The glass types and what each is for
Two of these are safety items rather than choices. Toughened glass is required in certain positions near doors and low sills. Laminated glass holds together when struck, which is why it belongs anywhere a broken pane would create an opening or expose a lock.
| Glass | Where it belongs |
|---|---|
| Laminated | Ground floor, near locks, rear entrances |
| Toughened | Where regulations require it near doors and low sills |
| Acoustic laminate | Bedrooms and lounges facing a main road |
| Solar control | South and west facing rooms that overheat |
| Obscure, levels 1 to 5 | Bathrooms, en suites, overlooked side windows |
| Self cleaning | High or awkward to reach elevations |
| Leaded and Georgian bar | Period frontages matching the original |
Matching the glass to the style
Style and glass interact. A flush casement on a period front elevation usually wants a plain or lightly leaded top light rather than heavy patterning. A large picture window benefits from solar control because there is nowhere for the heat to go.
In a sliding sash the traditional arrangement is often a leaded or barred upper sash over plain glass below, which keeps the character at eye level without darkening the room.
A quick room by room pass
Walk the house and write one glass note per opening. It takes ten minutes and it is the single most useful thing you can bring to a survey.
- Front lounge on a road: acoustic laminate, asymmetric pane thicknesses
- Bathroom: obscure level 3 to 5 depending on how overlooked it is
- Kitchen back door and adjacent window: laminated throughout
- South facing conservatory or extension: solar control
- Landing and stairwell: self cleaning if it is hard to reach
- Bedrooms: at least one escape sized opener per room
Specify your glass at survey
Bring one note per window and we will price the glass room by room rather than applying one specification to the whole house.