Float glass or annealed glass is a single sheet of glass made to a uniform thickness, often referred to as ordinary glass. Float glass is brittle and can shatter on impact into sharp and dangerous fragments, for this reason it is not a safety glass.

Typically used for:

Domestic glazing and double glazing.
Small shelves and table tops.
Low risk glazing

Laminated glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shattered. In the event of breaking, it is held together by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), between its two or more layers of glass. The interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded even when broken and its high strength prevents the glass from breaking up into large sharp pieces. This produces a characteristic "spider web" cracking pattern, when the impact is not enough to completely pierce the glass.

Acoustic glass is a type of laminated safety glass with a sound absorbent (PVB) interlayer, providing noticeable insulation against noise and helping to create quieter interiors.

Toughened or tempered glass is a type of safety glass that has been processed by controlled thermal treatment, to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Toughened glass is made through a process which creates balanced internal stresses, this gives the glass five times the strength of float glass.

Heat soaking is a destructive process in which a pane of toughened glass is subjected to temperatures of 280° for several hours over a specific temperature gradient, to induce fracture. This test ensures that if there is probability of breakage, caused by naturally occurring elements of nickel sulphide (NiS) having been present when the glass was produced, then the infected panes break inside the furnace. Up to 95% of NiS infested panels are usually destroyed inside the heat soak chamber at the factory and hence reducing the chances of onsite breakages.

Mirrored glass, mirror glass or silvered glass is a type of float glass, regular or tinted, manufactured with a silver and copper reflective coating on the back surface, then covered with one or two layers of protective paint. After processing, a backing is applied to improve impact safety and give added moisture protection.

Typically used for:

Gymnasiums, nightclubs, changing rooms, wardrobe doors.
Homes, commercial premises and leisure facilities.

Fire resistant glass is specifically designed to provide a consistent, high level of protection against fire, together with the full range of properties associated with glass. Wholesale Glass produce a wide range of fire glass types, offering increasing levels of protection. Measured in defined time periods (30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes) and in terms of Integrity and Insulation or Integrity only as designated by the European Standards.

Insulated glass units (IGUs), sealed units or double glazed units are the hermetic assembly of two glass panes separated by an edge spacer. The units are sealed on all edges using a butyl sealant to prevent humid outside air from entering the unit. Desiccant inside the spacer removes traces of humidity from the air space so that no water appears on the inside faces of the glass panes.

Patterned glass can be used for privacy, pure style or to let more light into internal rooms, it comes in classic or contemporary designs. Unfortunately some older designs have been discontinued by the manufacturers so if your trying to match an existing pane or don´t find what your looking for, give the experts at Wholesale Glass a call.

Typically used for:

Doors, windows and privacy screens.
Offices, bathrooms and changing rooms.
Single and double glazing.