Types of Glass for Windows

Float glass is the most basic kind of glass. It can be made stronger using heat, and/or it may be tempered, tinted, laminated, filled with gas, or obscured.

Many kinds of glass are more efficient energy-wise, like Low-E glass, which has a specialized coating that assists in keeping heat out in the hotter months and in, throughout the colder months.

Can I decide on the kind of glass in my windows? In short, yes! When you purchase replacement windows, there are some choices you can make about both the quantity of glass (the number of panes) and the kind of glass (the way it’s manufactured).

This post looks more specifically at how the kinds of glass are made, particularly how they heat and cool it. The difference in how they manufacture glass gives the various kinds of their distinct attributes. Some glass is more durable or more efficient energy-wise than other kinds, for instance.

To start here are the basic types of glass for windows.

Float Glass.

Float glass is a level, even kind of glass; it’s the typical kind of glass in most present-day windows.

Annealed Glass.

This type of glass is float glass that has been cooled slowly; it’s regular window glass, prior to it being coated or treated for durability or energy efficiency.

Heat Strengthened Glass.

This kind of glass is in reference to annealed glass that has been warmed over and rapidly cooled. This glass is twice as durable as annealed glass.

Tempered Glass.

This type of glass is float glass that’s been heated to around twelve hundred degrees Fahrenheit and then cooled rapidly. It breaks into minute, weariness pieces for safety reasons.

Heat Soak Tempered Glass.

This tempered glass is expressly heated for creating extra durable safety glass.

Laminated Glass.

This glass is a kind of safety glass that doesn’t easily break, and when it does, it usually remains in the frame.

Insulated Glass.

This type of glass is made from 2 or more pieces of glass with an air-filled area in between.

Gas Filled Glass.

This type of glass has a layer of gas (typically krypton or argon) between the panes of glass; this gas is going to help insulate the windows.

Low-E Glass.

Low-E glass comes with a coating that helps fend off UV rays, keeping heat out of the house throughout the hotter months. Low-E glass also helps retain heat in the home throughout the colder months.

Tinted Glass.

This type of glass helps absorb the sun’s heat, keeping a home cooler.

Obscured Glass.

This type of glass is glass that has been patterned or frosted so light is allowed to filter in, without clear shapes being noticed through it. It’s usually found in bathrooms.