Glass for Construction: Complete Guide to Types, Uses and Selection Criteria

• Balustrades: a glass balustrade guarantees safety without sacrificing transparency, creating an open-space visual effect and ensuring greater luminosity.
• Roofing and skylights: they maximise the entry of natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting during the day.
• Glass staircases and balustrades: they give visual lightness to spaces, making them more spacious and luminous.
• Windows: they guarantee thermal and acoustic insulation and allow the entry of natural light.
• Doors and interior partitions: they make spaces more modern and functional. A glass partition in a professional office, for example, separates spaces without breaking the continuity of the space.
• Shower enclosures: glass makes cleaning easier and improves the aesthetics of the bathroom.

 The 5 types of glass for construction: characteristics and applications

The main types of glass for construction differ in structure, treatment and performance. The choice depends on the specific use and the level of safety, insulation or resistance desired.

Tempered glass

Tempered glass is obtained through a heat treatment process that increases its resistance to impacts and thermal shocks.

Safety tempered glass, whose characteristics are defined in the UNI EN 12150-1 and UNI EN 12150-2 standards, in the event of breakage shatters into small rounded, non-cutting fragments, which do not represent a danger to people.

It is the type of glass chosen by Lumyra Glass for its sliding and folding glass walls, precisely for its ability to combine high performance and maximum safety.

Tempered glass is the ideal material for:

• Interior doors and partition walls: it combines elegance and safety, ideal for modern environments.
• Decorative glass (e.g. tables): it withstands everyday impacts and guarantees good durability over time.
• Shower enclosures: it resists humidity and temperature changes, offering safety.
• Building exteriors: it resists atmospheric agents and temperature variations.
• Glass walls: it allows large transparent surfaces to be created without compromising safety.

Laminated glass

Laminated glass is composed of multiple panes bonded together by a plastic interlayer film.

The reference standard is EN 14449, which defines the safety criteria for laminated glass, guaranteeing for example that fragments, in the event of breakage, remain anchored to the film, without falling and shattering into thousands of pieces.

Laminated glass is used in all those points where, in the event of breakage, there is a risk of creating hazards for passers-by below, such as:

• Balustrades and handrails: it protects people even in the event of breakage, preventing accidental falls.
• Exposed windows: it increases safety in urban or high-traffic contexts.
• Fall protection: it guarantees regulatory compliance and greater peace of mind in public and private spaces.

Bulletproof glass

Bulletproof glass is designed to resist intrusion attempts. It is subject to stringent European regulations, such as the European standard EN 1063, which provides for tests to verify the resistance of glass to projectiles.

It is used for:

• Commercial shopfronts: it protects goods and businesses from theft and vandalism.
• Security doors: it increases the level of security without sacrificing transparency.
• High intrusion-risk environments: it offers advanced protection for banks, offices and sensitive buildings.

Insulating glass

Insulating glass is composed of two or three panes separated by a sealed cavity containing air or gas.

Insulating glass improves thermal insulation, which allows savings on energy bills, and acoustic insulation, which makes the environment quiet and free from external distractions.

Performance is measured through the Uw (window thermal transmittance), governed by the EN 673 standard. The Uw value measures the thermal transmittance of the frame: it indicates how much thermal energy is dispersed through one square metre of glass for each degree of temperature difference between the inside and outside. It is expressed in W/(m²·K): the lower the value, the better the insulation. For good insulation the value must be below 1.3 W/m²K, while for excellent insulation the value can drop to 0.9 W/m²K.

The main uses of insulating glass are:

• Windows: it reduces energy consumption and lowers bills.
• Façades: it improves the energy efficiency of the building and interior comfort.
• High-performance frames: it guarantees high thermal and acoustic insulation, increasing residential well-being.

Structural glass

Structural glass, a glass that acts as a load-bearing element, is composed of two or more panes with an intermediate plastic or resin layer, to improve safety and behaviour after a possible breakage.

It follows the European guidelines ETAG 002 and is used to create large-surface structures with frames reduced to a minimum. The reduction of structural elements allows the building to be enhanced, giving it a clean and minimalist appearance. At the same time, structural glass bears heavy loads and contributes to the stability of a structure.

It is ideal for:

• Curtain walls: they maximise natural light and improve the aesthetics of the building, while guaranteeing structural stability.
• Roofing: they allow luminous and protected spaces to be created.
• Load-bearing elements: they combine design and functionality, allowing solid structures to be created with a strong architectural impact.

 
Summary comparison of the 5 types

How to choose the right glass for a construction project

The choice of glass for construction must not be based exclusively on aesthetics: it is necessary to carefully evaluate the actual use of the element, the required technical performance and compliance with current regulations. Here are the fundamental criteria. 

• Function of the element: a window, a balustrade and a façade have different technical requirements and functions and therefore require different solutions.
• Thermal and acoustic insulation: to reduce energy losses and noise it is advisable to opt for double, triple or low-emissivity glass. For example, acoustic insulation allows the comfort of a corporate office to be improved, promoting workers' concentration thanks to a quieter environment.
• Mechanical resistance: surfaces exposed to bad weather or subject to possible impact require tempered or laminated glass.
• Safety in case of breakage: balustrades, glass staircases and façades require materials that do not compromise physical integrity in case of failure.
• Privacy and luminosity: choose between clear, satin, opaque or screen-printed glass based on the desired level of privacy and amount of light. Satin glass used for a shower enclosure, for example, guarantees privacy while still letting light through.

Regulatory compliance

Every project using glass for construction must comply with the current European regulations on safety, fire resistance and thermal insulation. The CE marking, for example, is a fundamental indicator of compliance and product reliability. The tempered glass used by Lumyra Glass carries precisely this marking, which guarantees compliance with European standards.

 Practical selection guide by priority

To help you choose the right glass for construction, you can rely on this short practical guide based on your priority.

Safety

Opt for tempered or laminated glass. The main difference lies in the post-breakage behaviour: tempered glass (EN 12150) shatters into rounded and therefore non-dangerous fragments, making it ideal for vertical surfaces such as doors, partition walls and sliding glass walls; laminated panel (EN 14449) stays in place instead of falling, and is therefore essential for applications in elevated and exposed areas, such as balustrades and roofing.

Comfort

Choose double or triple insulating glass, possibly low-emissivity. Insulating glass can reduce thermal dispersion by up to 50% compared to ordinary glass, significantly cutting energy bill costs. It is precisely for this reason that it is ideal for glass walls and windows. Furthermore, for spaces exposed to intense noise sources, such as homes near busy roads or offices in urban contexts, triple glazing with acoustic treatment guarantees insulation exceeding 40 dB.

Design

Based on the desired level of privacy and light, evaluate the most suitable level of glass transparency. Clear glass is ideal for sliding glass walls connecting the porch and garden, maximising visual continuity; a more opaque glass is instead better suited for the terrace of one's home to guarantee privacy. The choice of glass type is essential, as choosing the right one means finding the perfect balance between performance and aesthetics, enhancing every project in a functional and lasting way.

The advantages of tempered glass in modern construction

Among all types, tempered glass is used in the construction sector thanks to its ability to combine safety, performance and aesthetic quality in a balanced way.

Here are the main advantages:

• Superior mechanical resistance: tempered glass is up to 4-5 times more resistant than ordinary glass, which is why it withstands impacts, intense wind gusts and thermal shocks optimally.
• Safety: in the rare cases of breakage it does not produce cutting fragments, but rounded ones, drastically reducing the risk of injury.
• Thermal and acoustic insulation: it contributes to the creation of a comfortable and quiet environment and to the reduction of the building's energy consumption.
• Aesthetics and visual continuity: tempered glass integrates perfectly into modern and minimalist architectural projects, amplifying the perception of space.

For these very reasons, we have decided to use tempered glass for our products. Discover the benefits of Lumyra Glass’s sliding glass doors and folding glass doors.