Glass Options

Introduction

This section lists the various monolithic (single lite) glass products that Oldcastle Glass® can provide. Two or more lites of most of these products can be combined to produce insulating glass units and laminated glass products.

For monolithic, laminated or insulating glass unit performance data, click Oldcastle Glass's on-line glass performance calculator, GlasSelect®. For a brief tutorial on how to use GlasSelect®, please click on How to Use GlasSelect® Demo.

The glass products are divided into categories and subcategories, and then, in some cases, further divided by color:

Float Glass

Clear, Low-Iron Clear, Self-Cleaning, Standard Tint, High Performance Tint, Low-E, Reflective

Spandrel Glass

Decorative Glass

Silk-screened, Rolled/Patterned Glass, Vanceva™ Laminated Glass, Sandblasted, Acid-etched, Glue Chip

Fire-rated Glass

Pyroguard, Wired Glass

Float Glass

Clear Float Glass

Since 1959, when the float process was introduced, soda-lime glass has been the primary type of glass used for commercial applications. Molten glass floats onto a bath of molten tin, where a continuous glass ribbon is formed and then cooled through an annealing lehr before being cut. Clear float glass is nearly colorless, with a visible light transmittance ranging from 75% to 92%, depending on thickness. Clear glass can be the outboard or inboard lite, or both lites, of an insulating glass unit. Clear float glass comes in the following types:

Standard Clear

Available from a variety of manufacturers including Guardian, Pilkington and PPG. Thicknesses available range from 3/32" to 3/4".

Low-Iron Glass

Iron in the glass batch ingredients is what causes the slight green tint in standard clear float glass. By reducing the iron content, the glass has a clearer (less green) appearance. Products available are Pilkington Optiwhite™ and PPG Starphire®.

Self-Cleaning

This is a clear, coated glass that is activated by UV rays from the sun. The photocatalytic process gradually breaks down, loosens and dissolves dirt and other residue so that it breaks loose from the glass. The hydrophilic action causes rain to sheet on the glass, carrying dirt away with minimal spotting or streaking. Products available are Pilkington Activ™ and PPG SunClean™.

Standard Tints

Colorants are added to clear float glass to produce tinted float glass with visible light transmittance of between 14% to 85%, depending on color and thickness. When incorporated as the outboard lite of an IG unit, tinted glass will increase the thermal and solar performance to that level achieved with monolithic glass. Tinted heat absorbing glass often requires the heat-treatment of the outboard lite to improve the resistance of the glass to solar-driven thermal stress. Glass size, type and job conditions are contributing factors. It is recommended that a thermal stress analysis be performed on all projects.

Standard Tints are available in the following colors:

Blue:

Visteon Versalux™ Blue

Blue-Green:

Pilkington Optifloat™ Blue-Green

Bronze:

Pilkington Optifloat™ Bronze
PPG Solarbronze®
VisteonVersalux™ Bronze

Green:

PPG Solexia™ (Solex®)
VisteonVersalux™ Green

Grey:

Pilkington Optifloat™ Grey
PPG Solargray®
VisteonVersalux™ Grey

High Performance (Spectrally Selective) Tints:

High Performance Tints offer dramatically improved benefits when compared with standard tints. The ratio of the visible light transmittance to the solar heat gain coefficient is referred to as the Light to Solar Gain (LSG) Ratio. The higher the LSG ratio, the better the glazing is at reducing unwanted solar heat while maximizing desirable natural light transmittance. The Department of Energy (DOE) defines spectrally selective glass as having an LSG of 1.25 or greater. High Performance Tinted glass often requires the heattreatment of the outboard lite to improve the resistance of the glass to solar-driven thermal stress. Glass size, type and job conditions are contributing factors. It is recommended that a thermal stress analysis be performed on all projects.

Spectrally selective products are available in the following colors:

Blue:

Pilkington Arctic Blue™
Visteon Versalux™ Blue 2000
PPG Azuria™ (Azurlite®)

Blue-Green:

PPG Azuria™ (Azurlite®)
PPG Caribia™

Green:

Pilkington EverGreen™
PPG Atlantica™ (Solargreen®)
Visteon Versalux™ Green 2000

Grey:

Pilkington SuperGrey™
PPG Graylite®
PPG Optigray® 23
Visteon Versalux™ Grey 2000

Low-Emissivity (Low-E) Glass:

Low-emissivity glass may have various combinations of metal, metal oxide and metal nitride layers of coatings that are nearly invisible to the eye and that reflect reradiated long-wave IR energy. The Low-E coating reduces heat loss through the glass in winter by reflecting interior long-wave IR back into the home or office. When incorporated into insulating glass (IG) units, Low-E glass significantly improves the unit's thermal performance (lower U-Value) and can be designed to also reduce solar heat gain.

Low-E coatings are available by the following types and color appearance:

Neutral:

Guardian Sun-Guard® LE-63 on Clear
Guardian Sun-Guard® NP-61 on Clear
Guardian Sun-Guard® SN-68 on Clear
Pilkington Energy Advantage™ Low-E
PPG Solarban® 60
PPG Sungate® 500

Neutral Grey:

Guardian Sun-Guard® LE-40 on Clear
Pilkington Solar E™

Neutral Blue:

Guardian Sun-Guard LE-50 on Clear

Green:

Guardian Sun-Guard® LE-40 on Green
Guardian Sun-Guard® LE-50 on Green
Guardian Sun-Guard® LE-63 on Green
Guardian Sun-Guard® NP-61 on Green

Reflective:*

Guardian Sun-Guard® AG-43 on Clear
Guardian Sun-Guard® AG-43 on Green
PPG Solarban® 80 Neutral Low-E coated

*All Reflective Low-E coatings are designed to be used on the #2 surface on an insulating glass (IG) unit with a clear inboard lite.

Neutral Low-E coated glass has an exterior appearance that is similar to clear, uncoated glass. All Neutral Low-E coatings can be used on the #2 surface, and most can be used on the #3 surface of an insulating glass unit. If used with clear glass, the Neutral Low-E coating is on the #2 surface.

If used in conjunction with a Standard or High Performance Tint for additional solar control, the tinted glass is placed in the outboard lite position, and the Neutral Low-E coating is used on the #3 surface. These products most often require heat treatment to improve the resistance of the glass to solar-driven thermal stress. Glass size, type and job conditions are contributing factors. It is recommended that a thermal stress analysis be performed on all projects.

Reflective Glass:

Reflective glass products consist of various pyrolytic or sputtered coatings that are applied to clear and tinted glass substrates to produce a large family of products with a wide range of visual properties (color, transmittance, reflectance) and performance properties (shading coefficient, U-Value). Reflective glasses can be used in vision and/or spandrel applications to create uniform or contrasting building aesthetics. When used as the outboard lite of an IG unit with a Low-E glass inboard, the lowest (best) solar heat gain coefficient and U-Value can be achieved.

Pyrolytic reflective glass products, i.e., PPG Solarcool®, Pilkington Eclipse™ and Visteon Versalux™ Reflective, can be installed with the coating on the #1or #2 surface. The first surface reflective coating applications have higher reflectivity and the greatest solar energy rejection (lowest air-conditioning costs). However, the #1 coating is facing the building's exterior and is more susceptible to scratching and staining. Also, the color of the glass is hidden by the #1 surface coating color. The second surface reflective coated products have excellent (low) shading coefficients; plus they have lower reflectivity and permit the true color of the glass substrate to be viewed from the exterior. Since the coating is not exposed, it is protected from cleaning scratches and staining.

For #1 surface pyrolytic reflective glass performance on our GlasSelect® program please select 'Reflective' as your glass type and 'Silver' as your color.

Reflective glass often requires heat treatment (tempering or heat-strengthening) to improve the resistance of the glass to thermal stress breakage. Many variables affect thermal stress, including glass size, color, coating position and job conditions. It is recommended that a thermal stress analysis be performed on all projects.

Reflective coatings are applied to Clear, Standard Tints and High Performance Tints, and are available in the following colors:

Blue:

Pilkington Arctic Blue Eclipse™
Visteon Versalux™ Blue RC
Visteon Versalux™ Blue 2000 R
Visteon Versalux™ Blue 2000 T
PPG Solarcool® Azuria™ (Azurlite®)

Blue-Green:

Pilkington Blue-Green Eclipse™
PPG Solarcool® Azuria™ (Azurlite®)
PPG Solarcool® Caribia™

Bronze:

Pilkington Bronze Eclipse™
PPG Solarcool® Bronze
Visteon Versalux™ Bronze RC

Green:

Guardian Sun-Guard® Silver-20 on Green
Guardian Sun-Guard® Silver-32 on Green
Guardian Sun-Guard® Pewter-30 on Green
Pilkington EverGreen Eclipse™
PPG Solarcool® Solexia™ (Solex®)
Visteon Versalux™ Green RC
Visteon Versalux™ Green 2000 R
Visteon Versalux™ Green 2000 T

Grey:

Pilkington Grey Eclipse™
PPG Solarcool® Gray
PPG Solarcool® Graylite®
Visteon Versalux™ Grey RC

Silver:

Guardian Sun-Guard® Silver-20 on Clear
Guardian Sun-Guard® Silver-32 on Clear
Guardian Sun-Guard® Pewter-30 on Clear

Spandrel Glass

Spandrel glass is glass that has been rendered opaque for nonvision applications. Its major use is to mask materials or construction from view from the exterior of a building. Such areas are commonly the hung-ceiling area above a vision lite or the knee-wall area below a vision lite.

The indoor surface of spandrel glass is not suitable for use as a finished wall. Additional suitable material, such as sheet rock, metal paneling or scrim, must be installed on the indoor side when used in quasi-vision areas such as transom lites, column covers, etc.

To create consistency between the vision and nonvision areas, depending on aesthetic design, the IG units are fabricated with the spandrel glass as either the inboard or outboard lite. Both lites of glass must be heat-treated (tempered or heatstrengthened) to withstand the higher thermal stresses typical in spandrel applications.

For further information please go to the Spandrel section of our website.

Decorative Glass

Decorative glasses are available in a wide range of types, patterns and colors, including the following:

Silk-screen

Silk-screened glass is float glass with ceramic frit paint screened onto it and then fired in a tempering oven. A wide range of decorative effects can be achieved by varying the pattern or design, the paint color, the surface coverage and the glass tint. The glass solar properties can be fine-tuned to meet job thermal performance specifications as well.

Standard patterns, such as lines with 50% coverage, dots with 40% coverage and holes with 60% coverage, are used extensively in overhead glazing for both decorative and thermal performance reasons. Because silk-screened glass is either heat-strengthened or tempered, it has increased resistance to mechanical and thermal stress. Imitation acid-etched and sandblasted fired-on ceramic frit is much more durable and easier to clean than actual acid-etched or sandblasted glass.

For further details on the silk-screened glass, please see the Green Silk-screened Glass Tab.
Decorative glasses are available in a wide range of types, patterns and colors, including the following:

Silk-Screen

Silk-screened glass is float glass with ceramic frit paint screened onto it and then fired in a tempering oven. A wide range of decorative effects can be achieved by varying the pattern or design, the paint color, the surface coverage and the glass tint. The glass solar properties can be fine-tuned to meet job thermal performance specifications as well.

Standard patterns, such as lines with 50% coverage, dots with 40% coverage and holes with 60% coverage, are used extensively in overhead glazing for both decorative and thermal performance reasons. Because silk-screened glass is either heatstrengthened or tempered, it has increased resistance to mechanical and thermal stress. Imitation acid-etched and sandblasted fired-on ceramic frit is much more durable and easier to clean than actual acid-etched or sandblasted glass.

For further information please go to the Silk-Screen section of our website.

Rolled/Patterned

When one or more of the rollers in the rolled glass process has a pattern on it, patterned glass is produced. This glass is usually available in thicknesses of 1/8" (3 mm) to 3/16" (5 mm), however, a very limited number of patterns are available in thicknesses up to 3/8" (10 mm). Colors may also be available, but are extremely limited. Patterned glass is also called figured glass or obscure glass because the pattern of the rollers reproduced on the glass surface obscures the details of the objects viewed through the glass. The degree of obscurity depends upon both the pattern design and depth. Patterned glass surfaces produce diffuse reflections as opposed to the specular reflections, which occur with float glass. Patterned glass diffuses transmitted light and spreads it in many directions, to produce a translucent effect as opposed to the transparent effect produced by float glass. Patterned glass does not provide complete privacy. Some patterned glasses cannot be heat-treated because of the variations in glass thickness and/or the depth of the pattern.

Nine classic graphic patterns complement the color offering and can be used alone or in combination with the colors to provide unique visual effects. Three metallic effects- Linen, Honeycomb and Sandstone-complete the system, providing a metallic appearance having unmatched texture and depth.

Sandblasted Glass

Sandblasting results in a "frosted" glass appearance. Transparent float glass is transformed into a decorative, partially or fully translucent glass, depending on the amount of surface area that is sandblasted.

Sandblasting is produced by pressure-spraying glass with various grit abrasives to create a wide range of surface textures. Sandblasting can be done to give an entire piece of glass a uniform frosted or obscure appearance. Masking off the clear areas with a protective film can also produce a very intricate custom design.

Sandblasting glass obscures the view from one space to another without blocking out natural light. Sandblasting breaks down the glass, leaving a finely ground surface that refracts and scatters light rays.

Heat-treated glass, both heat-strengthened and tempered, should not be sandblasted because it will decrease the strength of the glass. All sandblasting should be done on annealed glass, prior to any heat-treating.

Untreated sandblasted glass can be difficult to clean and remove fingerprints from. Surface treatments are available that can "seal" the rough surface to make cleaning easier.

Acid-etched Glass

Acid-etching is another process for producing a frosted glass surface. Like sandblasting, acidetching can be applied to the entire glass surface to produce a uniform frosted look; or a custom pattern or design can be produced.

Acid-etching, or "embossing", as it is sometimes called in the trade, involves principally the use of hydrofluoric acid. There are several different processes that are used to produce a variety of decorative glass effects.

Most people consider acid-etched glass to have a softer, more pleasing appearance than sandblasted glass. It generally does not have the fingerprint problems that sandblasted glass has.

Glue Chip

Glue chip glass has a unique surface texture. Some describe the pattern as "feathered", and some say the pattern resembles the look of frost on a windowpane. The name describes the process used to achieve the look. A thin coat of glue is applied to clear glass which is then heated in an oven. As the glue dries, it pulls away from, and chips, the surface of the glass. A glue chip pattern is also available as a patterned or rolled glass product.

Fire-rated Glass

Pyroguard

Pyroguard fire-rated safety glass is available as a (nominal) 5/16" clear, annealed laminated glass product made of two lites of 1/8" (3 mm) annealed clear float glass filled with a proprietary fire-resisting resin that provides fire and safety features without the use of wires. It is considered to have the same bending strength of annealed monolithic glass of the same size and thickness. Pyroguard fire-rated safety glass can be used in 20- minute (no hose stream), fire-rated applications. In safety glazing applications, Pyroguard can be used in sizes up to nine square feet (16 CFR 1201, Category I).

For additional information and details on Pyroguard and wired glass, go to the Green Fire-rated Glass Tab.

Polished Wired Glass

Wired glass is commercially available in two different mesh shapes: a square mesh, sometimes referred to as "Georgian" or "Baroque", and a diamond mesh pattern, sometimes referred to as "Polished Misco."

Wired glass is considered to have approximately 50% of the strength of annealed glass of the same size and thickness. Wired glass cannot be heattreated, but it can be laminated. Laminating wired glass with decorative substrates can provide dramatic design elements for applications such as partitions.

Additional Important Information

Design Criteria

Details on the following important topics can be found in the Black Design Criteria Tab: Glazing Instructions, Thermal Stress, Deflection, Glass Design Loads, Glass Thickness Selection, Spontaneous Breakage of Tempered Glass, Roller Wave Distortion in Heat-treated Glass, Mock-ups and Warranties.

Contact Us

For any additional information, including details, technical data, specifications, technical assistance and samples, or to speak with an architectural specialist, call toll free, 1-866-653-2278, or click on support@oldcastleglass.com.