Tempered vs laminated glass comes down to how each one fails. Tempered breaks into blunt cubes that fall; laminated cracks but stays bonded to its plastic interlayer and stays in the opening. That is why overhead glazing skylights, canopies and glass roofs normally uses laminated glass, or an insulated unit with a laminated bottom lite, so nothing can drop into the room below.
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Spec | Options |
|---|---|
Thickness | Monolithic laminated typically 3/8in (10mm) and 1/2in (12mm) overall; insulated units built from 1/4in (6mm) lites either side of the airspace, with the inboard lite laminated; canopy panels commonly 1/2in (12mm) laminated and heavier on long projections |
Glass type | Monolithic tempered (heat-soaked, screened use only) · laminated tempered or laminated heat-strengthened · insulated unit with a laminated inner lite. The insulated unit with a laminated inboard lite is the default for a residential skylight |
Interlayer | 0.030in (0.76mm) PVB as standard, 0.060in (1.52mm) PVB for larger spans, higher wind load or better acoustics. SentryGlas ionoplast where the interlayer has to carry structural load or hold a broken panel rigid, as on a cantilevered canopy |
Maximum span | Set by the design wind and snow load, not by a single number. Support spacing tightens as panel size, slope and exposure increase; every sloped or canopy panel is sized to the calculated load for its site |
Edge profile | Flat polished on exposed canopy edges; seamed or ground edges where the glass is captured in a frame or curb |
Hardware finish | 316 stainless standoffs, spider fittings, cables and rods for coastal exposure — 304 stainless will tea-stain in salt air. Powder-coated or anodised aluminium framing in the specified colour |
Coatings | Low-E on the correct surface for a heating-dominated climate, and a deliberately low SHGC. A roof-plane glass sees far more solar load through a summer day than the same glass in a wall, so a skylight specified with wall glass numbers overheats the room |
Slope and drainage | Sloped glazing needs a positive fall so water and debris clear the glass and the frame drains. Flat or near-flat installations pond and stain. |
Fabrication sequence | All holes, notches and edgework are done before heat treatment and lamination. Nothing is drilled or trimmed on the roof |
Coastal detail | Fasteners, flashing and framing selected for salt exposure; sealant joints specified for wind-driven rain rather than fair-weather rain |
If the glass is over your head, start from laminated and only move off it for a documented reason. For an insulated skylight, the normal build is a heat-soaked tempered outboard lite for hail and thermal stress with a laminated inboard lite so nothing can fall through.
For an entry canopy, laminated is not optional in practice — a canopy is directly above a doorway, and a stiffer SentryGlas interlayer is worth specifying where the panel cantilevers. For vertical porch or sunroom glazing at eye level, tempered is usually the right and cheaper answer, with laminated chosen when road noise, UV fade or security is the driving concern.
Bring the assembly to the building official early; sloped and overhead glazing is where a late correction is most expensive.
We’re more than just a supplier—we design, fabricate, and install a full range of custom glass solutions.
You can now request pricing and availability directly from us—just let us know what you need, and we’ll take care of the rest.
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