SKYLIGHT GLASSES

There are a large variety of skylight (and roof window) glasses, to respond to different climate conditions and needs. Any good rectangular skylight uses low-e laminated glass or, at least, tempered glass, which is a precondition for efficiency and a way to prevent safety hazards.

Breakage

All glasses are subject to unexpected breakage and skylight glasses are no exception. Imperfections undetected or undetectable during the manufacturing process can cause spontaneous breakage. Fortunately, that spontaneous non-caused breakage is a very rare event. Glass skylights offer superior safety standards. Just choose the right type of glass.

Tempered (safety) skylight glass

Tempered glass - a type of glass strengthened by extreme heating followed by rapid cooling - is currently known as “safety glass”. Tempered glass can be five times stronger than common standard glass and doesn’t crack like ordinary glass: to reduce the potential for bodily injury, tempered glass breaks into small pebble-like pieces.

Laminated glass

Laminated glass is a superior type of glass, resulting from a combination of two (or more) panes of tempered glass with one (or more) layers of resin or PVB plastic. The interlayer is designed to hold the fragments together and to avoid the small pebble-like pieces of tempered glass breaking.

Typically, laminated panes are made from thermal efficient e-low glass.

Low-E glasses

Skylight glasses are often low-E glasses: they have a metallic oxide layer on its glazing surface in order to reduce ultra-violet (UV) radiation and to get a better shading coefficient. The goal is obviously to avoid overheating, preventing the fading of furnishings, or undesired heating losses and glare. Most low-E laminated glasses also incorporate argon: an inert and insulator gas deposited between the panes of glass to block undesired heat or cold.

Standard tempered glasses aren’t low-E, but many manufacturers offer low-E tempered glasses (besides low-E laminated glasses).

Besides standard low-E glasses there are also low-E2 glasses, a denser version of Low-E, slightly darker in its look, designed for greater thermal efficiency, namely whenever overheating is an acute problem.

Skylight glasses & Hurricanes

Hurricane-prone regions demand skylights and roof windows with special glasses, which isn’t exactly a problem. There are laminated glasses conceived to respond to extreme situations like hurricanes.

Local regulations & skylight glasses

You may consult local regulations or local roofing professionals to determine which type of glass is the right one in your region. Laminated glass is often desirable, but it is more expensive and in some situations tempered glass (low-E or low-E2) or a combination of tempered and laminated low-e glasses are good and cheaper alternatives.