Your Home or Office Windows
There is a long history behind windows, dating back to ancient times. From humble wall apertures to today's smart, energy-harvesting facades, windows have continually evolved. Today, three types are used in home and commercial applications, melding art, technology, and comfort to shape our lives and work.
Single-Pane Windows
Single-pane windows consist of a single layer of glass and offer minimal thermal insulation, making them the least energy-efficient option. Single-pane windows are basic and include four different types: annealed glass, heat-treated, tempered, and laminated.
Double-Pane Windows
Double-pane windows consist of two sheets of glass separated by an airspace of constant thickness. One of the sheets can be tinted or coated, while the airspace consists of gases such as Argon and Krypton.
Triple-Pane Windows
Triple-pane windows are common in cold environments due to their additional glass pane, adding noise reduction capabilities and additional energy savings.
Types of Glass in Homes and Offices
Annealed Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Annealed glass is your most basic and the most common glass type. It is also the most fragile type of glass. This type of glass breaks easily into large, sharp shards, making it a safety hazard.
Heat-Treated Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Heat-treated glass has twice the strength of annealed glass, but it still has safety hazards. When heat-treated glass is broken, it will break into large, sharp shards.
Laminated Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass has an interlayer of PVB (poly vinyl butyl plastic), designed to hold the glass together when broken and most commonly found in windshields of cars. This type of glass tends to keep shards intact after breakage because it is made of two or more pieces of glass adhered together by and interlayer.
Low-E Glass
Tempered Glass
Laminated Glass
Low-E stands for "Low Emissivity," giving this type of glass the ability to absorb or reflect heat. Low-E glass has been coated and designed to either reject heat during the warmer months or help reduce heat loss during the cold months.
Tempered Glass
Tempered Glass
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is heated and then cooled rapidly making it 4x stronger than annealed glass. When broken, the glass shatters completely into small pieces, typically vacating the frame after impact.