What is the difference between residential and commercial glass? Knowing the answer to this question is key to ensuring you choose the best option for your unique needs.
Keep reading to learn the ways in which residential and commercial glass differ, from the experts at Jack’s Glass.
#1 Strength
Commercial glass is stronger than residential glass. It has to be: commercial buildings are often higher, which means the windows have to withstand strong winds at high altitudes. Because commercial buildings are bigger, as well, commercial glass has to withstand higher structural loads. As a result, commercial glass is thicker and more durable.
Residential glass for home windows, on the other hand, doesn’t need to be made quite so thick: homes don’t have the same building codes.
#2 Material
In addition to being thicker, commercial glass is typically made differently, with different materials, than residential glass.
Commercial glass is often made of tempered or laminated glass—the same types of glass that are used in car windshields and windows. These types of glass are designed not to break as easily. Tempered glass is made using a special heat or chemical treatment that strengthens regular glass. When broken, tempered glass breaks up into small pebbles rather than dangerous shards. Laminated glass, on the other hand, is made up of multiple layers of glass separated by a polymer. When hit, laminated glass cracks into a spider-web pattern, rather than breaking into pieces. Finally, commercial glass can be made of Plexiglass, a shatter-resistant material often used to construct skylights and aquariums.
Commercial glass is made with these materials for safety and security reasons. Thick, practically unbreakable glass prevents employees from falling out high windows or thieves from breaking into the building through the windows.
Residential glass, however, is made of regular glass. The window might be double- or tripled-paned, but there is no need to make it using tempered or laminated glass.
#3 Design
Residential glass is often more elaborately designed and ornamental than commercial glass. That’s because commercial glass generally prioritizes form over function. A storefront, for example, needs to be fairly simple; it needs to let in more light to brighten the larger space, and it needs to allow potential customers to see inside. Homeowners don’t have these same constraints, so there is typically more variety in the aesthetics of home windows.
#4 Energy Efficiency
Residential and commercial windows can also differ in their energy efficiency. Commercial glass tends to be more energy efficient than residential glass, with more options for glazings. That’s because commercial buildings tend to be bigger than homes and are much more expensive to heat and cool. As a result, energy efficiency is paramount for commercial glass.
#5 Cost
Of course, it should come as no surprise that residential and commercial glass doesn’t cost the same. Commercial glass is more expensive than residential glass, given that it is thicker, made of more complex materials, and more complicated to install.
We’re the Glass Experts
Need help with your glass project? Unsure if residential or commercial glass is better for your space? Contact Jack’s Glass today.
Whether you’re a homeowner or a business owner, you can trust Jack’s Glass.
Our local, family-owned and -operated business has been helping Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky homeowners with their commercial glass, auto glass, glass shower and window needs for nearly 80 years. Contact us today at our Elsmere, or Covington, locations.
