How to Tell if Glass Is Tempered or Not

How to Tell If Glass is Tempered?

September 26, 2019 2019-09-26T10:36:35+00:00 2021-12-02T13:28:24+00:00 How To's, Tempered Glass

Table of Contents

• 1 Tempered Glass and its Uses
• 2 How to Identify if the Glass Truly is Tempered or not?
  • 2.1 Tempered glass has smooth edges
  • 2.2 Imperfections are quite visible on the surface of the glass
  • 2.3 Polarized glasses can help you to see the difference
  • 2.4 Tempered glass tends to break on drilling
  • 2.5 Stamp identifier for authentic tempered glass
  • 2.6 Tempered glass is a safety glass
• 3 Why buy a glass which is tempered?
• 4 Final Thoughts

Are you confused about finding the right type of glass for your interior? You're looking for something sturdier as well as stylish at the same time. Well, today, all your woes will be sorted out with tempered glass sheets. But here, the question is how you can identify whether the glass you're buying is tempered or not? No worries at all! We are here to help and we assure you that with these few tricks your job will be easier and you will not have any issue identifying a tempered glass for your new interior.

Tempered Glass and its Uses

Most of you must have heard of a tempered glass used to protect your mobile's screens. But it's time to find out what exactly makes a glass tempered? This glass is created in a unique way.

First, the kind of glass is heated intensely and is then cooled down quickly. This process makes this glass super useful and gives it a unique structure.

 The glass sheets undergo a tempering process. This is where it passes through an oven or a heating machine for tempering. This process can be done in batches or even in one continuous motion.

Further, the glass then goes through a process called "quenching". Here glass is cooled down. This process lasts for barely any seconds. So, various nozzles are used to blast high air pressure on the glass surface. As the middle of the glass cools down first, so this side of the glass contracts;, whereas the outer surface compresses. This change allows the glass to become strong. This method is time taking but super effective.

Thus, there are multiple ways to use tempered glass.

• One of its most frequent uses is as a screen protector in various gadgets.
• Other than that, windows in a vehicle are also made up of tempered glass.
• Moreover, shower doors, architectural glass doors and tables tops, and even refrigerator trays are made up of this glass.
• It can be used in microwaves because of its ability to retain itself and its strength. Most microwave dishes are made of tempered glass. Similarly, basking ovens also have this type of glass very often. No one wants their microwave or oven dishes breaking every now and then, right? So, the right material is essential for such purposes.
• This glass has a lot of commercial uses too. Phone booths, escalators, stairways, and even solar panels can be made using a glass that is tempered.

Isn't it amazing how one basic resource can be used in multiple ways?

How to Identify if the Glass Truly is Tempered or not?

Identifying a tempered glass requires no mind games at all! It is an easy thing to do, if you know all these tricks.

Tempered glass has smooth edges

Plate glass is usually harder because of the intense heating and a gradual cooling process to make it sturdier. A tempered glass needs to be sandblasted. So, one good way is to look thoroughly at the edges of the glass. Tempered sheets have smooth and even edges because of the extra processing it goes through. On the other hand, if the glass is not tempered, the edges feel rough to touch. So, the best way to feel is to run your fingers over the edges. The smoothness of the feeling ensures that the glass is tempered.

Imperfections are quite visible on the surface of the glass

Further, look for the little imperfections if any. If you identify any distortions, slight bending on the glass, then most likely it is a hardened glass. These imperfections are a result of the intense heating procedure. When glass gets tempered, it becomes mendable when it is super-hot;, so when it is picked up using the tongs, the process leaves slight imperfections. Look closely and you will see by yourself.

Polarized glasses can help you to see the difference

Believe it or not, you can tell the best whether the glass is tempered or not if you use polarized glass. View your glass in sunlight while using polarized glasses. We assure you that way you will see the difference. It looks like you are witnessing the tempered surface using a microscope. If you see darkened shady lines or spots spread across the glass surface, this is it.
That glass is a toughened one. These lines are formed during the tempering process, as the machine rollers go over the glass. What another easy way to find out?

Tempered glass tends to break on drilling

It is not known too much, but this is basic information. Hence, it should be known that glass does not get holes drilled into it. Most kinds of drilling cause the glass sheets to break. Thus, cutting hole and any shaping could be done only before tempering.

Stamp identifier for authentic tempered glass

Every tempered glass sheet has stamped which is work like an identifier for tempered glass. This stamp shows manufacturer name and the CPSC standards, the stamp is a key symbol to give you a proof whether the glass is tempered or not.
If you buy the glass directly from the manufacturer you can check the logo carved on the glass sheet without difficulty. Having a carved sign on a glass sheet is proof that you are most likely to deal with tempered glass. If can't find the craved stamp or sign, so we're sad to say, you got tricked and have ordinary annealed glass instead.

Tempered glass is a safety glass

Surprisingly, tempered and a normal glass break in an absolutely contrasting manners. When a tempered sheet breaks, the glass does not spread all over its surroundings. It breaks in a unique way, into small and relatively harmless pieces. This type of glass is frequently used in areas where human safety is a top priority. A normal glass, on the other hand, is much more fragile and breaks into big uneven pieces that are extremely dangerous. Consequently, this glass is used in multiple appliances and is often considered as a "safety glass".

Why buy a glass which is tempered?

As we have discussed earlier, tempered glass can withstand high temperatures.

This is why it is a perfect protective layer for your mobile phones and so as for your other interior needs.

It does neither scratch easily, nor damage that easily. It is a tough glass that protects your gadgets and fulfills other purpose of sturdy home interiors. You should use tempered glass to protect because it is almost five times stronger than an ordinary glass. It simply provides the best shock protection!

This glass is durable and quite harmless. However, if it breaks it shatters into thousands of small yet harmless pieces.

Final Thoughts

So, the next time when you go to the market to buy a strong and sturdy glass, these tips surely will help a lot. We are pretty sure that these tips will benefit you to find an accurate tempered glass for your interior. After all, the protection of your hard-earned gadgets, accessories and the home interior is more important than anything else. Say no to wanders and sellers tricking you into buying normal fragile glass! We are sure, everyone hates to pay heavy price tags that come with undesirable quality.

About The Author

Anna Walter

Anna Walter is a passionate Content Writer, she writes marketing blogs. She is inclined towards modern marketing trends and truly believes that online marketing is the most important thing today which has changed life style of people enormously; when she is not writing she enjoys reading new e commerce trends.

How to Tell if Glass Is Tempered or Not

Source: https://www.fabglassandmirror.com/blog/how-to-tell-if-glass-is-tempered/#:~:text=Tempered%20glass%20has%20smooth%20edges,-Plate%20glass%20is&text=So%2C%20one%20good%20way%20is,edges%20feel%20rough%20to%20touch.

Share this post