Thinking of getting a conservatory installed? Then with conservatories made up of predominantly glass, you’ll no doubt be giving some thought to the type of glass to have installed.
One option is safety glass, but what is it, why is it important and, perhaps most importantly, why is it mandatory for some conservatories? Let’s find out…
Building Regulations
Before we get into why safety glass is beneficial and why it should be used, it’s important to remind ourselves of the law on glazing. That’s because, even if you still weren’t sold on the idea after reading the benefits, building regulations may force you to have safety glass anyway!
That’s because, under UK Building Regulations, there may be a requirement to install safety glass in conservatories. Whether it’s required or not depends on various factors, including the specific location of the glass within the space and its potential risk. Safety glass is usually required in certain areas where there is a higher risk of breakage and potential harm.
For instance, safety glass may be required in doors, low-level glazing and areas where you and your family are likely to come into contact with the glass.
When you’re having a conservatory built, it’s essential that the team you’re hiring to install your new space refer to the latest Building Regulations, specifically Approved Document N, which provides detailed guidance on glazing safety. Always make sure the company you’re dealing with is considering building regs or you may have issues with your conservatory.
Benefits Of Safety Glass
So now we know that safety glass may be required by law, let’s delve into why by looking at the benefits it brings:
Enhanced Safety
There’s no better place to start than with the most obvious point: safety. With this type of glazing, the goal is to minimise the risk of injury in case the glass breaks, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of you and any other individuals using the space.
Unlike regular glass, safety glass is designed to break in a specific way that minimises the chance of injury. There are different types of safety glass but one of the most common is tempered glass, which undergoes a heat treatment to enhance its strength.
Unlike regular glass which can break into big, jagged pieces that increase the risk of serious injury, when tempered glass shatters, it breaks into small, blunt-edged fragments.
Likewise, laminated glass is another type of safety glass that reduces the chances of serious harm when fallen onto. This glass consists of layers bonded together with a plastic interlayer. In the event it breaks, the plastic layer holds the glass fragments in place.
By using these types of glass in areas such as doors and low-level glazing within conservatories, this helps you comply with building regulations and prioritises safety in the event of an accidental breakage.
Security
When you’re having a conservatory built, you need to give a lot of thought to security as you don’t want to give potential intruders easy access to your home.
For instance, laminated glass remains intact even when shattered, preventing intruders from simply climbing through. And while they may eventually be able to force the glass through, burglars don’t like to hang around so every second counts!
So this added security feature could well contribute to the overall protection of the conservatory and, ultimately, your home.
Protects From UV
Most people love to relax in their conservatories on a warm summer’s day, soaking up the rays. However, this can actually be damaging to the skin as the UV rays penetrate the glass.
Depending on the type you opt for, some types of safety glass are UV-resistant, which helps mitigate the harmful effects of the sun’s radiation. By blocking a significant portion of UV rays, safety glass protects your skin – not to mention your expensive furnishings that we’re guessing you’d rather didn’t get faded by the sun’s rays!
So those are three reasons why you may want to opt for safety glass. In truth, depending on the space you’re having built, you might not have much of a choice due to the UK’s building regs. But if you are forced to have safety glass, just remember the benefits it offers!