Glass INTRODUCTION

What is glass ? It is typically about 50% sand (a very high quality silica sand), 15% soda ash, 15% dolomite, 4% limestone, 1% sodium sulphate and 15% cullet. The cullet is recycled, broken or raw glass that is added to the batch so that the raw materials will melt more easily.

There are many different types of glass and an infinite number of uses for it. We handle all manner of projects. It can be as small as a piece of non-glare glass for a picture frame, or as large as the installation of a glass and aluminum curtain wall office building project.

Glass Industry Quality Standards

Standard Tolerances - Glass Industry accepted tolerances for glass size are plus or minus half the thickness of the glass. For example ¼" thick glass has a tolerance of 1/8" meaning that a 24" dimension can actually be from 23 7/8" to 24 1/8" long and be acceptable by industry standards. Where more precise measurements are critical, "Zero Tolerance" may be available for an additional charge, but you must specify "Zero Tolerance" when you place the order. Zero Tolerance measurements will hold a maximum size at plus 0" and minus 1/8".

Acceptable Glass Defects - All glass contains various types of flaws or blemishes, and when fabricated, the glass will most likely have hairline and light scratches, and other imperfections that may be noticeable at close range. Glass industry quality standards define "acceptable defects" as those defects that are not visible when the glass is viewed in a vertical position from 11 feet away under normal lighting. If the defect, scratch, etc. is not visible from that distance our manufacturers will not replace the glass, and hence we can not replace the glass for free.

Our care and concern dictates that you are made aware of these potential problems when working with glass products.

Types Of Glass For Buildings

Building designs must combine attractiveness and safety factors. The role of glass is crucial in building design and safety factors and the comfort of the occupants depend upon the types of glass used in the design process. According to your specific application, you need to select the right glass that you can use for your particular requirements.

Tinted Glass
You can use tinted glass to keep out the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun, which is also very strong and hot. These glasses are developed with heat resistant materials, which are capable of avoiding the harmful rays and also make sure that the heat is lowered. With tinted glass doors and windows installed in your home, you can also save energy as you can avoid turning on your air conditioner for extended periods.

Laminated Glass
This type of glass is a form of safety glass that acts as a protecting from glass after breakage. When shattered, these glasses have the capability of holding together and provide resistance to the dispersion of objects. Laminated glass ensures high impact resistance and can protect the construction from significant damage due to any breakage.

Frosted Glass
Patterned or frosted glass is manufactured by etching, sandblasting or creating a pattern in the surface of the glass. It can transmit light through it but the view is blurred, which means you cannot see anything on the other side of the glass. This type of glass is a great choice where privacy is needed.

Energy Efficient Glass
As the name suggests, these types of glass are capable of saving your energy bill. Developed with energy efficient materials, these glass products can be used in the form of windows and door for saving energy, adding to the appearance of the property, higher impact resistance, less outside noise disturbance, and better insulation.

Toughened Glass
Toughened glass has more strength in comparison to the normal glass. The strength factors of these glasses are increased by controlled thermal treatments so that internal stresses can be balanced. When this glass breaks, you can find the shattered remains in small pieces, unlike large and dangerous shards when ordinary glass is broken.