Topic: Glass and Glazing;

There are nearly as many different variable considerations included within the topic of glass as with all other components of windows & doors combined. After all, glass is the most obvious part of any window and many doors include, at least some, glass.

The following definitions and descriptions are separated into two basic categories,

GLAZING OPTIONS & GLASS TYPES.
GLAZING OPTIONS:

The use of single and multiple layers of various types of glass within any given sash or door. Generally, there are three common glazing configurations. They are Single, Double & Triple Glazing. As the names imply, Single Glazing includes one layer of glass, Double Glazing includes two layers and Triple Glazing includes three layers. Until the recent availability of various high performance materials, the greater the number of glass layers, the greater the insulating value of the window or door. Now, with the advent of such products as sealed insulating glass, Low E glass, Heat Mirror and others, insulating values can be enhanced without the use of multiple glass layers. Often, combinations of certain Glazing Options, Glass Types, Metallic Films and Chemical Gas Fillers can provide significant insulating efficiency.

At Woodstone, virtually any combination or requirement can be included in a given window or door

GLASS TYPES:
Specific descriptions of some of the many glasses that are currently available. Antique: or restoration glass is either true antique glass that has been salvaged or it is authentically reproduced or artificially simulated. Slight distortions, occasional pits and other imperfections characterize most antique glass. Bent: glass that is curved, bent at an angle, spherical or segmented portions of same

Beveled:
panels of straight line or curved glass with a beveled perimeter edge. Either machine or hand ground, bevel sizes are available from less than 1/2" inch in width to 11/2" and more. The beveled angle is variable and dependent upon the bevel width and the thickness of glass required. Generally, the wider the beveled edge, the thicker the glass. Various glass types (ie. clear, tinted, mirror & Solarcool bronze) are available with beveled edges. Beveled glass can also be incorporated in sealed insulating panels and a wide variety of shapes and sizes are available. Bull's Eye: or Crown Bullion is either authentic antique glass or simulated reproduction. Wave like distortions in the shape of concentric circles generally characterize this glass.

Etched & Frosted:
glass that is rendered opaque from chemical wash or sandblasting. Often, intricate designs are permanently applied to various types of clear glass.

Fiberglass:
is not real glass but rather includes epoxy resins and glass fibers. Available in various colors, fiberglass is not recommended for use in sealed insulating units because the various sealing agents may interact with the fiberglass and deteriorate.

Heat Mirror: one of the latest high performance glass products. This concept includes a sealed insulating unit of two layers of clear float glass with a soft-coat low e-coating that is applied to one or two thin films suspended between the layers of float glass. When combined with Argon or Krypton gas in each cavity (there are at least two cavities separated by the thin low e film) reported R values can range as high as R-7 to R-10. Insulating (Sealed): sealed insulating glass is one of the earliest methods for enhancing the efficiency of glass in windows and doors. The first double glazing patent was established in 1865.

Insulating glass consists either of welded glass (the two layers of glass are actually connected at the edges by a welded glass seam) or two layers of glass connected at the edges by a combination of desiccant with bituminous, butyl and/ or silicon compounds. Woodstone seals are usually poly-isobutylene and silicone. Generally, the welded glass method is not used in current applications. Insulated glass sealed with desiccant and compounds can be single or double sealed. Double sealed units are recommended for applications, such as large curtain walls, in which structural strength is required.

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