Tempered glass

The strong choice

Guardian tempered glass is ideal when building codes or design specifications require safe solutions. Tempered glass is four to five times stronger than annealed glass, and breaks into fragments that are less likely to cause serious injury. Whether it's applied to storefronts, fire knock-out panels or fireplaces, Guardian tempered glass can provide peace of mind.

How it's made

Producing tempered glass involves heating the glass to over 1,000 degrees F, then rapidly cooling to lock the glass surfaces in a state of compression and the core in a state of tension.

Bring on the wind loads and thermal stress

Guardian heat-strengthened glass is the preferred choice for projects where safety glass isn’t required, but resistance to wind and heat is key. Heat-strengthened glass is cooled at a slower pace, creating glass twice as strong as annealed glass. When broken, the fragments are larger than tempered glass but are less prone to spontaneous breakage. Our heat-strengthened glass is an excellent choice for projects using tinted, reflective, low-E and spandrel glass—options all available through Guardian SunGuard® coated glass.

Reduce the risk of spontaneous breakage

Guardian heat-soaked glass helps avoid unpredictable breakage caused by nickel sulfide (NiS) inclusions. All float glass contains these invisible imperfections that can increase in volume over time and cause stress to tempered glass. The Guardian heat-soaking process exposes NiS inclusions in tempered glass, then breaks them safely in a heat-soak chamber before the glass reaches the field.

Guardian SunGuard® coated glass can be safely heat soaked if it is determined the heat-soaking process is necessary. Explore our SunGuard coated glass below.