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TEMPERED & ANNEALED GLASS
Tempered Glass is about four times stronger than Annealed Glass.
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If broken, Tempered Glass fractures into small, relatively harmless pieces. Tempered glass is used in environments where safety is an issue. Some applications include entrance doors, shower and tub enclosures, office partitions, racquetball courts, and skylights. Tempered glass is cut to size, polished, cleaned, examined, then travels through a tempering oven to strengthen. After the heating process, this glass then undergoes a high-pressure cooling procedure called quenching. Quenching cools the outer surfaces of the glass much more quickly than the center. As the center of the glass cools, it tries to pull back from the outer surfaces. As a result, the center remains in tension, and the outer surfaces go into compression, which gives tempered glass its strength.
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If broken, Annealed Glass breaks into sharp glass shards that can have devastating results if improperly installed. Annealed glass has the potential to free fall and cut in a similar fashion of a knife. Annealed glass is commonly found in single, double pane and triple pane windows as well as old cabinets and tabletops. Annealed glass is a great option when used in a low-traffic area, where safety is not a major concern. Annealed glass is also known as plate glass or float glass and has not been heat-strengthened or tempered. Annealed glass can be cut, machined, drilled, edged and polished.
BROKENGLASSDIFFERENCES
CERTIFIED GLASS PRODUCTS
Our glass has been tested and certified through the SGCC - Safety Glazing Certification Council to meet
ANSI - American National Standards Institute
CPSC - Consumer Product Safety Commission
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations
CGSB - Canadian General Standards Board
safety standards for architectural and safety
glazing materials used in buildings.