Where it's required
- Glass in doors, including sliding glass doors and storefront doors
- Panes next to doors
- Large panes close to the floor
- Shower and bath enclosures
How to tell if glass is tempered
Look in the corners for a small etched stamp, often mentioning tempered glass or a safety standard. Tempered glass also shows faint stripes or patterns when you look through polarized sunglasses. When it breaks, it crumbles into small cubes.
Why it has to be ordered to size
Tempered glass can't be cut, drilled or trimmed after it's tempered. Any cut makes it shatter. So a replacement is measured, cut from ordinary glass, and then tempered to the exact size, which takes some days. Until it arrives, an open frame should be boarded or fitted with a temporary panel.
When to call us
We measure, order the tempered panel and secure the opening while it's made. For doors and storefronts we also check the frame, seals and hardware so the new glass sits right.
Questions
Why did my tempered glass shatter by itself?
It's rare, but it happens. A small edge chip or a tiny impurity in the glass can cause a tempered pane to break suddenly long after installation.