What is Architectural Glass?

What Is Architectural Glass?
Architectural Glass and Metal Service
Architectural glass is a term used to describe glass elements in a building and refers mostly to glass facades and glass that becomes the feature of a building or commercial establishment. Architectural glass is commonly used in creating frameless doors, windows, balconies, stairs, and extensions.
At Oyster Bay Glass Works, we provide professional architectural glass and metal service, which includes repair of architectural glass. If you are in need of services for architectural glass and metal service, then please reach out to us today. When you reach out, we can help you with the design of the architectural glass to ensure that the glass is right for the situation at hand and that installation goes smoothly. We love collaborating with our clients and look forward to working with you! Contact us today to get started. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the common types of architectural glass used on projects for homes and offices.

Types of Architectural Glass
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass is comprised of several sheets of glass that is separated by plastic films. Once laminated glass breaks, the pieces remain joined to the film. This makes it ideal for various safety installations.
The plastic film for this glass minimizes the risks brought on by shattered glass pieces and the danger resulting from easy penetration. If the glass panel shatters, then there is a higher chance that both laminated boards will break simultaneously. This implies that the remaining board and interlayer will uphold the wrecked glass and protect it until it is replaced.
With laminated glass, various interlayers are available to better customize the glass. These structural interlayers may be used to increase the power of the glass when high loadings are necessary. And colored interlayers can be utilized for security or ornamental purposes. Lastly, different properties, such as sound dampening and fire resistance, can also be included in this interlayer.
Toughened Glass
Toughened glass is made using a particular cooling method in order to counteract stresses, implying that it will shatter once it gets damaged instead of breaking into shards. This glass makes its surroundings safer by minimizing injuries if it breaks.
Toughened glass is multiple times stronger than regular glass in order to protect it from physical and thermal shock. The counteracting stresses provide hardened glass with high mechanical resistance from breakage. It produces small square pieces instead of long, harmful shards that will cause injuries if it breaks.

Decorative Glass
Another common type of architectural glass is decorative glass, which often comes in different options, such as
- color options
- reflectivity
- opacity levels
- transparencies
- surface structures
The use of decorative glass has become commonplace in homes, as well as businesses. Use decorative glass to design various elements within a home, including:
- shower enclosures
- shelves
- tabletops
- kitchen backsplashes
For professional guidance on architectural glass, turn to Oyster Bay Glass Works!
Reflective Glass
Reflective glass provides a mirror-like appearance with multiple colors to the exterior of the structure during the daytime. A layer of metal oxide is put on one side of the glass in order to enhance its reflection level. Reflective glass is perfect for offices and tall building doors and windows since it enhances privacy within the building.

Sound Insulation Glass
Sound insulation glass minimizes sound waves that travel through the glass itself. By bringing down the acoustic energy of the sound wave, its noise is ultimately diminished. Acoustic insulation is a great way to prevent noises from going through the glass. This feature makes it perfect to place between somewhere noisy and the need for a quiet room nearby. The greater the acoustic insulation of a coating, the larger the comfort of the space due to the drowning out of unwanted noises.
The glass sheets for acoustic sound insulation are thicker and the air cavity separating them is more significant. This helps to decrease the reverberation of any loud noises, thus making it more difficult for sound to get through the glass.
Another feature that is used to soundproof a window is by filling the glass units with latent gas. These gases are harder for sound to go through than air. When the sound waves travel through the gas, they lose both energy and volume. Once again attributing to the noise reduction.
Solar Control Glass
Solar control gas includes a special covering that helps with lessening the heat entering the home or building. It can retain and reflect heat, while also helping to reduce the requirement for air-conditioning. So, with this glass in place, the home or office stays bright and cooler than if you chose ordinary glass. However, solar glass is not colored, even though such finishes can be customized for aesthetic improvements.
Benefits of Solar Control Glass
Here are some of the common benefits of utilizing solar control glass as your form of architectural glass:
- low maintenance
- improved privacy in homes and offices
- high light reflectance
- improved visual comfort from direct daylight
- low transmission
Sun control glass is typically double-glazed. By lowering the requirement for air conditioning, this glass will save you money by spending less on energy.
