Glass is a material which, by simply changing its properties, can be completely changed from the point of view of its opacity or resistance. Although brittle, glass is subject to many types of processing, resulting in an extremely large variety of glass objects in the world surrounding us.
We invite you to discover some of the most common types of glass. Any of these types of glass can be produced by our company. Therefore, contact us to provide you with the glass processed in the form you require:
Float (simple clear glass) glass with a thickness of 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm or 10mm. It is the traditional glass as we know it from the old windows of the grandparents’ house, but manufactured by using another procedure. It is subject to a whole range of treatments: glass painting, sandblasting, staining, curving and other treatments. Float glass represents the main raw material from our factory. Through various processing techniques, we obtain other types of glass, from double-glazed windows to the glass processed in detail by means of procedures such as WaterJet.
Conex (Duplex or laminated) glass is a type of glass made of two sheets of glass that are equally thick, having a PVB (Polyvinyl butyral) film between them. If the glass breaks, the fragments remain attached to the PVB film, thus the window retains a residual strength until it is replaced. Different types of laminated glass can be obtained, the thickness of the glass sheets and the number of film layers fluctuating. Thus, a notation was established for the conex glass. For example, 3.1.3 or 3.3.1 represents the standard conex glass. The notation means two sheets of float glass that are 3 mm thick and a PVB film layer between them. It is possible to laminate float glass with a Low-E glass resulting in the 4.4.1 Low-E notation (float glass that is 4 mm thick, with the low-e glass that is 4mm thick, with a PVB layer).
Conex glass that is available in GIBA factory: 3.3.1, 3.3.1 Low-E glass, Solar Control glass 4s 3.3.1, 3.3.1 Opal glass, 3.3.2, 4.4.1, 4.4.1 Low-E glass, 4.4.1 Solar Control glass, 4.4.1Opal glass, 4.4.2, 5.5.1.
Conex glass is useful when we aim at increasing the level of resistance, either for doors, windows or glass partitions or when breaking the glass and spreading shards can cause dangerous accidents. For example, in kindergartens or indoor playgrounds for children, the glass walls or windows should be made of conex type glass. It is also useful for handrails, stairs or glass trails (e.g., in museums or archaeological sites where glass-suspended trails are created).
Do not mistake conex glass, which is called anti-theft glass, for tempered glass which, when broken, turns into hundreds of small pieces of glass. Tempered glass is obtained through a special manufacturing process.
Low-E glass is 4mm or 6mm thick. On one side of this type of glass, we can find a thin protective layer made of noble metals that has the property to reject heat. At first sight, it does not look like something we would want in a double-glazed window, but at a closer look, this type of glass maintains the heat inside during winter, reducing the loss of thermal energy through the glass surface. The double-glazed window is always fitted with the Low-E glass on the inside and the film will be oriented towards the inside of the glass to protect it. The Low-E layer slows the transfer of energy, but it allows light to pass in a natural way from the outside to the inside and vice versa. Thus, a Low-E window does not influence interior lighting.
4Seasons (Solar Control) glass is 4mm and 6mm thick. Similarly to the Low-E glass, this glass has a film that blocks a large part of the UV and infrared rays of the solar spectrum without compromising visible light. It is recommended in the areas facing east and south as well as in the balconies where the greenhouse effect represents a problem. The double-glazed window is fitted with the 4Seasons glass to the exterior, with the film facing the interior of the window. Theoretically, by using a Low-E and 4Seasons glass for the same window, we can get a better U value, but, in fact, that is not the case at all. The two types of glass can mutually cancel their qualities, a double-glazed window with a lower quality being finally obtained or, in time, the window can even crack on the exterior due to successive heat exchanges between the 2 layers.
In order to produce a double-glazed window with a better UV Index by using the Low-E and 4Season glass, we recommend using a triplex window made of 4Seasons glass on the exterior, Float glass in the middle and Low-E glass on the interior, with an air gap of 16 mm between the sheets of glass. If you replace the classical aluminium spacers by the warm-edge ones, you have the perfect formula for a passive house.
Ornamental glass
Unlike the clear (float) glass, during the manufacturing process, the ornamental glass passes through two laminating rolls out of which one is etched with a motif. Thus, one of the glass sides will be embossed, the result being a more or less translucent window, depending on the model. This glass is very useful for the bathroom windows, the shower cabinets made of glass, the glass partition between the areas where a certain degree of visual protection is required.
Available models: Delta2, Krizet, White/ Bronze Sand, Sinsila Bronze.
Decorative glass
It can be a very interesting design element for any interior space. Decorative glass can bring extra lustre and, together with an illuminating device smartly placed, it can change the atmosphere of a room, a bar or a hallway.
We provide you with a whole range of decorative glass patterns, but, on request, you can also obtain custom motifs which should fit perfectly into your interior design project.
Available models: White/ Bronze Olive, White/ Bronze Cross, White/ Bronze Ear, DSG002, DSG004, DSG006, DSG012, HG029, TSG002, TSG006.
Other types of glass
Bronze reflective glass has a reflective film that prevents light from entering the house, having the aspect of a brown mirror. This glass is used especially for curved windows.
Chemical glazing is a float glass with a thickness of 4 mm, chemically treated to resemble the manually sandblasted glass, although we can clearly notice the difference between the two types of glass. Available models: White satin, Bronze satin.
Mass dyed glass (Planibel or Bronze dyeing) is the float glass to which, during the manufacturing process, a brown pigment is added, thus reducing its transparency. Mass dyeing can be also used for curved windows.
The mirror of 4 mm can be sandblasted or painted on its back according to a pattern, conferring a touch of elegance to the room.