Basic Types Of Glass Used In The Glazing Industry

One of the first things that you need to be aware of whenever you are considering the replacement of the glass in your home or office is the basic types that a glazier London technician uses. Glass is actually a compound material and is comprised of several raw materials including dolomite, feldspar, limestone, sand, soda-ash, and sodium sulphate. There are 4 basic types of glass to be aware of which we have listed here.

• Float glass – this is the most commonly used type of glass found in glazing London businesses because of its excellent optical quality, high transparency, and its uniform flatness and thickness. It is produced in two primary types, namely clear and coloured (tinted) and is most commonly used in curtain walls, doors, mirrors, and windows.

• Patterned glass – a.k.a. “figured” or “rolled” glass. It is usually manufactured with a pattern or texture during the rolling process. The patterned decorative design can be impressed on a single side or on both of them. This provides a certain amount of obscurity and translucency. However, the decorative texture of the glass makes it more difficult to keep clean.

• Sheet glass – the two more common types of sheet glass are annealed or processed flat glass. It is available in a blue or green tint as well as a wide range of thicknesses ranging between 2mm and 19mm. Sheet glass is most commonly used in larger sized doors, shelves, table tops, and windows.

• Wired glass – as its name implies, this type of glass has hexagonal mesh or wiring netting embedded into it during the rolling process. This is done as a safety feature so that the pieces of glass stay together should it be broken. In most instances, wired glass is used in fire-rated doors, skylights, windows, and where a safety glazing material is required.

In addition to these types of glass, it is also available in a few hybrids or modified varieties such as insulated, reflective, and laminated or toughened safety glass.