No matter whether it is your house interiors or your balconies, having some modern and innovative designs that will enhance the overall look of your home is the goal. Glass railings for balconies have sort of become a trend in today’s times and it tends to give a somewhat modernised look to your balcony.
Making use of glass as a main component in railing systems has sort of become a ground-breaking concept in interior designing. This is because glass provides both safety and elegance to the structure. Glass railings on balconies are used in both residential and commercial buildings and the versatility of the design makes it ideal for both modern and traditional settings.
When it comes to a glass balcony, one of the main factors to consider is the type of glass that should be used to design the railing. There are various types of glass that can be used, with the two main types being toughened glass and laminated glass. Although both these types are fairly suitable to be used, there is a lot of debate that goes into deciding which a better option is.
In this article, we are going to address this conflict and have a look at both toughened glass and laminated glass to understand which one is a better option to be used for your glass balcony.
Toughened glass is an extremely strong glass which is also known as tempered glass that goes after the process used for making it. It comes with a high temperature resistance that allows it to withstand temperature changes of up to 250 degree celsius.
The high strength and heat resistance of toughened glass comes from the process that is used in making it that includes tempering of the glass by exposing it to extremely high temperatures and intense heating which is then followed by rapid cooling during the process of manufacture.
The toughness of the glass allows it to take a higher load and gives it a high breakage resistance which means it won’t break easily and you would have to hit it much harder for it to break as compared to a normal glass. However, when broken the toughened glass will shatter into a million tiny pieces. This method of breaking also makes it safe as the tiny pieces hold less risk of injury as compared to large, jagged pieces of annealed glass that can easily cause injury to anyone standing near.
Laminated glass is another widely used type of glass. It is most commonly used in windscreens of cars and the use is mostly in accordance with the breaking method of the glass. When laminated glass breaks, it stays in place and does not break into many pieces that may injure anyone in close proximity. This breaking nature gives it a sort of safety feature that makes it an attractive choice.
The breaking method of the laminated glass comes from the form of manufacture that goes into making it. During the manufacture process of the glass plastic (polyvinyl butyral) interlay is sandwiched between two glass sheets. This bonds the two panes together like glue and helps them to stay together and in place even after the glass breaks.
The above manufacturing process also makes sure that the panes of the glass do not come apart when exposed to high impact. With superior UV resistance and high sound proofing, laminated glass has a much added advantage over annealed glass. Laminated glass comes in various types which are designed keeping a certain purpose in mind. These types include solar control laminated glass, fire-resistance glass, bullet resistant glass, and blast resistant glass.
With its efficient safety features and reliable manufacturing, laminated glass is widely used in various settings.
Now that we have had a basic idea about toughened glass and laminated glass, let’s come back to the question of which is a better option for a glass balcony? To be honest there is no right or wrong answer for this question and it mostly depends on what your needs and requirements are.
If you are looking for a strong and unbreakable glass for a balcony railing, then you might want to go for a tempered or toughened glass as it is not easily breakable. However, if you want a glass railing that is more flexible, and has a higher UV-resistance and sound resistance, then going for a laminated glass might be a much better option.
All in all, what glass you choose for the railing of your glass balcony will differ based on how you require your glass railing to be. Whether it is a commercial or residential building, you would want to consider the above factors while making the final choice.
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