Super Secret Safes and Other Security Options and Ideas

The window glass in your home can sustain damage due to mechanical impact by balls, pebbles and tree branches. Strain from bad weather like heavy winds and storms can also result in cracks and breakage. If the damage is minimal, you can call a glazing expert. For instance, hairline cracks and small holes can be filled with commercial repair solution. Unfortunately, when there are large shards missing or the glass is completely gone, you must replace the window panes. Here are the options that you must consider when choosing the replacement window glass.

Glass Material Options 

There are different types of glass materials to consider when buying your new glass. The common options are float, toughened and laminated glass. Float glass is the common, fragile glass which is used to manufacture other types of glass. These types of panes are clear and distortion-free, so they provide great light transmission. Unfortunately, the glass is prone to shattering and has no performance benefits. Toughened glass is float glass that has been treated to improve strength and general security performance. Moreover, if this breaks, the chunks will be harmless as opposed to normal sharp shards from float glass. Laminated glass is essentially float glass panes that are bonded with polymer film. This increases the glass strength and prevents broken shards from falling.

Glazing Layer Options

The glazing layers of the replacement glass will determine the thermal performance of your windows. The primary options in the market are single, double and triple glazing. The single glazing type is thin and allows good heat gain and loss, which means that the HVAC energy-efficiency in your home will be low. Double-glazed glass has two panes with a vacuum space or inert gas in-between. This prevents easy heat-exchange across the window and consequently, the replacement glass will improve thermal efficiency. Triple-glazed glass is built in a similar way to the double design but with three panes. It performs better in terms of insulation but the cost of purchase is higher.

Performance Finish Options

There are different finishing features that can be added to glass to improve the performance. It is important to ask about the additional glass characteristics that can improve your home. Low emission glass is treated with a layer that allows light to pass through but reduces heat absorption. Reflective glass will reflect both heat and light to create a more comfortable environment. You can also select tinted glass which controls light and heat gain and improved residential curb appeal.