Also known as flat glass, float glass or soda lime glass. This glass is optically clear and flat, but breaks very easily on impact and produces very sharp shard pieces of glass. Works well for single pane wood sash windows, picture frames and aluminum sash windows.
Tempered glass is a safety glass (different than security glass) and is much harder to break than annealed glass. If broken tempered glass will break into very small pebbles (pieces) reducing the possibility of injury because it does not break into shards. However, it may have some distortion due to the manufacturing process. Popular products that require safety glass include patio doors, shower doors, and hazards areas.
Laminated tempered glass is also available for security. When this type breaks the "pebbles" adhere to the lamination and remain in place. The lamination does, however, reduced some of the visibility of tempered glass.
HEAT STRENGTHENED GLASS
This glass is produced using a similar process as what is used to create tempered glass. The difference is that heat strengthened glass is subjected to the heating and cooling process for a much shorter period of time than tempered glass. This means that heat strengthened glass will not be as distorted or warped and will have better visibility but will break more easily than tempered glass.
Neoceram is a heat-resistant glass for high efficiency heating and appliances. With the transparency of glass and the heat-resistant characteristics of ceramic, Neoceram can tolerate continuous temperatures up to 1292 degrees Fahrenheit -nearly 3 times the heat resistance of tempered glass. Neoceram is highly insisted on by wood and gas stove manufactures.
INSULATED GLASS UNITS
Insulated glass units, also known as dual pane units, are multiple glass panes that have very dry air,
or inert gas, between the two panes and are hermetically sealed.
Any use of two or more thickness of glass, separated by air space within an opening improves insulation against heat transfer and/or sound transmission. In factory made double glazed units the air/gas between the glass is thoroughly dried and the space is sealed air tight, eliminating possible condensation and providing superior insulating properties.
There are many benefits of utilizing insulated windows and doors in your home. They lower energy costs, make a home cozier by improving comfort, decrease condensation and diminish the effects of fading. They are also highly effective in reducing unwanted sound transmission.
The primary reason for using IGUs, insulated glass units, is to cut down on thermal heat coming from the outside. Thermal insulation primarily depends upon the dryness of the air inside the IGU, as well as the quality of the hermetic seal.