Different Types of Household Glass

Window glass
For most glazing purposes you will need ordinary window glass which is perfectly clear and distortion-free. The standard choice these days is float glass and the thickness may be 4 mm, 5 mm or 6 mm.

Toughened glass
The strongest of the standard safety glasses, toughened (or tempered) glass has been subjected to a special heat treatment which makes it about five times stronger than ordinary window glass. When hit hard enough it grazes rather than shatters, and the tiny pieces are rounded granules rather than jagged spears. Good for doors and table tops, obscure and clear grades are available. It cannot be cut or drilled, you will have to order the size you want.

Patterned glass
One side has a textured pattern, the other side is plain. Patterned glass is chosen for either its decorative effect or ability to obscure the view. All too often it is chosen for the bathroom window only as a means of privacy, with no thought of the beauty it can provide. These days there are scores of patterns in clear or tinted glass, and you should look at a number of samples before making your choice. Both 4 mm and 6 mm grades are available, buy the toughened type for doors or shower screens.

Solar-control glass
A large expanse of glass can make a room unbearably hot in summer, one answer is to use solar-control glass. With the most successful types the heat entering the room is cut by 80 per cent and glare is greatly reduced. Most brands are tinted bronze or grey and some can provide privacy by serving as a one-way mirror. Solar-control glass is available in all popular thicknesses and for doors there are both toughened and laminated grades.

Laminated glass
The panes sold as laminated glass are not toughened, they are just 2 ordinary sheets of glass which sandwich a sheet of tough plastic between them. The result is glass which may crack but will not shatter, and there are grades which are burglar-proof and even bullet-proof. The standard thickness is 5.4 mm and there are many variants, solar control, patterned surfaces, tinting and so on can be introduced. You will have to order the size required as it is difficult to cut.

Decorated glass
Included here are all the decorative effects other than patterned glass with a texture produced by a roller at the time of manufacture. Among the decorative glasses is stained glass, once decried as old fashioned but now staging a minor comeback. There are also sand blasted glass with a variety of shaded effects, and engraved glass which is used to produce decorated screens. Most decorated glass is in the luxury class, but glass bearing a transparent transfer is considered decorated glass.

Diffuse-reflection glass
Plain window glass has the annoying property of reflecting bright objects (lamp bulbs, sunny windows etc) when used for framing pictures. The answer is to use diffuse-reflection (popularly known as non-reflective) glass. The surface has a very slightly roughened texture which does not impair transparency to any noticeable extent. The roughened surface, however, has very poor reflective powers. The thickness is 2 mm.

Wired glass
The glass here is no stronger than the ordinary window grade, the safety factor is a welded wire mesh which is embedded within the pane. The square-or diamond-shaped pattern of wire holds the glass fragments together in case of breakage. Wired glass is widely used where a high degree of fire-resistance is required. Clear and translucent grades are available, the standard thickness is 6 mm. Use where safety is more important than appearance.

Bullion glass
A few panes of bullion glass are used in multi-pane windows to provide an old-world touch to neo-Georgian houses, and they do have a long history of decorating windows. Bullions were once made by a hand-spinning process, such authentic bullions are expensive. Modern bullions are made by rollers, like patterned glass, and both clear and amber-tinted types can be bought in a variety of sizes ranging from 15 cm x 15 cm to 70 cm x 45 cm. Don't overdo it, too many will mar the view.