How to Temper a Window

Tempered windows are required for any windows within 2 feet of a door or horizontally within 5 feet of a stairway, according to the 2006 International Residential Code. They also are used in the passenger windows of cars because they are safer during an accident. The glass is up to 10 times stronger than non-tempered glass and crumbles into small, blunt pieces instead of shattering. Tempered windows go through a thermal change, where the glass is heated to a specific temperature and rapidly cooled to strengthen the glass.

Silicone carbide stone or silicon carbide sandpaper
Deionized water
Window
Temper furnace

Instructions

- 1
  Smooth the rough edges of the window with a silicone carbide stone or silicon carbide sandpaper that's supported with a block to prevent the edges from chipping during cool down.Wash it with deionized water to remove foreign particles.
- 2
  Set the heating chamber's temperature to 1202 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the window on the temper furnace's conveyor. It will transport the window into the heating chamber.
- 3
  Heat the glass evenly to its softening point of 1139 to 1202 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature will vary depending on the furnace manufacturer and glass.
- 4
  Move the window into the cooling chamber of the furnace temper immediately and cool it rapidly. The cooling chamber will shoot high pressure air blasts onto different areas of the window and cool the outer surface before the center.
- 5
  Remove the window from the temper furnace.

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