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The Ultimate Guide to Glass Types: Choosing Performance, Safety & Style
The Ultimate Guide to Glass Types: Choosing Performance, Safety & Style
Category: Glazing Knowledge Hub
Reading Time: 9 Minutes
📌 The 2026 Glazing Snapshot
- Energy First: “Low-E” coatings are no longer optional—they are essential for meeting strict new U-Value targets.
- Safety Rules: Any glass below 800mm from the floor (doors/low windows) must be Toughened or Laminated by law (Regulation N).
- Hampshire Context: In hard-water areas like Andover, “Self-Cleaning” glass is a game changer for conservatory roofs.
- Noise Control: Acoustic glass is essential for homes near the A303 or M3 corridors.
Gone are the days when glass was just a fragile, clear material to fill a hole in the wall. As we head into 2026, modern glazing is a high-tech component integral to the comfort, security, and energy efficiency of your home.
But with options ranging from invisible thermal coatings to acoustic laminates, how do you choose? This hub page is your definitive guide to the glass types used in KJM installations across Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Dorset.
Table of Contents
1. Energy: Low-E & Solar Control
Managing the climate inside your home is the primary job of modern windows. In 2026, with energy prices still a major concern, the coating on your glass matters more than the frame. We focus on two key metrics: U-Value (Keeping heat in) and G-Value (Letting solar heat in).
Essential for every window. Low-Emissivity (Low-E) glass has a microscopic coating that reflects heat back into the room (like a thermal blanket) while letting light in.
Standard on all KJM installations to meet Building Regs Part L.
Read the Low-E GuideEssential for South-facing rooms. This glass reflects solar heat away from the house. If you are building a conservatory or have large bi-folds in Hampshire, this prevents the “greenhouse effect” in July.
Read the Solar Control Guide2. Safety: Toughened vs. Laminated
Standard “annealed” glass breaks into dangerous sharp shards. For modern homes, safety glass is mandatory in critical areas (doors and low windows) under Building Regulation N. But which type do you need?
| Type | How it Breaks | Best Used For… |
|---|---|---|
| Toughened | Shatters into thousands of tiny, harmless “cubes” (like a car side window). | General safety compliance for low-level windows and patio doors. It is 5x stronger than regular glass. Read Toughened Guide |
| Laminated | Cracks but holds together (like a car windscreen) thanks to a plastic interlayer. | Security & Safety. It is incredibly hard to penetrate. Ideal for front doors and vulnerable ground-floor windows (Secured by Design). Read Laminated Guide |
3. Noise Reduction: Acoustic Glass
If you live near the busy A303, M3, or near a rail line in Hampshire, standard double glazing might not be enough.
Acoustic Glass uses a special PVB (Polyvinyl Butyral) laminate layer to disrupt sound waves. It typically reduces noise by 35-40dB compared to an open window—the difference between a busy office and a quiet library.
Fact: Combining different thicknesses of glass (e.g., 6mm outer / 4mm inner) helps disrupt different sound frequencies better than two panes of the same thickness.
4. Lifestyle: Self-Cleaning & UV Protection
Glass can do more than just insulate. It can solve specific maintenance and protection problems.
Self-Cleaning Glass (For Hard Water Areas)
Andover and Winchester have hard water. Manual cleaning often leaves limescale streaks. Self-Cleaning Glass (like Pilkington Activ™) uses a dual-action coating:
- Photocatalytic: Uses UV daylight to break down organic dirt (bird droppings, sap).
- Hydrophilic: Causes rain to sheet down the glass rather than forming droplets, washing the dirt away without streaks.
UV Protection (Save Your Furniture)
Have you noticed your sofa or curtains fading near a sunny window? Standard glass lets through most UV radiation. Laminated Glass blocks up to 99% of UV rays, significantly slowing down the fading of carpets, artwork, and furniture.
5. Privacy: Obscure Glass Levels
For bathrooms and front doors, you need light without the view. We use the Pilkington Texture scale, ranging from Level 1 (barely blurred) to Level 5 (impossible to see through).
Top Pick for 2026: The “Satin” (Sandblasted) finish is currently the most popular choice in modern homes. It offers high privacy (Level 5) with a smooth, contemporary matt look.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If your frames are in good condition, we can upgrade just the glass to modern A-rated, acoustic, or obscure units. This is often much cheaper than full replacement.
No. Modern laminated glass is virtually indistinguishable from standard clear glass. You get the security and UV benefits without any visible tint or distortion.
Yes. We can combine technologies. For example, a high-spec unit might have an outer pane of Acoustic Laminated glass and an inner pane of Low-E thermal glass. This keeps your home quiet and warm.
This is actually a good sign! It means the glass is so efficient that heat isn’t escaping to warm up the outer pane. The outer pane stays cold (like a car windshield), allowing morning dew to form. It proves your windows are working perfectly.
Standard glass has a slight green tint (visible at the edges) due to iron content. Low-Iron glass is extra-clear. We often use this for “A-Rated” windows to allow maximum free solar heat gain into the home.
Not necessarily. Triple glazing is designed for heat retention. For noise reduction, a specialist Acoustic Laminate Double Glazing is often superior to standard triple glazing because the laminate layer actively disrupts sound waves.
📚 Explore Our Glass Hub
Mark Pearce is a highly experienced specialist in the double glazing industry, having built his knowledge from the ground up through hands-on experience in installation, manufacturing, sales, and business management. Beyond his role at KJM, Mark is a keen blogger, writer, and traveller, often sharing insights on the latest innovations in the home improvement industry.
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