Most of what we do at GlassNow involves replacing broken glass within a building, a like for like replacement of a flat glass panel in a window or door. Sometimes a like for like replacement is harder to do as the glass standards may have changed or the original materials used are no longer available due to age of the building. Do not worry!! This is a very rare situation and we are always able to provide you with a solution as we take the business of glass replacement seriously and our customers can expect GlassNow to provide quality workmanship from a professional glazing business.

How do we assess what type of glass can be used in your situation is determined by the size and location of the glass and how the relevant Australian standard AS1288-2006 applies to those situations. As a basic guide most windows are float glass, while doors tend to be safety glass.

When discussing glass replacement options with clients we always consider what would work best for the customer individual circumstances when selecting from the three types of glass commonly used within buildings. The three main types of building glass we use for replacements are float glass, laminated glass and toughened glass. Laminated glass and toughened glass are often grouped together under the term Safety Glass.

Float glass is used whenever possible mainly because it is faster and cheaper to work with. Float Glass breaks into dangerous shards but it can absorb minor impacts. Float glass is not designed to be used within a door for example, where you would expect people and objects to come into contact with the surface of the door.

Laminated glass consists of two or more sheets of float glass bonded together by heat and pressure with a high strength interlayer. Laminated glass holds together when it breaks and is able to absorb much harder impacts. Laminated glass provides better safety, security, noise reduction and structural integrity than float glass.

Toughened glass is float glass that has had additional heat treatment to increase the strength of the glass. When toughened or tempered glass breaks it turns into small pebbles. Toughened or tempered glass is typically the most expense but it does create options for improved strength and heat resistance. High wind loads, pet doors or heat stress are example of where toughened glass maybe used.

GlassNow is a one stop shop for all flat glass used within buildings. We supply a wide range of speciality glass types from our factory outlet at Nerang.

Author Simon Vaughan marketing consultant