Security - Glazing

Laminated Glass

Glass is clearly a part of our everyday world.  20% to 50% of the walls surrounding us are made of glass - adding light to our homes through windows, patio doors, porches and conservatories.

Why do we use glass ?  Simply, because it's an attractive and effective way of letting sunlight into our homes.  But glass is also extremely fragile and these same homes, and the people who live in them, need to be protected, not only from the weather, but also from would-be burglars and accidents arising from glass breaking.  Laminated glass is the answer to these problems.  It looks the same as ordinary glass, so is aesthetically pleasing, but is far stronger so provides protection.

Laminated glass is made up of two or more layers of ordinary glass, bonded together with one or more interlayers of an extremely strong material, polyvinyl butyral (PVB).  It looks the same as ordinary glass - is just as transparent - but has extra qualities which contribute to the overall comfort of your home. I t is difficult to break so prevents accidents due to broken glass.  Even after repeated blows, it does not shatter or disintegrate so prevents would-be burglars get-ting into your home.  It insulates you from outside noises and prevents colours fading in your upholstery and curtains. When used as part of a double glazing unit, it provides thermal insulation keeping the home warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

All these characteristics are in addition to the intrinsic qualities of glass: transparency, durability (unless broken), visablity.

PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY

Sadly, petty crime and vandalism are part of everyday life. Many residential areas and shopping high streets have become targets for the opportunistic burglar.

Laminated glass contributes to security, because it will resist repeated attack and take many blows before the glass is penetrated - and this is what the burglar will want to avoid.

For this reason, laminated glass is often recommended by insurance companies in their crime prevention campaigns.

The level of security offered by laminated glass depends on the thickness of the laminated glass. By increasing the thickness of the layers of glass and PVB, the strength of the glazing is further increased.

This produces a material which will resist repeated attacks by an implement such as a jemmy or a sledgehammer, or solid objects such as bricks, thrown at the glass.

PROTECT THE COLOURS OF YOUR LIFE

Colours create the mood, the style and the atmosphere of your home.

Whether in wallpaper, chairs, carpets or curtains, colours are everywhere and give a personal touch to your domestic and work environment.

Unfortunately, colours lose their freshness and fade, particularly under the influence of ultra-violet rays which are ever-present whether it it as sunny day or not.

However, laminated glass, which absorbs 99.5 % of these rays, considerably reduces the risks of discoloration.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM NOISE

Noise can be a constant and harmful nuisance.  Excessive noise can cause irritation, tension and even lead to aggression.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult to control noise at source, because there are too many different sources.  Acoustic comfort does not have to be a luxury.  In fact for most of us it is an everyday necessity.

Laminated glass contributes to this comfort, particularly when used in double glazing. The combination of the three major components of double glazing-glass, PVB and the air gap - absorbs sound waves, whether they are low frequency - like traffic noise, or high frequency - like aircraft noise.

PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES

Ordinary glass windows are fragile and when broken can cause unpleasant injuries - sometimes fatal.

However, there is more and more use of glass particularly in modern buildings.

When laminated glass is used, the risk of injury as a result of broken glass is considerably reduced. On impact, the glass itself may crack forming a star shaped pattern, but the interlayer keeps the glass in its place, preventing dangerous flying fragments of glass.

So even when it is cracked, laminated glass continues to safeguard the home until the pane is replaced.

With laminated glass, your family is protected from injury due to splinters of broken glass.

Other Security products

BB Glass are also able to provide security films, wired glass and toughened glass.  Please contact us by clicking on the contact link at the top of the page.