What Is a Laminated Window?

Laminated Glass

• Laminated material, whether glass, wood or other products, is the bonding of several thin sheets of material together to make a stronger, thicker product. Laminated glass is two sheets of glass sandwiched around a thin sheet of transparent plastic or vinyl. This makes a stronger, thicker piece of glass as opposed to a rather fragile single pane.

Advantages

• Usually, the more layers you add to a material, the stronger it becomes. This is also the case with laminated glass. While laminated glass can still break, the inner layer keeps the broken pieces together as a sheet. If you have ever experienced a broken windshield on your vehicle, the interior was probably not littered with thousands of broken pieces of glass, and the windshield, while still broken, stayed within its framework. While adding layers to glass will make it stronger, it will also reduce noise levels. Thicker, laminated glass has more sound-deadening capability than single panes of glass.

Vehicles

• Some early uses of laminated glass came on automobiles. The first windshields were flat, vertical sheets of glass that broke into large shards on impact. Some type of glass was needed for automotive use that would not cause injury or death to the occupants. While laminated glass for cars was invented early in the 20th century, it did not come into widespread use in the United States until the mid-1920s. Some antique automobiles may still have their original nonlaminated plate glass windshields. If the car is still used on the road even occasionally, the flat glass panels can be replaced with laminated glass to make the vehicle safer.

Homes

• While laminated glass is still not in widespread use in the home, homeowners who live in hurricane-prone areas may benefit from the installation of laminated glass windows. The windows of your home will enjoy the same benefits as your vehicle windshield when windborne debris strikes it. The window may still break, but the glass will usually remain intact within the window frame, lessening storm damage to the inside of your home and keeping your family safe from flying projectiles. Laminated glass in the home may also reduce UV ray penetration, which can cause fading of carpets, upholstery and other household items.