Windows and doors are the only entryways for your home that is why it is very important to consider the material used in these objects. Doors, you have a lot of options- wood, metal, or glass, it’s not really a problem of choosing.
Windows, on the other hand, you really only have two options: Impact Glass Windows or Tempered Glass Windows. Read on to find out each of their strengths and weaknesses and which is the right fit for you!
Impact Glass
First, let’s talk about Impact Glass. This is a type of glass that is made to take on large amounts of force (or impact) without the risk of breaking into smaller and sharp pieces.
Basically, these are layers upon layers of glass that are bonded together using polyvinyl butyral or PVB. This binding agent makes it so that the entire finished product is sturdier and less prone to breaking.
Impact glass is great if you value safety and security. Due to their tough and sturdy nature, it comes to no surprise that homes with Impact glass are safer and more secure. We highly recommend that if you experience frequent storms, you should go for hurricane impact windows Miami, for example, is a place with hurricanes atleast 6 times a year- so you should definitely get them if you live there!
It does have its downsides. For one, Impact Glass is more expensive compared to other alternatives because of its specialised manufacturing process. It also is heavier than its counterparts so self installation (and installation in general) could be an issue.
Tempered Glass
Now that we’re done with Impact Glass, let us move on to Tempered Glass. This type of glass goes through thermal or chemical treatments to increase strength and durability.
The entire process involves heating the piece then quickly cooling it to change its internal structure which will increase toughness and resistance to impact.
As for strengths, this type of glass is also resistant to breaking and can withstand higher temperatures . Also, because of how it is made, when tempered glass breaks, it does not become sharp shards but instead breaks into small rounded pieces.
On the other hand its weakness is that Tempered Glass is also more expensive compared to regular glass because of its creation process. Additionally, once tempered, the glass cannot be altered (cut or drilled into) without shattering. Any changes must be carefully considered and applied before tempering to avoid breaking.
Conclusion
In the end, the choice of which material to use is up to you. It is our hope that you keep your best interests in mind while choosing, until then, stay safe!
