There are many different types of glass within the window industry. Below is a quick summary of the different major types, and what their main purpose is.
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Regular clear glass:
Energy efficient glass:
- Double Glazed (insulated glass units) Two panes of glass with an air gap in between, forming a hermetically sealed unit. This is a very efficient noise insulator, and has an enormous impact on interior comfort, keeping rooms cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Double glazing reduces heat loss while still allowing the passage of solar radiation and natural light. To reduce summer heat gain, use a toned outer panel.
- Gas Filled Some double-glazed units are filled with gases such as argon, which improves their insulating performance by about 10 per cent.
- Laminated Panes are assembled from two sheets of glass, sandwiching a plastic filling. Heavy impact can break laminated glass, but it wont splinter. It also, eliminates nearly 99 per cent of harmful UV rays.
- Low-E Glass (low emissivity glass) Low-E glass has a coating that reflects radiant heat. It is generally used in double glazed windows and can improve the thermal performance by up to 35 per cent compared with standard double glazing. Most products come with toned glass and this significantly reduces solar gain. The lower the emissivity of the glass the better it will perform.
- Solar reflective Has a mirror-like chemical coating fired onto its surface. Used to control interior temperatures, it will reflect up to 70 per cent of solar heat.
- Toughened Five times as strong as laminated glass, toughened glass is heat-treated. It is very popular as a safety glass because if it is broken, it breaks into small, relatively harmless particles.
- Toned/Tinted Can shade internal areas and reduce the amount of heat entering through the window. This will keep the building cooler and reduce glare and UV rays.
