When to use Tempered Safety Glass

When you are doing a window replacement job, you should be aware that there are Universal Building Codes that you need to abide by. The main one you need to understand is when it is required to use Tempered safety glass.

Tempered glass is glass that has an extra proceedure done to it to make it 4 to 5 times stronger. The proceedure involves heating the glass up, and then cooling it down rapidly. This process makes the glass stronger, and also changes the way the glass breaks. The glass shatters into small blocks that are much less likely to cause injurey. That is why Tempered glass is also called Safety glass.

The areas considered to be hazardous safety glazing areas requiring tempered glass are:

1. Glass in any door;

2. Glass in any kind of shower, bathtub area, hot tub, steam room, sauna or whirlpool area where the bottom edge of the glass is less than 60 inches above a standing surface and drain outlet;

3. Glass in fixed or operable panels adjacent to a door where the nearest exposed edge of the glazing is within a 24” arc of either vertical edge of the door in a closed position and where the bottom edge of the glazing is less than 60” above a walking surface:

4. Glass in fixed or operable panels that meets all of the following conditions:

* Bottom edge is less than 18” above floor

* Top edge is greater than 36” above floor

* Total area of glass is greater than 9 sq. ft. (1296 sq.in.)

* One or more walking surfaces within 36” horizontally of the glazing;

5. Glass in walls used as a barrier for indoor or outdoor swimming pools or spas when both of the following exist:

The bottom edge of the glazing is less than 60” above a pool side of the glazing

The glazing is within 5 feet of a swimming pool or spa deck area;

6. Glass in walls enclosing stairway landings or within 5 feet of the bottom and top of stairways where the bottom edge of the glass is less than 60” above a walking surface

You can select tempered glass on any of the windows you order from Discount Door and Window. Select "Glass Strength" option, and choose tempered glass.

For more information about the universal building code on Safety glass check our references:

Consumer Product Safety Commission

California Building Standards Commission

The Safety Glazing Certification Council (SGCC)