Toughened and laminated safety glass
Safety glass is glass that either resists breaking or breaks safely. Toughened (tempered) glass is roughly four times stronger than ordinary glass and shatters into small blunt granules; laminated glass sandwiches a plastic interlayer that holds the pane together when cracked. UK Building Regulations require one or the other in "critical locations" — and our designer offers both, priced live per unit.
Where safety glass is required
Approved Document K defines the critical locations: any glazing within 800mm of floor level, and any glazing within 300mm of a door edge and up to 1500mm from the floor. In practice that catches low-cill windows, side panels next to doors, and all glazed doors themselves. Glass in these zones must be safety-rated (or meet small-pane exemptions that rarely apply to modern casements).
This is why every door we sell is glazed with safety glass only — plain annealed double glazing isn't offered on doors at all.
Toughened vs laminated: which to pick
- Toughened — the standard safety upgrade: much stronger in service, and if it does break it granulates safely. Choose it for regulation compliance at the lowest cost.
- Laminated — breaks but holds together in the frame, like a car windscreen. Choose it where security matters (an intruder can't make a usable opening quickly), for ground-floor and door-adjacent glass on exposed elevations, or where falling glass would be dangerous.
- Both can carry obscure patterns and both are available in our 28mm double units; the 36mm triple unit is toughened as standard.
How the designer handles it
Pick your glazing per window: standard, toughened, laminated or triple. Obscure patterns reprice automatically when they're carried on a toughened unit. The regulations are the buyer's or installer's to apply on a supply-only purchase — if your cill is below 800mm or the window sits beside a door, specify a safety unit.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I know if my window needs safety glass?
- Measure from the finished floor to the bottom of the glass: under 800mm needs safety glass. Also within 300mm sideways of any door and below 1500mm. When in doubt, specify toughened — the uplift is modest.
- Is toughened glass double glazed?
- Yes — 'toughened' describes the panes inside the sealed unit. Our toughened option is the same 28mm argon-filled construction with toughened panes.
- Which is better for security, toughened or laminated?
- Laminated. Toughened glass is strong but once broken it's gone; laminated stays bonded to its interlayer, so the opening remains blocked. For vulnerable ground-floor and door glazing, laminated is the security choice.
- Can safety glass be obscured?
- Yes — all five obscure patterns can be carried on toughened units, and the designer prices the combination automatically.
- Why do your doors only come with toughened or laminated glass?
- Because doors are always a critical location under Approved Document K — plain glass would be non-compliant, so we don't offer it on any door.