Toughened safety glass

Strength you can lean on

Toughening puts the surface of the glass under compression and the core under tension. The result is a pane that shrugs off knocks, pressure and temperature swings that would crack ordinary glass. It is available in a range of thicknesses and colours, so it can be matched to the job rather than the other way round.

When toughened glass does break, it breaks all at once into small, blunt pieces rather than long, sharp shards. That is the safety part of safety glass.

Where it earns its keep

Because it is so strong, toughened glass is the go-to for frameless and bolted glazing, where the glass holds itself up with only a few fixings. It is used for balustrades on stairs and balconies, shower doors, table tops and kitchen splashbacks. It is also used in oven and fridge doors, where ordinary glass would crack from the heat or the sudden change in temperature.

Made to size

Toughened glass cannot be cut once it has been toughened, so every piece is made to size for its opening. That means it is sourced for your job rather than carried on the van. If a toughened pane has broken in a door or window, we can cover the opening while the new glass is made, so you are not left exposed.

Replacing a broken toughened pane

Because toughened glass is made to size, the details matter. For a replacement we need the exact width and height, the thickness, and the position and size of any holes, notches or cut-outs for hinges, handles, clamps or bolts. On frameless and bolted glazing, even a few millimetres out means the pane will not fit its fixings.

If you still have the frame or fittings in place, we measure on site. Otherwise, photos of the opening and the fittings help us work out what is needed.

Fire rated glass

Where a wall, door or screen has to hold back fire, ordinary glass will not do. We supply fire rated glass for these openings:

• Georgian Wire Cast (obscure) and Georgian Wire Plate (clear) both carry a 30 minute fire rating.
• Georgian Wire Plate can be laminated to 3mm clear glass to make 9.76mm laminated wired glass that meets SANS 1263-1.
• Pyran S borosilicate glass in 6mm gives a 2 hour rating, and it can be toughened.

One important point: the frame must carry the same fire rating as the glass. A fire rated pane in an ordinary frame does not give you a fire rated opening, so the whole assembly needs to match.

Toughened or laminated?

Toughened glass is about strength. Laminated shatterproof glass is about holding together when it breaks. Some jobs call for one, some for the other, and some for both. If you are not sure, send us photos of the opening and tell us how it is used, and we will recommend the right glass.