A laminate is a material that can be constructed by unitizing two or more layers of material together.
The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common practice refers to the placing of an adhesive
inbetween two outer objects and gluing all of them with heat and/or pressure.
Laminated glass is a type of safty glass where two pieces of annealed glass plates are unitized. By placing an adhesive plastic between the two and heating the two glass plates with the
adhesive plastic in the middle creates a laminated glass unit; moreover, this process is referred to as laminating glass. Annealed glass by itself will break into large sharp pieces of glass; however, with the two glass plates adhered together
by the plastic adhesive it now becomes a type of safety glass.
Safety Reference
After a laminated glass plate unit is unitized it becomes one solid piece of glass and is typically installed as is by a Glazier. Unlike a insulated unit where two pieces of tempered glass
are untized by the separation of the glass plates with an aluminum spacer, 99.9% of the time it's a milled finish space.
Plate Sizes "Depths"
Two Most Common: Each single glass plate depth that is used to unitize the laminate unit is 1/8" and 1/4". 1/8" is typical for residential homes and apartments and 1/4" is typical for commercial storefronts, shops, retail & malls, convenient stores, post offices.
After the two 1/8" plates are laminated the overall depth becomes 1/4" and after the two commercial 1/4" glass plates are laminated the over-all depth becomes 1/2". It is possible to see the 1/8" glass plates installed onto commercial doors and windows; however, there are limitations.
Laminated Glass Usage
- Storefront Doors
- Windows With-In Three Feet Of A Door Swing "For Both Residential And Commercial"
- Storefront Sidelites That Are Closest To Storefront Doors
- Home Windows Next To Doors