
- Tinted glass may be used to control solar heat gain but typically provides limited insulation benefit.
Toughened Glass
Toughened Glass is a safety glass that has increased strength and will usually shatter in small, pieces when broken. When broken particles are small and are relatively harmless compared with the sharp splinters resulting from the breakage of annealed glass. The toughening process also greatly reduces the risk of thermal breakage and increases strength.
Most popular glass types can be toughened and toughened glass is available in Clear, Tinted, Reflective and Low E glass types.
- Toughened glass will shatter into small relatively harmless pieces if broken.
- Toughened glass is stronger than annealed glass.
- Various forms of glass including performance glass can be toughened.
Laminated Glass
Laminated Glass is made up of two or more layers of glass permanently bonded together with an interlayer. The lamination process results in the glass panels holding together in the event of breakage, reducing the risk of harm. Laminated Glass is classified as Grade A Safety Glass. The interlayer can be selected to deliver special performance characteristics such as improved insulation properties, improved security, and improved sound insulation properties.
Most popular glass types can be laminated and laminated glass is available in Clear, Tinted, Reflective and Low E glass types. Laminated glass is a popular choice for residential and commercial windows and doors. Laminated glass offers improved acoustic insulation over typical annealed glass.
- Laminated glass will hold together if broken reducing the risk of danger from broken glass.
- Various performance qualities can be added to laminated glass using a specially selected interlayer.
Double Glazing
Double glazing offers some sound dampening qualities but the performance is critically dependent on the width of the airspace. More important are its thermal advantages. In the summer double glazing reduces heat and UV entry while in winter it provides good light levels and reduces outward heat loss. Double glazing or Insulated Glass Units (IGU) consist of two panes of glass bonded to both sides of an spacer to create one unit. The space between the panes of glass may be filled with Argon gas to increase the insulating properties of the double glazing units. IGUs can be made up of various types of glass including LowE, Laminated, Toughened, Tinted or reflective glass
IGUs provide significantly improved insulation properties and are ideal for climates where extremes of heat or cool are experienced. If Double Glazing is suitable for your project, BRG recommends the Viridian LightBridge™ range of high performance insulating glass units (IGU) developed specifically for residential building applications.
Glass Cleaning
There are many different types of glass and each has it’s own most effective (and safest) cleaning method. The experts and our long time Suppliers – Viridian – have some tips and techniques for some of their most common types of glass products.
For Clear and Toned glass – Viridian VFloat™ or Viridian LuminaCloud™
For Painted and Coloured glass – Viridian PixaGraphic™
For Low emissivity (Low E) Coated Glass – Clear, Toned and Super Toned – Viridian ComfortPlus™ or Viridian ComfortHush™
For Textured glass – Viridian LuminaMist™
For reflective glass – Viridian FuturaScreen™
Viridian ComfortPlus™ Brochure
ComfortPlus™ has long been recognised as Australasia’s leading Low E performance laminate.
Viridian LightBridge™ Brochure
Viridian LightBridge™ double glazing creates a seamless bridge between inside and out, allowing us to bring into our daily lives the light, space and colours of nature.
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