5 Main Types Of Window Glass For Homes In Chattanooga

You want the best windows for your home, right?

Without them, your home may not be as amazing as it could be. They may not be as beautiful or energy efficient as you would like them to be. It can make it harder to love your home.

We don’t want that happening to anyone.

You don’t have to let subpar window glass lower the love you have for your home.

You can discover the ideal type of window glass for your home and transform your house into the home you know and love again:

But when you look online there are window glass types of all kinds, many not even mainly for home use. You won’t have to look through 11+ types of window glass here.

Instead, you can discover the 5 main types of window glass for a house.

First, let’s start with what all windows start out as – floating glass

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Floating Glass

Did you know that glass can float on molten tin?! That’s the process for making this type of window glass (and others). It results in float glass, which is a large and smooth panel of the thinnest glass.

In other words, it’s the base starting point for almost any type of window glass. This makes it the most cost-efficient type, but also one of the weakest.

As it can break easily it is not the most recommended glass for home use

You could go on the exact opposite side and install one of the toughest types of window glass, which is our next type.

1. Safety Laminated Window Glass

If you’ve ever seen a broken car windshield you know what safety laminated glass is.

It’s the type that when something hits it there are no glass shards raining down. It stays in place although it is severely cracked, like in this example below:

Original photo by Mercurywoodrose (changed photo size and cropped some upper and lower parts): creative commons license 4.0

You can trust safety laminated glass windows because of how they are made.

It’s made by fusing two or more panes around a layer of polyvinyl butyral or PVB (a resin made for binding objects together). Then it is introduced to high heat and pressure, creating a strong and shatter-resistant type of window glass.

It’s a very safe type of glass.

Our next type of glass is better at keeping your privacy safe.

2. Obscured Glass For Windows

You’ll want this type of window glass for your bathrooms for sure.

It’s also a popular choice for any glass around the front door because obscured glass can’t be seen through, making it the perfect privacy window glass type.

You can make obscured glass by frosting, coating, etching, or designing it so it cannot be seen through. It does let in enough light to see by so you won’t be left in the dark:

Original front door photo by Ken Doerr (changed photo size and cropped upper and lower parts): creative commons license 2.0

This also includes mirrored and tinted windows, though they aren’t usually used for home exterior windows.

You can also tint your windows if you want to reduce heat and UV rays in your home.

Mirrored glass is like the one-way mirrors in police interrogation rooms. You can see out but nobody can see in, making it the perfect window glass for privacy, although they are not often in use around homes.

Now if you’re looking for energy efficient windows, the next two types of glass could be ideal for you.

3. Insulated Window Glass

You can cut down on your energy bills by using insulated window glass. This is possible because these windows have 2-3 panes of tempered or laminated types of window glass.

The other secret is what’s between the glass panes (hint: it isn’t oxygen). It’s argon, a harmless type of gas found everywhere in our atmosphere. Your windows will be more energy efficient and soundproof with argon. If it leaks, nothing will happen because it is a harmless gas.

These windows won’t have condensation pop up between the panes either.

You’ll want to compare different types to find your ideal one as not every insulated glass window has the same energy efficiency rating.

You can also save money by using our next type of window glass.

4. Low E (Emissivity) Window Glass

You can keep your heat inside your home and the sun’s heat out. Low E glass windows help reduce thermal radiation or infrared light. This is the type of harmless sunray we feel as heat (we even let off some thermal radiation from our bodies).

Photo by Maghriby2660: creative commons license 4.0

Make sure to see what the finished product looks like as some Low E window glass can have a tint to it.

You’ll love this type of window glass because it can lower heating and cooling costs for your home. It can be pricey at first, but if you’re looking to save money in the long run then these are the windows for your Chattanooga home.

Now onto the fifth and final window glass type.

5. Tempered Glass

You can take float glass and increase the strength by about 5 times to reach the tempered glass level. The glass heats up to about 1200°Fahrenheit and then cools quickly, causing it to become even stronger.

You can test them before installation but it will increase the cost. This type of tempered window glass is called heat-soaked tempered.

This tests the strength of the glass before it goes into your home by heating it in the oven to 550°Fahrenheit, which also helps get rid of most imperfections.

Those are the 5 main types of window glass for homes.

What Windows Would You Want For Your Home?

These are only the 5 main types of windows for home, you can still find others. They may not be the best choice for home windows though.

Are there any window types on here you want for your home? Let us know in the comments below!

Now that you know what type of glass is used, check out the 11 different types of windows you can put them in >>