The Pros And Cons Of Toughened And Laminated Glass
oak by design
oakbydesign
01423 593 794
Amanda Smith
"Glass Requirements - Choose Wisely"

The Pros And Cons Of Toughened And Laminated Glass

Much like the sword and shield in an ancient battle, toughened and laminated glass each bring unique strengths to modern construction and design. Toughened glass, with its impressive impact resistance, proves invaluable in high-risk environments. Laminated glass, on the other hand, excels in safety by holding shattered pieces intact and providing additional benefits like UV protection. However, these advantages come with their own sets of trade-offs. Understanding the intricacies of these materials can guide the decision-making process for architects and builders, making one ponder which will best suit their needs.

Toughened Glass Benefits

Toughened glass, engineered for enhanced strength, offers several compelling benefits that cater to demanding environments.

Its thermal tempering process, involving rapid heating and cooling, yields a material up to five times stronger than standard annealed glass. This robustness guarantees high impact resistance, making it ideal for applications like vehicle windows, shower doors, and protective screens.

Additionally, toughened glass can withstand significant thermal stresses, maintaining integrity even under extreme temperature fluctuations.

Safety is paramount; when it breaks, it shatters into small, blunt pieces, reducing injury risk.

This high-performance glass assures durability and reliability in both residential and industrial settings, making it a preferred choice for those requiring a resilient and robust solution.

Toughened Glass Drawbacks

Despite its impressive strength and thermal resistance, what’re the potential drawbacks of toughened glass that industry professionals should consider?

One significant drawback is that once toughened glass is manufactured, it can’t be cut or modified, necessitating precise initial measurements.

Additionally, while it shatters into small, blunt pieces to prevent severe injury, these fragments can still pose a hazard in certain scenarios.

Another limitation is its susceptibility to spontaneous breakage due to nickel sulphide inclusions, which can expand under stress.

Furthermore, while toughened glass resists impact, it lacks the structural integrity of laminated glass upon breakage, thereby offering less security in applications requiring anti-penetration properties.

These factors should be weighed carefully when specifying glass types for projects.

glass altered

Laminated Glass Advantages

Laminated glass frequently offers unparalleled advantages regarding safety and security, making it a preferred choice for high-risk environments.

Its construction involves bonding multiple glass layers with a PVB or EVA interlayer, resulting in a robust structure that resists shattering. Upon impact, the interlayer holds the glass fragments together, preventing penetration and reducing the risk of injury. This feature makes laminated glass invaluable for automotive windscreens, security windows, and shopfronts.

Furthermore, it considerably enhances acoustic insulation, reducing noise transmission by a remarkable margin. Laminated glass also blocks over 99% of UV radiation, protecting interiors from sun damage.

These attributes guarantee that laminated glass not only fortifies security but also improves comfort and longevity in various applications.

Laminated Glass Disadvantages

While laminated glass excels in safety and security, it does come with certain drawbacks that may affect its suitability for some applications.

To begin with, laminated glass tends to be more expensive due to its complex manufacturing process involving multiple layers and interlayers.

In addition, its optical clarity can be compromised over time as the interlayer may deteriorate or delaminate under prolonged UV exposure.

Additionally, laminated glass is heavier than its toughened counterpart, imposing structural load considerations in architectural applications.

The increased weight and cost can complicate installation and maintenance.

Finally, in high-temperature environments, the interlayer might soften, reducing the glass’s overall performance.

These factors make laminated glass less ideal for applications prioritising cost-efficiency and lightweight construction.

Choosing the Right Glass

Selecting the ideal type of glass hinges on a thorough evaluation of specific requirements and operational conditions.

Toughened glass, with its superior impact resistance and thermal stability, suits environments demanding robustness, such as shower enclosures and vehicle windows.

Conversely, laminated glass offers enhanced security, sound insulation, and UV protection, making it indispensable for applications like shopfronts and automotive windscreens.

Analysing factors such as safety, durability, and environmental stresses will guide the decision.

For high-impact zones and thermal variation scenarios, toughened glass excels.

In contrast, for security-sensitive and acoustic isolation needs, laminated glass is preferred.

Therefore, understanding the operational demands guarantees the best glass type is selected, balancing performance with specific application needs.

2 October 2024
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Will Peeke-Vout
Will Peeke-Vout

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Working with Oak By Design on our project was a pleasure and we were delighted with the results. Joanne was extremely helpful, quick to answer any questions and generally a great person to deal with! The quality and finish of the products - RSJ covers and Oak Windows & Doors were superb and look great. Would highly recommend working with Oak By Design and would not hesitate to use their services again for future projects!

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Amazing customer service from beginning to end . My builder was in awe at the quality of the oak porch components. Call them and ask for Joanne - what she doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! It’s not every day you invest in a “proper” porch so do it right. You’ll definitely be delighted!

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Oak by design provided our engineered oak flooring. From our initial meeting and supply of samples to the final delivery we have been provided with excellent service. Carl has been in touch throughout the process and provided updates about the lead time and expected delivery dates. We are delighted with the flooring. Very happy to recommend Oak by design.

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We purchased some engineered oak flooring and oak covers from Oak By Design and couldn't be happier with the finish and quality. They are spot on. Joanne was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and provided plenty of advice when necessary. Thank you

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Four years ago we took the decision to completely gut an old farmhouse and start again with it, we started looking for a supplier of oak to refit all of the internal doors, door casings, skirting and flooring. Our carpenter recommended Oak By Design. He wasn't wrong! All of the oak has been completely top notch. As the old house has settled into it's new skin it has moved and cracked in various places, the only thing that has been stable and unwavering is the oak. The customer service has been superb, with them continuing to supply exactly the same items, with the same quality over the course of 4 years. They even indulged our designs for furniture for our "boot room", with Shoe pigeon holes and a bench which we could store wellies under (as pictured). The doors supplied by them are reassuringly heavy and sturdy, with a proper "thunk" as you close them, cutting off sound from the rest of the house. There may be other, cheaper suppliers of oak out there, but none with the same level of quality, longevity and customer service as Oak By Design. If you want to do it right (& once!) use these guys.

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Oak by Design were extremely helpful at all stages of my project from helping and advising me to choose the most appropriate beam through to advice on fixing the beam. They were extremely patient with changes to my beam dimension requirements finally providing a solution to suit my project. They provided photographs on completion of the beam prior to dispatch to ensure that my requirements had been met. I was extremely impressed by the quality and finish of the beam which has become the focal point for my fireplace project. Oak by Design provided customer care of the highest quality and I would highly recommend their services.

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Super friendly people helping me with my self build porch!

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Pleasure to do Buisness with

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Great personal service to ensure we got what we needed specific to our personal requirements. Quality is outstanding and there was a helping hand there all the way. The porch we ended up with was not cheap but having looked at others the quality of the Oak by design product shines through. Very pleased with the result and the complements from both neighbours and our builders keep coming.

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From the initial quotation right through to the delivery and after service Joanne has been brilliant and given me an excellent product. I have just ordered another porch for another project from them and I will continue to do so for future projects . Thomas and Bell Building Contractors Ltd

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Very professional. Excellent product and service. Highly recommended.

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Amazing craftsmanship from this company. The customer service from Joanne was superb. My questions and indecisiveness were never an issue and she was always on hand to offer advice and find the answers to my questions. Our oak porch has transformed the house and we are over thd moon with it. Would highly recommend Oak By Design. Joanne is an asset to the sales and promotion of this company and is very knowledgeable. Would give 10 stars if I could!

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This is the second time that we have used Oak By Design for oak products and once again we weren’t disappointed. We recently ordered some internal oak doors and from the very start they were a pleasure to deal with. Joanne especially was extremely helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble. We were kept updated about the progress of our order. Unfortunately we needed to delay acceptance of the doors for a few weeks and Oak By Design happily agreed to store them in their workshop until we were ready for them. The quality of the doors is very high, they are very well made and finished, far better than any oak doors that you will buy “ off the shelf. “ They are all installed now and look fantastic. I would highly recommend Oak By Design and we will certainly use them again in the future if we require any more oak products. A huge thank you to Joanne and the whole team for a great service and a great product.

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Ordered an oak mantle beam from Oak by Design and they quickly called to check the finer details. Unfortunatly, the beam was slightly damaged on arrival by the courier company. Oak by Design immediately arranged to have it picked by DHL, transferred back to Yorkshire from Kent, repaired and sent back within 2 days, with no quibbles. The beam is beautiful, as is the high quality customer service by these people. Fully recommend using this company. Anthony Slater, Tonbridge. Tonbridge.

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From the start of our enquiry, the service provided was excellent. Joanne was a great help and the oak porch structure looks fantastic on our new build. It completely changed the look of the house. Very quick delivery could not recommend enough.

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I could not recommend Oak By Design more highly. Joanne and the team worked tirelessly to resolve an issue that was the result of my mistake when I ordered the porch. Great customer service.

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Excellent quality workmanship and materials. Very easy and friendly to deal with on the phone. Everything done on time and no problems at all. Will definitely use again next time I need an oak porch or any other oak structures.

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We ordered two bespoke doors and two bespoke porches for our house build from Joanne at OByD. We were specifically delighted with Joanne's attention to detail (and patience! lol) making the overall customer experience excellent. The product was equally fantastic, the product quality was truly beyond our expectations. Joanne is super helpful and knowledgeable, and kept my spirits up throughout our project. We would 100% recommend OByD, and specifically Joanne, for all your standard and bespoke oak requirements. H&D

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I first used Oak by Design in 2021 for a oak porch, I used them again 2023 for an oak pergola. Both times my clients have been Delighted with the finished product. Both times the product was delivered when stated, everything i needed was on the delivery. Oak by design listened to what I required for both jobs. The quality of the oak is excellent, all joints fit correctly & if I had a problem I only had to ring and speak to them. R Brown Carpentry always recommends Oak by Design when asked about oak structures.

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Spectacular service from start to finish! great design work and support from concept to installation. The builders were amazing! So pleased with the outcome! Thankyou so so much !

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From start to finish Oak By Design have been incredible, nothing was too much trouble. Our new Oak doors are beautifully made and have really been the icing on the cake to finish our house renovations off. We have also had a fabulous outdoor oak structure with heating and we are very much looking forward to making the most of it in the months ahead. Thank you to the whole team I would throughly recommend.

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Found this company by accident whilst passing through Harrogate, but well worth a visit.Great products choice with helpful friendly service. The wooden flooring and beams look great in situ and we are very pleased with the transformed room. Would recommend and use again.

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My wife and I recently purchased an oak porch from Oak By Design. We are delighted with the porch and it has been much admired. We did get some help assembling it but everything fitted together perfectly.

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We worked with the team who designed a wonderful porch for our house near Harrogate. It has been an amazing addition. Simple but effective - excellent craftsmanship using authentic materials. We are absolutely delighted with the transformation and everyone who sees the porch says how great it looks. Thanks to all the team at Oak By Design.

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Having lived with our porch for over 2 years I can honestly say it’s the best addition to our house we ever made. Not only does it look fantastic the quality is outstanding. I love that it keeps the mud out of the hall and provides a seating area to remove muddy boots.

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Great service from start to finish, Joanne was great help. Designs were spot on and so happy with the porch. 10/10. Fully recommend.

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A great company to deal with. Professional from start to finish and always there to assist with any queries. Highly recommended.

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When embarking on a large renovation project assembling the right team of skilled work people is vital. It involves the need for skill, imagination and trust. It was important to us to use a local company and Oak by Design seemed to tick the right boxes although we had not dealt with them or indeed heard of them before. We soon came to realise that the combination of Ben, Billy, Jamie, Matt and MIck ( listed strictly in alphabetical order ) was a great success. Skilled: highly, imaginative: an excellent creative talent, trustworthy: 100% but also such great team players that all the other trades on site benefitted from their cooperation and great good humour. I would endorse the other reviewers who have commented on the quality of the materials used, whether in the replacement windows, the light oak internal doors. the fantastic oak staircase, the secret bookcase and the pièce de résistance: the oak conservatory. It has been a great project and much of that I attribute to the work of Oak by Design. A big thank you to you all.

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My company has ordered 2 porches with Joanne from oak by design, and have more planned in the future. They've been brilliant from start to finnish. Great communication right through. And the quality of the product is exceptional. Do not hesitate to order.

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We worked with Jamie from Oak By Design on a super project near Wetherby. There was plenty of oak in this design for the team to really show their worth - and they did. The attention to detail was excellent. If anything was not quite how the client wanted it, they were straight back to attend to this. The customer care was superb. We look forward to working with Oak By Design on another project soon.

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Fantastic service and quality of product. I couldn’t be happier with my Oak porch, which was designed to my specification with the minimum of fuss. Joanne was so helpful and nothing was too much trouble. Incredibly well engineered and looks fantastic. Thank you so much.

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Firstly, the product quality was superb, a beautiful oak mantle piece for my fire place, gorgeous. The installation was quick, efficient and fitter very friendly. The price was very reasonable, actually very good value. But what makes it all SIX STAR, ( but we I can only give 5!), was the customer service. When walking in the shop I was perfectly attended to, I was given samples to take home and they remembered to call soma days later to see what I thought. Order to install time was very fast for such a bespoke service. My experience was world class, great to deal with a brilliant local/small business, I totally recommend.

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I was sourcing an oak RSJ cover (circa 5m length) for my extension and found Oak by Design on the internet. All of the reviews I could were glowing and so I contacted them......And I'm so glad that I did. Joanne Fisher answered my initial call and she looked after my order from beginning to end - in terms of ensuring that I got exactly what I wanted she/they provided a superb service - everything on time - delivery in to the Peak District to suit when I wanted. The quality of the the RSJ cover is fantastic thick solid oak that matches my oak floor - looks amazing. If you want anything oak I can thoroughly recommend Oak By Design.

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Excellent customer service. Very friendly. Explained in detail. Product is beautiful. Would recommend. Company sent photos of finished product prior to dispatch to confirm our happiness with their work.

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First class service and product . Our car port and steps look fantastic and blends in with the existing buildings beautifully. Would definitely recommend them.

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Perfect from start to finish. The service is above and beyond. Pleasure to install

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Really delighted with the new porch by Oak by Design. It adds a super feature to my converted barn. Thanks to Joanne and the team.

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My client was looking for ways in which to make his conversion (of an early seventies house into a period family farmhouse) “stand out from the crowd”. whilst maintaining a commercial eye on his expenditure, as the house was being converted for resale profit. Making the choice to meet with Richard and explore possibilities for incorporating some Real solid Oak features into his plans proved to be the making of the project. By taking lots of advice from Richard on both the size and structure of the components we were able to incorporate three key features. The beautiful and bold roof trusses and purlins for the open plan kitchen are simply a joy to behold. The stunning full height gable window which is directly glazed into the large framework can be appreciated from both the the kerbside and of course from within the cosy snug on the ground floor or the amazing first floor main bedroom where we incorporated some additional exposed roof beams just purely for effect. All in all it is fair to say that these significant choices certainly created the wow factor my client was looking for. Having managed to pre sell the property well before completion it in itself demonstrates the benefits of keeping these sorts of real oak features as part of a modern build. I have no hesitation whatsoever is saying that if anyone is looking to get advice and is serious about investing in quality oak products they should have no need to look further than Oak by Design. Thanks again Richard for all your help , guidance and continued support which is a credit to you and the craftsmen you employ.

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From the moment we visited the Oak Design showroom, we knew that we were dealing with a top quality local company. Richard the owner, showed us around his design works with real pride of his product and service offering. Jamie as sales executive has discussed and agreed the options & design with costs to us and we have now implemented the first phase of our home improvement, with more work to follow. We are highly delighted with the finished product and would strongly recommend Oak Design to other interested clients. I also suggest that you pay them a personal visit at the Home Building & Renovation exhibition in Harrogate, as well as their wonderful showroom of Oak Solutions in Tockwith to get a personal guided tour.

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Great service by a friendly professional team, a pleasure to work with. The end result of our oak glazed leisure spa and outdoor kitchen looks fantastic. Great job

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We are ‘over the moon’ with our beautiful oak porch made by Oakbydesign .From our initial enquiry to delivery and installation the service and attention to detail has been outstanding! A very big thank you to Joanne who was so helpful and friendly from start to finish which made the whole process such a pleasure. Highly recommend anyone looking for an oak porch to choose Oakbydesign . Yvonne Grant.

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As the owner of a local joinery business, Robert Davis Joinery, I have had the pleasure of using Oak by Design on several occasions over the last 8 years. They have produced bespoke interior products for me including Oak doors and timber moldings. The staff in the office and the workshop are always very helpful and friendly and the standard of the workmanship and materials are always of a very high quality.

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Superb! Fantastic! I can’t recommend enough. If you want gorgeous oak use this company. Oak by design made a porch for us and we couldn’t be more happier with it! It’s beautiful! The quality is first rate. Throughout the build Jo kept us informed as to the process of having the oak cut to size and installed. Jo and the team even sent us a lovely oak chopping board! Jack and his team who built it are fabulous! They go the extra mile. We have decided to use oak by design for a kitchen extension project in the future. Thank you oak by design for giving me a gorgeous porch! Charlie x

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Exceptional service and beautiful flooring. Absolutely delighted with every aspect. Went above and beyond great customer service to meet our needs and timescales.

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A fabulous service and supportive through the design and delivery process. Highly recommended

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What can I say, Oak By Design have been the most fantastic company to deal with. Joanne was so helpful, friendly and professional. She really seemed to care about our project, which made such a difference. We had 4 oak RSJ covers made and 2 fireplace mantles. The finish is outstanding. Everyone believes they are solid beams, which was just what we wanted. The care and attention this company will give you is 2nd to none and I would highly recommend them. Pictures will follow when we complete our project, thanks again Oak By Design. x

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Fantastic staff with fantastic craftsmanship. Great communication and always on the ball. I would highly recommend oak by design, I don’t think you could get a better quality oak porch anywhere. Extremely pleased with ours , always getting compliments from fellow villagers

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We decided to get an oak porch to make our home more attractive and we are so glad we did as it really is beautiful ! Joanne and the Team have been professional, friendly and just a pleasure to deal with ! Thank you so much !!

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Great company, always on the end of the phone to talk through design, measurements, fitting. The Oak is very high standard, looks amazing.