As a result of its safety and strength, tempered glass is used in a variety of demanding applications, including doors, shower doors and tables. Oct 05, 2019 besides the glass in the door in the photo above, both sidelights would require safetytempered glass and also the window at the stair landing, if it is within 24inches of the edge of the door. Sep 16, 2019 with all of this said, if this were my home and code requirements required me to use tempered glass, i would go with a 38 piece of tempered glass. Tempered glass is one type of heattreated glass in which the glass is first heated, and then the surface is rapidly cooled. It is also required in windows that are within eighteen inches of a walking surface, but only if that piece of glass is over nine square feet of. Windows that are both within 24 inches of a door in a closed position and within 60 inches of the floor. This process makes the glass stronger, and also changes the way the glass breaks. Windows near the stairs often are subject to safety glass codes. With all of this said, if this were my home and code requirements required me to use tempered glass, i would go with a 38 piece of tempered glass. Residential building codes specify where this safety glass must be. Apr 12, 2014 when i remodeled i had to use tempered glass on a kitchen window over a sink because the sliding door was within a certain distance so it required tempered glass.
Because nontempered windows are a definite safety concern, renovating an older home is another situation where is tempered window glass necessary. It is required by code in bathrooms, next to or near entry doors and in windows less than 18 from the floor. Certain windows that are larger than 9 square feet in size depending on. The bottom edge of the glazing is less than 18 inches 457 mm above the floor. Tempered glass is expensive and will break into small pebble sized beads, which can become dangerous projectiles damaging eyes and piercing skin leading to common types of glass related accidents. Some areas may allow you to apply a safety window film.
None of this should be interpreted to exclude using safety tempered glass for in a location that you decide warrants it. Using tempered glass in windows it is necessary to temper all glass next to stairs, landings, and ramps if it is within three feet of a walkway and the glass exposed surface is less than five feet above that walkway. Hurricane resistant glass is made with tempered laminated glass. If tempered laminate glass is broken, it will break into small pieces, but is still be held together by the tough, but flexible plastic layer. None of the other windows were tempered with the exception of the one window in the kitchen. Any window glass with 60 of a stair step or landing. A wocd can be released to allow the sash to fully open for emergency escape and rescue. Mirrors are subject to the same safety rules unless they have a solid backing.
Also known as toughened glass, tempered glass is stronger and safer than regular glass. Window glass code in arizona window replacement regulations attachments and included information is for general information only. Cost of tempered glass windows types, styles, prices. If it is to be an insulating glass unit, i would have the outboard lite of the insulating unit made with 38 tempered glass and do whatever was needed to adjust my frame to accommodate the. So, the glass must be larger than 9 square feet and within 36 inches of a walking area, plus the bottom of the. Irc rules require that windows of a certain size or location in your home must have tempered safety glass. Bathroom window safety glass tempered glass in bathrooms. Safety 3m building window solutions 3m united states. The optical clarity for both laminated and tempered glass are excellent in either product will provide many years of satisfactory service in your door or window. Any window over a bathtub or shower less than 5 feet from the floor of the shower or bathtub.
When shattered, tempered glass breaks into very small pieces, unlike regular annealed glass that breaks into long slivers and sharpened shards. When is safety tempered glass required by code for glass near. When i remodeled i had to use tempered glass on a kitchen window over a sink because the sliding door was within a certain distance so it required tempered glass. Tempered glass stronger than annealed glass, tempered glass is best known for its safety. Obscured glass is mainly used for privacy, for example, in. Where is safetytempered glass required for windows and doors. Because tempered glass panels are stronger than normal glass, a lot more force is required to break them, ensuring that your windows have a longer lifespan. Jun 17, 2016 this makes tempered glass ideal for areas where a person may walk or fall into windows, such as on a patio door or a window where the glass reaches the floor. Building codes for tempered glass close to stairs home.
Recent editions of the building codes list such hazardous locations requiring safety glass. A window opening control device wocd is an option available for some mi windows designed to restrict the opening of a sash to less than 4 to lessen the risk of accidental falls. Building codes may specify that glass near certain hazardous locations, such as wet surfaces, doors, floors, ramps and stairs, meet certain safety glazing requirements. Other areas in the bathroom that require use of tempered glass are enclosures including walls and doors surrounding tubs hot tubs, showers, spas, whirlpools, saunas, and steam rooms. Where to install windows with tempered glass is not just dictated by the height of the window. Because our windows and patio doors are custom made, you can select different types of glass for each individual window or patio door to address a variety of requirements.
My understanding is that the one pictured should be tempered. I will see windows such as the one shown untempered, and a window at the landing tempered. The key thing to remember about this standard is that all four criteria must be met before safetytempered glass is necessary. For an overiew of all the locations where safetytempered glass is required in a home, see our blog post where is safetytempered glass required for. Any window with a single pane greater than 9 square feet.
Building code r308 to reduce injury when a person has accidental contact with glass. Arizona building codes affordable windows plus exteriors. Obscure glass obscure patio door and window glass helps protect your privacy while allowing abundant light to enter the room. Another area where you will find tempered glass is in large windows next to bathtubs. Hurricane resistant glass is made with tempered laminated. The height of a window off of the floor for nontempered glass. Tempered glass windows note that tempered glass windows and impactresistant windows are not the same. If you are installing windows within 2 feet of a door and lower than 5 feet from the ground, you need tempered glass in the windows, even though these might be higher than 18 inches from the ground. Building code typically requires tempered glass for areas such as this. Annealed glass this type of glass is commonly used throughout homes and is probably what most of your windows are made of.
This is similar to the requirements in the 2015 iecc and irc, but the user should recognize that both standards were updated to 2017 editions in the 2018 iecc. It is also required in glass that is within eighteen inches of the doors vertical edges when the door is in a closed position. Jun 29, 2018 there are exceptions allowed for decorative glass in windows also, along with the addition of a sturdy rail in front of the glass, and outboard panes of insulating glass in a high location. Besides the glass in the door in the photo above, both sidelights would require safetytempered glass and also the window at the stair landing, if it is within 24inches of the edge of the door. Tempered glass is required in some windows, depending on their size and proximity to the floor. When you are doing a window replacement job, you should be aware that there are universal building codes that you need to abide by. The top edge of the glazing is greater than 36 inches 914 mm above the. Tempered glass is the strongest form of glass, and is five to eight times more impact resistant than conventional glass. Glass stair rails and baluster panels must be made of tempered glass. Unless your window meets all these criteria, its not a situation where is tempered window glass necessary.
The passfail criterion for swinging doors remains at 0. Typically, laminated glass products are a slightly higher price than tempered products of the same type and thickness. If the window does not meet any one of the specs, based on location and size, ordinary window glass is okay. Smart windows colorado features different types of tempered and obscured glass, and smart privacy glass. The exposed area of an individual pane is greater than 9 square feet 0. There are two main types of glass used in the construction of windows. Also any window glass within 60 of the floor, that is over a bathtub or in a shower must be tempered.
Some irc and lbc editions have minimum sill height requirements for certain. Home inspectors are increasingly noting the absence of tempered safety glass in their reports. How security film can be an alternative to tempered glass. When to use tempered safety glass in your home or office.
Windows that have the potential for human impact are legally required to contain tempered glass. Incorporation tempered glass in the window is the most common way that window manufacturers are complying to chapter 7a. The proceedure involves heating the glass up, and then cooling it down rapidly. Residential building codes for safety glass home guides. The top edge of the glazing is greater than 36 inches 914 mm. Frequently asked questions faqs mi windows and doors. Tempered glass windows are a type of fixture that uses a safety glass and is ideal in homes or building that requires a sturdier window than the standard glass. Any glass in walls adjacent to stairs, landings, and ramps should be made of tempered glass if the glass is within 5 feet of the top or bottom of the stairs and the bottom edge of the glass is 60 inches or less above the walking surface. Meeting safety code requirements, tempered glass breaks into small rounded pieces rather than in shards upon impact. The flexible glass is usually four or utmost five times stronger than the regular glass, and it does not break into tiny sharp pieces when hit by a force. The main one you need to understand is when it is required to use tempered safety glass.
Glass in glazed curtain walls, glazed storefronts and glazed partitions shall meet the seismic requirements of asce 7, section. If the door is equal to or less than 50 percent glass, it is considered to be an opaque door. The tempering process adds cost to the glazing process. Custom windows is committed to investigating and researching every product of our catalog to ensure it meets your expectations. Tempered glass for windows 9 square feet or more code. One of these requirements is having the right type of glass in the doors and windows of your home.
Windows made with tempered laminated glass have the much higher strength of tempered glass. Wire reinforced glass is no longer permitted for use as a bathroom window safety glass. An exemption to this requirement is given in section 1709. However, a bathroom is designated as a dangerous area, and thus needs extra protection according to bathroom code requirements, specifically, a. Fixed or operable windows must include safety glass if they measure larger. I have only seen it on heritage houses where the original windows are essential to the. Simply put, tempered windows are windows made with glass that has been treated through a specific heating and cooling procedure that results in more durable and safer glass. Due to area and region specific building codes and requirements consult with your architect or builder.
The last primary state code requirement for tempering involves windows above stairs. According to the national glass association, there are 4 criteria that require safety glass. When is safety tempered glass required by code for glass. Tempered glass, often called safety glass, is mostly used where required by code or for a specific safety purpose. Tempered glass windows window glass replacement guide. All glass, in any door, is required to be tempered. Where is safetytempered glass required for windows and.
This treatment results in the center of the glass remaining relatively hot compared to the surface. Windows page 2 of 2 tempered glass is required for. Tempered glass is glass that has an extra proceedure done to it to make it 4 to 5 times stronger. If the framing supporting the glass deflects 1175 of the length of the edge of glass being supported, or. Art glass used in doors, sidelights and large windows is exempt from safety glazing requirements if it is leaded, decorated or carved in such a way as to make it clearly visible. The dangers of nontempered glass if a door or window with nontempered glass breaks, the sharp pieces of glass are likely to fly around or fall off. Jul 12, 2017 any windows in a door must have tempered glass, no matter the height, unless it is too small for a 3inch ball to pass through the window. Every quality window or door installation starts with a highquality product from trusted manufacturers. This makes tempered glass ideal for areas where a person may walk or fall into windows, such as on a patio door or a window where the glass reaches the floor. The inner plastic membrane holds the glass together keeping the window in its frame. To figure out if your window need tempered glass, here is a quick guide.
For that reason it pays to get familiar with the subject. Crystal clear glass tile residential deck handrail building requirements. The key thing to remember about this standard is that all four criteria must be met before safety tempered glass is necessary. Basically any glass in an area where a human could fall through it, or it could fall upon someone, should be tempered. When nontempered or annealed glass breaks, flying shards and large pieces of sharp, sheared off glass can cause severe injuries often times fatal to. When is a window required to be made from tempered glass. Safety glass laminated or tempered glass must be used in doors. Window glass building codes in california home guides. Typically windows that have the potential for human impact are legally required to contain tempered glass. Tempered glass reduces the chance of injury in case of a break. Any fixed or movable window that is bigger than 9 square feet should be made of tempered glass. The bathroom windows and laundrygarage i used frosted glass for privacy reasons. Mar 20, 2019 windows in general need to be made of tempered glass, which is a bit different than years ago when only upper story windows needed to be tempered and first floor windows could be regular glass.
When non tempered or annealed glass breaks, flying shards and large pieces of sharp, sheared off glass can cause severe injuries often times fatal to. Windows on a wall perpendicular to the plane of the door in a closed position and within a 24 inch arc of. Heres a helpful guide to tempered glass requirements for residential homes in az. Also, any window within 24 of a door is required to have tempered safety glass. While the code applies to every home in the us, some states laws have stricter requirements on where is tempered window glass necessary. If a window is 9 square feet or more, does it have to be tempered. Windows in general need to be made of tempered glass, which is a bit different than years ago when only upper story windows needed to be tempered and first floor windows could be regular glass. The passfail criterion for windows, skylights and sliding glass doors remains at 0. Glass safety glass that has been tested and labeled, such as tempered glass, is required in windows in the following locations. The ufactor requirements discussed above for vertical fenestration also apply to exterior glass doors. Windows are exempted from this requirement because the bottom glass is almost never over 9 square feet. Residential building codes for safety glass home guides sf gate.
The inner plastic membrane holds the glass together keeping the window in. Tempered and heat strengthened glass can be three to seven times stronger than standard annealed glass. Broad range of energy efficient windows, doors, and moving glass walls. Windows that incorporate tempered glass will definitely cost more than those with annealed glass. A tempered bug is shown in the upper left corner of the glass in this window. Any window less than 18 inches in height from a walking surface. An illustrated guide to the building, mechanical, and electrical codes by redwood kardon, et al. The tempering process changes the properties of the glass, so that if it should be broken, it crumbles into dull cubes to minimize any injury.
Tempered glass is used when strength, thermal resistance, and safety are important considerations. I see windows in the stairwell, parallel to the walking surface, all the time untempered. Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel that. When shattered, tempered glass breaks into very small pieces, unlike regular annealed glass. Nearly 2,000 people are killed each year and thousands more are injured in the united states because of falls on stairs, according. Glass doors, by definition in the iecc, are considered to be those which are more than 50 percent glass in area. It is also required in windows that are within eighteen inches of a walking surface, but. Tempered glass and obscured glass smart windows colorado.