Hurricane Resistant Glass is Made with Tempered Laminated Glass
The idea for shatter resistant glass for homes comes from modern windshields used in cars and aircraft using tempered laminated glass. Tempered glass, which is also known as safety glass, is heat treated for added strength. Laminated tempered glass consists of two sheets of tempered glass with a shatterproof plastic layer laminated between them.
If tempered laminate glass is broken, it will break into small pieces, but is still be held together by the tough, but flexible plastic layer. Windows made with tempered laminated glass have the much higher strength of tempered glass. The inner plastic membrane holds the glass together keeping the window in its frame.
This impact resistance makes laminated tempered glass ideal for situations where shatterproof glass is wanted to protect a home. This could be from repeated impacts from a would be intruder or from wind carried debris during severe wind storms. More on ordering custom tempered laminated glass.
Tempered laminated glass is a high performance hybrid combining the high strength of tempered glass with the break resistance of standard laminated glass. Scratch resistant.
Tempered glass is heat treated to make it 5 – 10 times stronger than its un-tempered counterpart. When tempered glass does break, it shatters into small pebbles without any of the dangerous, sharp edges that come with untampered glass. Scratch resistant.
Laminated safety glass is produced by adhering two pieces of annealed glass together by a vinyl layer. The vinyl layer holds the glass together if the glass is broken or impaled. Softer and subject to surface scratches.
What Are Hurricane Impact Resistant Windows?
Some areas with a high risk of hurricanes will have specific building code requirements for reinforced frames and windows. The South Florida Building Code as an example requires hurricane impact resistant windows to be certified to pass ASTM large missile test rated for their specific hurricane zone. If your home is in one of these zones, check with your local building department for any special requirements.