Does your Florida home or business have windows or doors made with tempered glass? If so you should know if tempered glass is impact resistant. This knowledge is really important if you reside in Florida or another area affected by hurricanes. Hurricane force winds and flying debris can cause a lot of damage to a property. And that damage will be much worse if your glass breaks. So it is critical to know if your tempered glass can resist impacts or not. This is what we discuss in detail below so keep reading to find out.
What is tempered glass?
According to the Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance, tempered glass is annealed glass that is pre-stressed by heating it and then quickly cooling it. This process gives tempered glass “two to four times the strength of annealed glass.” This is why tempered glass is also referred to as toughened glass (because of its increased strength).
Is tempered glass hurricane proof?
The answer to this question is no. Tempered glass is NOT impact resistant. It has more strength than annealed glass. But tempered glass is not impact resistant and it does shatter if hit hard or the right way. In turn, windows and doors made from tempered glass are not impact resistant.
The biggest benefit of this type of glass is that it does not break into large pieces like annealed glass does. When it breaks, it breaks into small pieces. This is safer than float or annealed glass, but it can still break and cause damage.
If your home or building requires glass that is impact resistant then you should buy impact windows and impact glass doors vs tempered glass. For instance, if you live in South Florida or another area prone to hurricanes, it is a good idea to have impact resistant glass and/or impact resistant shutters. Although impact windows may break they will not shatter and they will hold their shape in the frame.
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