Glass Tempering
There are a few things to consider if your requirements call for tempered glass. First, most glass 1/8" and thicker can be tempered. However, the glass must not contain intentional "defects" such as is found in seedy glass because the air bubbles will expand and break the glass. Also, 1 side of the glass needs to be flat, so for example you cannot bevel both sides of glass that is is to be tempered because the unsupported edge will "melt" giving you more of a candy dish appearance. If you have any questions about selecting a specialty glass that can be tempered, give us a call to discuss.
All cutouts, notches, and holes must meet certain specifications. This is necessary to allow the proper heating and cooling of the glass so that it tempers properly and does not crack nor explode. Please refer to the section below for the details. Each piece must be at least 10" long on the diagonal so that it will not fall between the rollers.
A tempering logo is a small etching that is made in one corner of each piece of glass indicating that it has been tempered and meets government standards for tempered glass. For some decorative projects like table tops or shelves, you may not want a logo to detract from the beauty of the glass. Laws and regulations vary from area to area, so you'll need to check with a local building inspector or your contractor to see if your glass requires a logo. The default for us is to put a logo the glass, so if do you do not want one, you will need to specify "No Logo" when ordering as we cannot remove a logo once it is on the glass. As an alterative, we can provide you with an official "Certificate Of Tempering" which can be used to prove that your glass is tempered even though it does not have the official logo, but you will need to request the certificate when ordering.
Heavy glass, due to its weight density, may have small tempering marks. These occur when the glass melts and the rollers in the oven cause slight depressions. Marks may happen for larger pieces of 1/2" thick glass, and are likely to happen on any size of 3/4" thick glass. You need to take this into consideration before deciding to temper heavy glass as we cannot be responsible for its appearance.
Mirror Tempering
Mirror cannot be tempered because the process would destroy the backing. In cases where you require additional safety measures, we can apply a safety membrane to the back of the mirror that meets most local building codes. If tempering is a must, then we can arrange to cut the pieces to size, then have the backing applied. Please check with your local inspectors to see what the requirements are for your area.
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