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Seems like using tempered glass for windows in addition to things like shower doors where it's required (in the US) now could help as well. Will still shatter,

Seems like using tempered glass for windows in addition to things like shower doors where it's required (in the US) now could help as well. Will still shatter, but won't splinter. I guess that process is also expensive?

mindslight 6y ago
All architectural glass should be tempered, by safety codes. This is to avoid the problem of non-tempered (annealed) glass only breaking into a few large pieces, creating heavy sheets that will give someone deep lacerations. When you see a window instantaneously shatter into many tiny pieces, that is tempered glass. The energetic breaking of tempered glass still creates a lot of splinters though.
- bradstewart 6y ago
  What is "architectural glass"? Only the bathroom windows in my house are tempered glass. > The energetic breaking of tempered glass still creates a lot of splinters though. Interesting. I guess my only real experience with tempered glass was dropping a shower door while installing it. It absolutely shattered into a million pieces right away, but they weren't what I'd describe as splinters. More like little cubes without particularly sharp. Unless there were also splinters everywhere, and I just didn't notice in the mess of my bathroom.
  - mindslight 6y ago
    It has to do with the size, but I don't know the limit. Smaller windows aren't going to matter, because pieces won't be large enough to be dangerous. A sliding glass exterior door is always going to be tempered glass, as well as glass tables and shelves. Tempering also makes the glass more impact resistant. I broke a shower door too, while cleaning it. There were definitely splinters mixed in with all those cubes (and some in the hair on my arms). I'd imagine the physics is similar to when you snap a piece of uncooked spaghetti while holding it close to its ends - sometimes you end up with a small energetic middle piece that flies away.

mindslight 6y ago

All architectural glass should be tempered, by safety codes. This is to avoid the problem of non-tempered (annealed) glass only breaking into a few large pieces, creating heavy sheets that will give someone deep lacerations. When you see a window instantaneously shatter into many tiny pieces, that is tempered glass. The energetic breaking of tempered glass still creates a lot of splinters though.

bradstewart 6y ago
What is "architectural glass"? Only the bathroom windows in my house are tempered glass. > The energetic breaking of tempered glass still creates a lot of splinters though. Interesting. I guess my only real experience with tempered glass was dropping a shower door while installing it. It absolutely shattered into a million pieces right away, but they weren't what I'd describe as splinters. More like little cubes without particularly sharp. Unless there were also splinters everywhere, and I just didn't notice in the mess of my bathroom.
- mindslight 6y ago
  It has to do with the size, but I don't know the limit. Smaller windows aren't going to matter, because pieces won't be large enough to be dangerous. A sliding glass exterior door is always going to be tempered glass, as well as glass tables and shelves. Tempering also makes the glass more impact resistant. I broke a shower door too, while cleaning it. There were definitely splinters mixed in with all those cubes (and some in the hair on my arms). I'd imagine the physics is similar to when you snap a piece of uncooked spaghetti while holding it close to its ends - sometimes you end up with a small energetic middle piece that flies away.