The Differences between Regular and Tempered Glass

Not all glass is made equally sometimes one type of glass is exponentially more well-suited for completing a job. The hardest part is understanding the different types of glass and identifying them for yourself in person. In this blog, we will be discussing the specific differences between regular and tempered glass.

Tempered Glass Identifier

Unlike regular glass, tempered glass can be identified by a marking in its corner. Manufacturers are supposed to put their company name and the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards in the corner of tempered glass. This is meant to instantly prove whether or not a piece of glass is tempered. Creating tempered glass is much more complicated than normal glass, hence why it is so important to mark the glass. If you purchased your glass directly from a manufacturer then their mark will be more clear to spot rather than slightly more faded as time passes. 

The Strength Difference 

To the naked eye, you can hardly see a difference between glass types, because the true difference is in their strength. Tempered glass is more than 4x stronger than regular glass. The odd part is, despite its strength you cannot drill, carve, or shape tempered glass after it has set. On the other hand, regular glass is much weaker allowing it to have a simpler creation process than tempered glass. Therefore, if you can drill it or customize its shape with easy resistance after it is set then you most likely have regular glass not tempered. 

The Creation Process

When creating standard panes of glass the material is heated up and then cooled at a controlled speed to give it some level of strength. However, tempered glass is created by taking an already-made piece of glass and heating it at very high levels. Once the heating is completed the glass is then rapidly shot with ice-cold bursts of air. This extreme and fast-paced process allows the tempered glass to gain its strength.

The Edges of the Glass

A great way to tell if your glass is tempered is by examining the edges. Because of the extreme process tempered glass goes through its edges are left very smooth and sleek. Whilst regular glass has notable rough edges and corners.

Imperfect Details 

If all options fail and you still can’t seem to find a difference in your glass. Perhaps it is in a frame of sorts with limited access to corners and edges. The best solution is to fully examine the glass for imperfections. Tempered glass is commonly found with many imperfections because of the rigorous process it goes through. Whilst regular glass typically will not have many imperfections since its creation process is much more simplistic.

Install Your Glass Today with Atlas Glass and Mirror

Looking to replace or install new glass? Whether it be tempered glass or standard glass Atlas Glass and Mirror will always have you covered! Contact us today!