What Type of Glass Is the Strongest?

Sure enough — cleaning your glass windows can be easy, although hiring a professional like the window cleaning South Shore MA can be very efficient of your time and effort. Glass windows can be so fragile or sturdy, depending on the materials used and both initial installment and maintenance cost can be a bit expensive compared to other types of windows.  

Glass windows can be decorative, functional, or both, as it offers a good and pretty design as well as protection and security both for homes and commercial buildings. However, not all glasses are made equal; there are glasses that can be fragile and just used as decorative, while other glass materials used for windows and doors are too sturdy that even a bullet’s force can never have an impact on the surface. The glass material, quality of workmanship, are the two major factors that determine the strength of the glass window.  

1.Plate Glass 

This glass is the most susceptible to breakage and damage as well as the least durable among the list we provide in this article. It is made from the liquid glass that is spread on a surface until it gets cold to shape. It can also be made through a process known as floating, hence the name float glass. 

This kind of glass is the cheapest and therefore is widely used for different purposes. In can be used for windows, doors, mirrors, and glass tables.  

2.Tempered Glass 

This kind of glass is used to improve safety and protection and is installed for motor vehicle windows, shower doors, refrigerator doors, diving masks, and others.  

It is manufactured through the use of chemical or thermal treatment processes that effectively increase the strength contrary to the cheaper and traditional version: plate glass.” it is called tempered as the outer surface tends to compress, providing its sturdier structure. While the outer surface compresses, the inner surface gets tense. These two events allow the glass to be more resistant to breakage. When a greater force is thrown onto the glass, it does not break like the plate glass which causes serious injures due to the broken shards. Instead, it just crumbles to small granules that will not cut.  

3.Laminated Glass 

This kind of glass, unlike the two mentioned above, hold together when it is shattered. This glass consists of two or more polyvinyl butyric (PVB) layer that bond together for additional strength. When greater force is thrown, the glass breaks into big pieces that hold together that creates a web pattern.  

Because of its durability and strength, this glass is used for skylight glazing, storefronts, automobile wind shields, and windows in areas that are prone to hurricanes. In addition to this, the PVB layer that this glass is consist of provides UV protection and sound insulation. 

The Final Thought 

Among the three: plate, tempered, and laminated glass, the last one is the sturdiest and most costly as it provides the greatest protection against impact as well as insulation against sound and UV rays.  

Types and Styles of Columns, Posts, and Pillars

The columns you have in your house or in your porch may look so simple, but their history is long and intricate. Some of these columns are traced back to the architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans, while others find inspiration in the Asian or Moorish building structural designs. Now, most of these structures and designs are modernized from square to round.  

A column is built to be functional, decorative, or both. They can be made typically by professionals like concrete contractors Santa Fe, as they are mostly made with concrete. Some of them can also be designed in a wood, although columns are built to be used as foundations.  

In this article, we will share with you the Classical Orders of architecture from ancient Greeks: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns and how they are currently used in American homes.  

Doric 

These columns were the earliest and the simplest columns the Greeks made in ancient times. they are also used in Neoclassical libraries, public schools, and government buildings.  

In recent times of today, Americans are hesitant to use this design in their houses as the starker Tuscan developed by the ancient Romans are more preferred by many.  

Ionic 

The Ionic column of the Greek order is more ornated and slimmer than the one mentioned above. It is characterized by the scroll-shaped ornaments on the top of the shaft. Similar to the Doric column, many Neoclassical buildings used this column for entrance as it is grander and flashier compared to ionic columns.  

Corinthian  

The third design of the Greek order is the most intricate and lavish among the three, as it is the most elaborate and complex. Similar to the ionic, the capital of this column is adorned with ornaments carved to resemble flowers and leaves, more intricate than the scroll designs of ionic columns.  

In the Neoclassical times, this design was rarely used because it was expensive compared to other column designs due to its scale of grandeur and lavishness. Compared to Doric and ionic that were mostly used for larger buildings like public schools and library, Corinthian columns were scaled down in size and its opulence when used.  

In the ancient times, these columns’ capitals were designed and sculpted to resemble a plant found in Mediterranean environs, acanthus. This design was later modified into native vegetation like corn cobs, thistles, and tobacco. 

Composite 

Romans combined Ionic and Corinthian orders to build a composite design. This design is a hybrid, with less delicateness, and more sturdiness.  

Tuscan 

These columns are more similar to ancient Greek’s Doric column only this had a smoother shaft. In the 21st century, this style is the most used in American homes.  

Among all the columns that were mentioned in this article, it is the Tuscan that was mostly preferred by many Americans. However, other styles like the Corinthian, as well as Composite are also used to build buildings that need fancy and grand designs. Now, most of these columns are used not for foundation but for decorations, mostly placed on the front of the main door.