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Types of Architectural Glass

Our ability to provide high-quality architectural glass to practically any specification is one of the key reasons why we at Glass & Stainless work on such a huge variation of projects. No matter the structure, size or shape, our teams are able to supply the perfect architectural materials for the site. If you’re looking for a new supplier capable of scaling up to suit your needs, look no further. Our range of architectural glass is suitable for all applications, ranging from private residential properties to large-scale office buildings or national architectural projects. Read on, to find which type of architectural glass is best for your current project. 

Our Architectural Glass Range

ARCHITECTURAL GLASS FOR WINDOWS & DOORS


When it comes to windows and doors, our experts always ensure that our toughened glass is used as standard. For any glass that will be external (front or external doors, and typically all windows) buildings, it’s essential to ensure the glazing is sufficient, to be able to withstand weather conditions – both the cold and the heat can be tackled by double glazing.

Choosing the right insulated glass units for your new windows can be the difference in lowering your energy bills, improving thermal efficiency and increasing your BER rating. We can guide you through the technical elements to ensure you make an informed decision.

Insulated Glazed Units

Double or triple insulated glazed units (IGUs) are installed in new builds or as replacement glazing due to their thermal efficient characteristics. Multi-pane IGUs are made using different pane thicknesses, contain a range of cavity depths, and may have the cavity filled with an inert gas, talk to the team to understand the specifications and performance requirements of your project

Special Coatings

IGUs can be treated with different coatings for different results. The use of coatings applied to the inner surface of a glass pane, can improve various properties. Solar control windows for example, can reduce the UV rays entering through the glazing to help keep your carpet, floors and pictures from fading in rooms that get the most light

 

Technical Glazing: Explained

  • U-Value
  • The U-value describes how well a building element conducts heat. The lower the value, the better an insulator a material is.
  • Coating
  • Specialist coatings on the window panes can reduce heat transfer, preventing heat from entering a home in warm climates or from leaving a home in cooler climates. Windows that feature specialist coatings are far more efficient at reducing heat loss than non-coated windows.

 

  • Gas-Filled Windows
  • Both noise reduction and thermal insulation can be greatly improved by filling the cavities between the glass panes with a low conductance gas like argon or krypton. These gasses also offer significantly better thermal resistance than air, resulting in greater insulation and hugely improved energy efficiency. Achieve U-Values as low as 1.0 W/m²K in double glazed and 0.4 W/m²K in triple glazed.

BALUSTRADE GLASS


Here at Glass & Stainless, it’s fair to say we’re well-known for our balustrades. Our balustrade glass has the reputation of being structurally sound, durable and made to your specification. Our general standard of balustrade panels starts at toughened and laminated panels 10mm thick, which ensures the durability of our balustrades. This glass thickness can incrementally increase, in order to ensure the load-bearing capabilities of the balustrade. 

Our frameless balustrades do not have a rail or frame around the glass panel, but start at 17.52 mm thick, which allows us to ensure that all panels of glass enjoy the same level of protection from trauma or the elements. A 1.52mm interlayer in between the glass helps to ensure that the glass is laminated in the event of any trauma or force – so if one side breaks, the other can remain intact. This is vital, especially where the glass itself may be exposed to heavy footfall – on busy tram stations, for instance, or a busy venue with hundreds of visitors each day. 

 

Our 21.52mm thick panel can be used for both domestic and commercial settings, while 25 – 30mm thickness is appropriate when it comes to busier areas or those which may end up weight bearing, like a football stadium or concert venue.  The safety of our balustrades is our biggest priority; which means all of our clients can rest assured that any architectural balustrades from Glass & Stainless will be an investment into the security and compliance of their building. 

 

Order balustrade glass here 

See how we brought the landmark New Street Station to life with balustrades, in Birmingham, UK. 

ARCHITECTURAL GLASS FOR CANOPIES

At Glass & Stainless, our architectural canopy glass has been perfected over numerous years to ensure it’s equally applicable in all settings. Our canopy glass starts at 13.52 mm thickness, as a minimum to ensure proper coverage and durability, whilst our thickest is 21.52mm for the largest canopies; ideally suited to larger buildings, such as office blocks, schools, public buildings, or national transport hubs.

Canopies naturally need to be weather-resistant, as they are exposed to the elements of every season here in the UK: sun, rain, snow, sleet and hail which can all erode at the materials involved. Canopy glass from Glass & Stainless is designed to be durable in all seasons, letting your teams and clients know they’re getting the most for their money.

Where we use steel for canopies, this will be a mild steel, galvanised, and-powder coated- so for instance, our rod-mounted canopy involves both architectural canopy glass and stainless steel. In general, the smaller the canopy, the thinner the glass can be, and vice versa to ensure the weight is spread over the canopy evenly. The thickness of the glass therefore is dependent on size, and must take into elements like snow-loading to ascertain the necessary thickness needed! 

Order canopy glass here 

Purple cross pattern

Calculate your glass panel costs and dimensions here!

Not sure any of these architectural glass types are what you’re looking for? That’s where our bespoke glass service comes in. Our experts can provide custom and cut-to-size glass for any project, including bespoke sandblasted glass with logos, patterns or decorative elements. No project is too big – or too creative – so get in touch with us today to find out more!

If you’d like to work with Glass & Stainless to bring your next project to life, why not get in touch?

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