The 3 Best Options For Commercial Window Glass

Whether you are renovating a commercial building or erecting a new one, the window glass you choose will either complement its design or detract from it. In addition, the glass quality and thickness you select for the windows will greatly affect the building's ratings for energy efficiency and noise reduction.

Choosing the right window glass for your commercial building project relies on many different factors. To assist you with your selection, consider the following information about the three best options.

Insulated Glass

As its name implies, insulated window glass is manufactured with a layer of insulating gas sealed within it. Typically, the gas is argon. The argon gas insulation layer serves the purpose of keeping the hot or cold air from outdoors from coming through the glass panes into your interior space. 

Insulated glass is ideal for use in commercial buildings located in areas with very cold winters. These windows are clear and designed to allow sunshine to come through the windows and let in a lot of natural light while preventing all of your heated air from escaping to the cold outdoors.

Tinted Glass

Tinted glass is coated with a thin film made of various polymers and minerals. Tinted glass windows vary from lightly tinted greys to very dark black tints designed to mask nearly all of the outdoor light.

Tinted window glass is ideal for commercial buildings located in areas with very hot summers. As the sun's rays beat down on the windows, the tinting film will repel them and keep the building's interior cooler. This greatly reduces cooling costs.

Laminated Glass

The laminated glass in commercial windows is made of two or three thin sheets of glass with a layer of crystal-clear polyvinyl liner in the center. The liner serves many purposes, including sound transfer reduction, insulation, and as a safety component.

Laminated glass is also referred to as safety glass because when it breaks it doesn't shatter into pieces all over the floor. Instead, the glass simply cracks and sticks to the inner lamination layer. While it will still need replacement by a commercial glass installation service, the broken glass won't injure anyone. This reduces your company's liability and prevents injury to your employees or customers.

If your building is located in an area on a coast where hurricanes or other large storms are common, then selecting laminated glass is a must. In addition, if the building will contain a storefront or is located in an area with a high crime rate, then insulated glass will help prevent forced entry and after-hours theft problems.

For more information about commercial glass installation, contact a company like Boulevard Glass & Metal Inc.


Share