When choosing glass for your business, fire-resistant glass is not something that is likely to come to mind. However, this is something that should at least be considered because normal glass (float glass) breaks very quickly during a fire. The sudden difference in temperature creates high thermal stresses that cause the glass to break.
Single glass can break as early as 30 to 40°C temperature difference. When a fire breaks out, the temperature will change within as little as 1 minute. Fire-retardant glass breaks less quickly, so it will take longer for any fire to spread through the broken window to an adjacent room.
Fire-resistant glass is made of at least two sheets of glass with one or more silicate interlayers between them. The silicate interlayer foams up in the event of a fire and forms a shield against both flames and heat. To further ensure the fire safety of the business premises or home, another option is special tempered glass with a heat reflective coating.
Fire retardancy can range from 30 to 120 minutes. The choice depends on the type of building, the applicable regulations and the standards/requirements in the building code. The so-called resistance class is represented in letter/number combinations such as EW30, EW60 or EI90. The letters here stand for:
When you want to have fire-resistant glass installed, the first thing to do is to investigate whether this is possible. Because fire-resistant glass may only be used as part of an approved fire-resistant frame system. Suppose you mount a 90-minute fire-retardant pane in a pine frame. In a fire, the glass will last this length of time, only the spruce frame will be gone within minutes. You can check with the housing authority or have us inspect it.
If the frame system is not suitable, another frame system may be considered. Without a suitable frame system, it is not possible to install fire-resistant glass.
As indicated, fire-resistant glass is certainly not just about the glass, but the entire structure. Everything must be correct and recorded in the certificate. Think about:
The installation of the fire-resistant glass must also comply with many regulations. For example, the glass must be fitted with fire-retardant tape and fire-retardant sealant. The total picture of glass, assembly and materials must be correct. AA Glas therefore only works with its own certified fitters, this is the only way we can guarantee quality from production to installation.
Our years of experience allow us to make fire resistant glass for any type of frame. All our products will be custom made. Because of this we have a delivery time of 4 to 10 working days depending on the type of glass ordered. The 30 minutes variant is directly available from stock. Feel free to contact us or fill in the quotation form. You are also welcome to visit our showroom in Lijnden (next to Amsterdam).
In addition to providing fire-resistant glass, you can hire us for glass repair. Because of our 24-hour service, it is no problem for us to replace the glass of your window outside office hours.
