When choosing glass for a commercial storefront door, most building codes require some type of safety glass. That typically indicates a choice between tempered or laminated glass. Tempered glass has been heat-treated to create some strength and shatter resistance. It's not shatterproof, however, but due to the tempering process, it shatters into small pieces that are less likely to cause serious injury. Laminated glass—the same type of glass in your vehicle's windshield—is designed to hold up to impact and resist shattering. This is accomplished by sealing a vinyl interlayer between two panes of glass. When it comes to safety and security, many business owners prefer laminated glass. But is it right for your business? Here are the pros and cons.
PROS
Security
Because of the use of the vinyl interlayer that's designed to keep the laminated glass from shattering to the ground, laminated glass maintains its integrity better than other types of glass. For security purposes, it's the most likely to resist penetration and therefore it will deter intruders much more effectively. If you are worried about theft or break-ins at your business, it's the most likely to provide peace of mind.
Safety
The ability of laminated glass to resist shattering to the ground provides safety as well as security. Accidents happen on the job all too often. No business owner wants a customer or employee severely injured by shattered glass. Laminated glass is often the best way to avoid on-the-job glass injuries.
UV Blocking
Another major benefit of laminated glass is that the vinyl interlayer provides UV protection. That doesn't mean that it blocks light from entering the building. UV light is electromagnetic radiation that is different from visible light. In fact, UV rays are completely invisible to the human eye but it's UV rays that are responsible for fading colors in furniture and carpets as well as damage to the human eye and skin after exposure. Laminated glass in your storefront door helps block as much as 99% of UV light transmission.
CONS
Cost
Of the two most common types of safety glass, laminated glass is the more expensive option because of the additional layers involved and the additional labor required in manufacturing laminated panes. Ask your commercial storefront door supplier for a quote for both laminated and tempered to help you determine if the additional cost might be worth it in the long run.
Not As Strong
When it comes to pure strength to resist breakage, tempered glass is stronger than laminated glass.
Share31 January 2022
I liked everything about my newly-purchased home with the exception of the garage door. The old swing type door didn't work for me. It took too much time and effort to open, and the door was a little too heavy for some of the family members. That's when I decided to talk with a contractor. With his help, I chose a remote controlled rolling door. Once it was in place, it was easy to see how convenient this was for our family. There was no lifting and no getting out of the car in the rain to open the door. Since it came with a manual override mechanism when the power was out, it was perfect. If you are thinking about installing a new garage door, let's talk. I'll tell you what I learned along the way and why I chose an overhead door for my garage.
