The question we hear most from customers on glass work is: "Should it be laminated or tempered?" Both are safety glass, but they provide safety in different ways. The right choice depends on where and how the glass will be used.
What is tempered glass?
Tempered glass is made by heating ordinary glass to a high temperature and cooling it rapidly. It is several times more impact-resistant than ordinary glass. When it breaks, it crumbles into small, blunt granules instead of sharp shards. Tempered glass is used in shower enclosures, glass doors, office partitions and glass shelves.
Tempered glass has one important rule: it cannot be cut or drilled after tempering. That is why all dimensions, holes and edge work must be finalised before fabrication. This is why we take measurements so meticulously during the survey.
What is laminated glass?
Laminated glass is made by pressing two or more panes together with a PVB or similar interlayer between them. When it breaks, the fragments stay bonded to the interlayer; the glass does not fall out and the opening stays closed. Figures such as 8+8 or 10+10 give the thickness in millimetres of the panes that make up the laminate.
Which one where?
- Storefront and glass facade: laminated (laminated tempered where needed)
- Glass railings and staircase balustrades: laminated tempered
- Shower enclosure: tempered
- Office partitions: tempered, or laminated for acoustics
- Roof and winter garden glass: laminated
- Glass shelves and tables: tempered
Laminated glass is preferred where there is a fall risk and the opening must stay closed if the glass breaks; tempered glass is preferred where it takes impact and people come into contact with it. Where both risks coexist, as with railings, laminated tempered glass is used.
An example from the field
At a store in İstinye we replaced an 8+8 laminated storefront pane after mall closing time. Because laminated glass stays in place even when it breaks, the store stayed secure all night and the replacement was completed in a single night. Jobs like this show that choosing the right glass is not just about looks but about business continuity.