Where You Need to Use Tempered Glass

Not only is it stronger, but the way the glass itself breaks changes as well. Instead of irregular shards of all sizes, the glass will break into small pebbles instead, which greatly reduces chance of injury. This is the benefit of tempered glass: how it breaks.

When it comes to tempered glass, there are building codes that must be followed. These codes will tell you if you are required to use tempered glass or not. Of course, if you are not required, you may still choose to use tempered glass if you wish. It is important to note that mirrors, unless they have proper backing, must adhere to the same requirements as glass.

Typical requirements for tempered glass include:

1. If there is glass in a handrail or guardrail
2. Similarly, any glass that runs in or alongside stairs or a landing
3. Glass in any door, whether it’s a back door or shower door
4. Any window that is single pane and larger than 9 square-feet within 18” of the floor
5. Glass 2 feet or closer to the hinge of a door
6. Glass within 5 feet of water, such as a bath tub or swimming pool.

We will help our customers determine where they need tempered glass in the consultation process. For our retail customers, we are fully responsible for meeting tempering codes. When necessary, we work to assist our wholesale customers to ‘value engineer’ their project. Window replacement in Dallas can get expensive.