Is laminated glass always tempered glass?

No, laminated glass is not always tempered. As standard, it consists of untempered glass panes with one or more PVB films between them. If the glass panes are tempered, it is called tempered laminated glass. Tempered glass and laminated glass are two different types of safety glass, each with its own properties.

Tempered glass

Tempered glass is heated to a high temperature and then cooled quickly. This makes it about four to five times stronger than normal glass of the same thickness, and much more resistant to thermal shock. If it does break, it shatters into small granules instead of sharp shards. Read more under What is tempered glass?.

Laminated glass

Laminated glass consists of two or more glass panes bonded together with one or more layers of PVB film (polyvinyl butyral). If it breaks, the shards stick to the film and the pane stays in one piece. How laminated glass works exactly is explained under What is laminated glass?.

Tempered laminated glass

Tempered laminated glass combines the strength of tempered glass with the film that holds the glass together if it breaks. Even if all the panes break, no opening forms, because the film is very tough. The pane can, however, sag as a whole. Laminated glass made from untempered panes keeps more of its shape after breakage. Which build-up you need depends on the situation.

If you are unsure which glass suits your project, please contact us. You can also put together your custom laminated glass directly.