Toughened or tempered glass is up to 500% stronger than ordinary float glass. It’s made by heating the glass at very high temperatures, and then cooling it very quickly. This process makes it more resistant to impact, heat and shock than ordinary glass. If it does break, toughened glass shatters into small, blunt pieces rather than dangerous shards.

Toughened glass is all around us – it’s used to make shower screens, table tops, glass shelves and also for structural applications such as frameless glass doors, glass floors and balustrading.

Laminated glass
Laminated glass is stronger and safer than ordinary float glass because of its sandwich construction. It features a PVB plastic interlayer which is fused in between two or more panes of glass, and holds the shards together even if the pane is shattered. As well as its safety features, the thickness and composition of laminated glass makes it a better insulator than toughened glass. It can withstand changes in temperature, improve acoustics and reduce the harmful effects of UV rays.

Laminated glass is used for many of the same applications as toughened glass. It is heavier and more expensive, but also more versatile in terms of colour and finish.