 | Art Bryan
is president and owner of Southwestern Remodeling Contractors, Inc. Art started Southwestern Remodeling Contractors in 1970. Southwestern is a fully-licensed residential and commercial licensed general contractor in Wichita and the surrounding counties. Art has been a member of the Wichita Area Home Builders Association and the National Remodel Council since 1974. In mid-2000 Southwestern received the distinction of being named one of the "Top 25 Most Diversified Remodeling Companies in the United States.” Southwestern is listed as the 84th Top Remodeler in the country by Qualified Remodeling Magazine. Art can be contacted at his office at (316) 263-1239, fax at (316) 263-6230, or you can e-mail him at ARTSWR@aol. Com |
Home Improvement
2003-11-01 08:54:00
Storm Doors and Windows
: What is 'laminated' glass as opposed to 'tempered' glass in windows and doors? Are they both just as good? Why is blocking out UV rays important?
ANSWER: No. Lamina-ted glass is what you want when it comes to storm doors and replacement windows, as opposed to standard or tempered glass. It takes only one blow to shatter standard or tempered glass. Standard glass breaks easily as we all know. Tempered glass breaks easily if you know how (and most burglars do!). A hard hit or a sharp hit with a pointed object is all that is needed. A spark plug swung on a string will allow a burglar to walk upright through a patio door in 15 seconds. Laminated glass is two pieces of glass sandwiched together with a special plastic inner layer, that glues the glass together, stops vibrations, blocks UV light and prevents the glass from breaking into many pieces when it is broken. When it does break, it stays together - like you car's front windshield, which is also laminated glass. Laminated glass offers excellent break-in protection. Breaking through laminated glass requires time, effort and noise. As stated earlier, laminated glass does not shatter when broken. It tends to remain intact, protecting interiors from flying glass, flying projectiles, and other damage. Penetrating through laminated glass requires more than just a golf ball, baseball or brick. Laminated glass even withstands minor explosions. It is the major component for most bulletproof glass. It is now being used to pass the stricter building codes developed in coastal areas for hurricanes and used elsewhere for other severe weather phenomena such as tornadoes and earthquakes. Ultraviolet light causes sunburn, color fading and deterioration of natural and synthetic materials. Museums always use laminated glass to provide color fade protection. Most furniture stores do, too. The inner layer of plastic used in the best laminated glass blocks 99.9% of all the UV light from passing through. On the other hand, standard glass (used in almost all commercial and residential applications) blocks very little UV light. Even the newer "low E" glass cannot compete with the UV protection of laminated glass. Some people buy windows not for sound, but for the UV protection. It is a benefit that may or may not be important to you. You would not want to have laminated glass in an area of the home that has plants as they need UV rays.
