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Clear Glass for Windows & Doors: A Quick Guide

Clear Glass for Windows & Doors: A Quick Guide
Clear Glass for Windows & Doors: A Quick Guide

Clear glass is an invaluable choice for windows and doors, renowned for its numerous advantages in interior design and architectural aesthetics. In the section below, we’ll discuss clear glass, its benefits, diverse types, and inspiring design ideas to elevate your projects. 

Types of Clear Glass 

Clear glass for windows offers a spectrum of options, each tailored to distinct needs: 

1. Float Glass:

Float glass, which is the most prevalent type of glass, is created through a fascinating process. Molten glass is gently floated on a bed of molten metal, usually tin, during its manufacturing. This unique method yields a glass sheet with an impeccably smooth and uniform surface. This exceptional smoothness makes float glass a top choice for windows and doors.  

2. Krystal Glass:

While “Krystal Glass” may not be an industry-standard term, it could denote a proprietary or branded type of clear glass. For precise information on Krystal Glass, it’s advisable to consult the manufacturer or supplier. 

3. Tinted Glass:

Tinted clear glass is specially treated with a subtle pigment, giving it a gentle color. This added coloration serves a practical purpose by reducing glare and blocking harmful UV radiation. As a result, it’s an excellent choice for spaces with intense sunlight, such as sunrooms. Tinted glass maintains a comfortable ambience by dimming excessive light while allowing you to enjoy the outdoors. 

4. Laminated Glass:

Laminated clear glass involves sandwiching a layer of transparent plastic between two glass layers. This enhances resistance to breakage and bolsters security, making it a prudent choice for doors and windows in regions prone to storms and security concerns. 

Advantages of Clear Glass 

Abundant Natural Light:

Clear glass ushers in copious natural light, transforming living spaces into vibrant sanctuaries. Reduced reliance on artificial lighting conserves energy and enhances your overall well-being. 

Unobstructed Views:

Embracing the outdoors, clear glass provides unimpeded views of your surroundings, whether a lush garden, urban skyline, or tranquil countryside, seamlessly integrating the interior and exterior worlds. 

Enhanced Interior Design:

Clear glass is a true chameleon in interior design. Its clean and timeless look makes it an ideal canvas for expressing your creative vision, adapting seamlessly to various design styles. Clear glass is your ally whether you’re aiming for a minimalist, modern, classic, or industrial aesthetic. 

In minimalist interiors, clear glass adds an element of elegance and openness, embracing the “less is more” philosophy. It allows natural light to flood the space, creating an ambience of tranquillity. 

Energy Efficiency:

Modern glazing technology has revolutionized the energy efficiency of clear glass. Double or triple-glazed variants deliver superb insulation, curbing energy consumption and reducing utility costs. 

Durability:

With proper maintenance, clear glass exhibits remarkable durability. It withstands scratches and fading, ensuring that your windows and doors maintain their aesthetic appeal over the years. 

Versatility:

Clear glass seamlessly adapts to diverse architectural styles, whether you’re pursuing a contemporary or traditional aesthetic. It’s ideal for various applications, including sliding doors, casement windows, and expansive picture windows. 

Conclusion 

Clear glass is an exceptional choice for windows and doors, offering many benefits, versatility, and design possibilities. Whether you choose float glass, explore proprietary Krystal Glass, opt for tinted variants, or invest in laminated solutions, you’re embarking on a journey to enhance your living spaces’ aesthetic and functional aspects. 

As you embark on your projects, remember that consulting with experts like AIS Glass can provide invaluable guidance and access to top-notch glass solutions, elevating your endeavors to a realm of excellence. 

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Daylight Analysis & Glazing Selection: A Case Study


Natural lighting is an extremely important part of any building – simply because it is beneficial to both comfort and energy efficiency of an interior space. Having ideal natural lighting inside a building can reduce the dependency on artificial lighting and create a much more holistic environment for rest, relaxation and work.
Yet, enabling the perfect balance of natural light within a building is not merely a function of using a glazing which will reflect heat and filter light. It depends on quite many factors, including the building orientation, the appropriateness of light diffusers installed, and also the kind of façades and windows in place. Thus, architect and building owners must conduct a thorough daylight analysis of any building in order to suggest glass that minimises discomfort and maximises visibility. Only after analysing the results of such a study can one opt for retrofitting buildings with low-E glass or going for a new glazing with the ideal U-value and SHGC.
This is what we performed for a corporate building in Mumbai.
CHALLENGE
A corporate building in Mumbai required an optimum glazing solution to maximize its VLT (visible light transmission) requirement without overdesigning the building.
SOLUTION
Going by the specifications of glass, one with the lowest U-value and SHGC would have been the right solution for the corporate building. Yet the solution was not so easy.
In order to determine the effect of various glazing variants on the building, a daylight analysis was performed. The two glazing variants simulated for the building were Clear Glass (VLT 78%) and high performance glass (VLT 21%). Both the glasses performed identically in terms of achieving the optimal lux levels. Clear Glass, in fact, caused glare in certain portions of the building.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the first case is Clear Glass (VLT = 78%). The pink region shows the area which will have glare, and the grey region indicates sub-optimal lighting. The second case is high-performance glass (VLT = 21%). Here, we can see the reduction in glare area without reducing optimum lux level.
Thus, AIS recommended using high-performance glass in order to reduce cooling load without compromising on the lighting load.
RESULTS
From the study conducted, the following results were deduced:

  • The same fenestration behaves differently depending on the specific design.
  • It should not be assumed that products with low U-Value and SHGC are the best and universal solution.
  • For windows receiving a high amount of solar radiation, products with low SHGC would perform better. Hence, a glazing solution should be selected only after thoroughly analysing the building design.

As mentioned earlier, architects and glass manufacturers have to study various factors in building design before selecting the ideal glazing. An important factor is window orientation and area which allows ideal dispersion of daylight without causing glare or excess heat gain. It has been observed that south-facing windows let in the highest amount of daylight while north-facing windows let in diffused and reflected glare-free light. On the other hand, east- and west-facing windows let in direct sunlight, glare, and heat gain, which are difficult to manage. Thus, different glazing solutions are required for different orientations, especially in the kind of building mentioned in the case study.

Categories

Daylight Analysis & Glazing Selection: A Case Study

Natural lighting is an extremely important part of any building – simply because it is beneficial to both comfort and energy efficiency of an interior space. Having ideal natural lighting inside a building can reduce the dependency on artificial lighting and create a much more holistic environment for rest, relaxation and work.

Yet, enabling the perfect balance of natural light within a building is not merely a function of using a glazing which will reflect heat and filter light. It depends on quite many factors, including the building orientation, the appropriateness of light diffusers installed, and also the kind of façades and windows in place. Thus, architect and building owners must conduct a thorough daylight analysis of any building in order to suggest glass that minimises discomfort and maximises visibility. Only after analysing the results of such a study can one opt for retrofitting buildings with low-E glass or going for a new glazing with the ideal U-value and SHGC.

This is what we performed for a corporate building in Mumbai.

CHALLENGE

A corporate building in Mumbai required an optimum glazing solution to maximize its VLT (visible light transmission) requirement without overdesigning the building.

SOLUTION

Going by the specifications of glass, one with the lowest U-value and SHGC would have been the right solution for the corporate building. Yet the solution was not so easy.

In order to determine the effect of various glazing variants on the building, a daylight analysis was performed. The two glazing variants simulated for the building were Clear Glass (VLT 78%) and high performance glass (VLT 21%). Both the glasses performed identically in terms of achieving the optimal lux levels. Clear Glass, in fact, caused glare in certain portions of the building.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the first case is Clear Glass (VLT = 78%). The pink region shows the area which will have glare, and the grey region indicates sub-optimal lighting. The second case is high-performance glass (VLT = 21%). Here, we can see the reduction in glare area without reducing optimum lux level.

Thus, AIS recommended using high-performance glass in order to reduce cooling load without compromising on the lighting load.

RESULTS

From the study conducted, the following results were deduced:

  • The same fenestration behaves differently depending on the specific design.
  • It should not be assumed that products with low U-Value and SHGC are the best and universal solution.
  • For windows receiving a high amount of solar radiation, products with low SHGC would perform better. Hence, a glazing solution should be selected only after thoroughly analysing the building design.

As mentioned earlier, architects and glass manufacturers have to study various factors in building design before selecting the ideal glazing. An important factor is window orientation and area which allows ideal dispersion of daylight without causing glare or excess heat gain. It has been observed that south-facing windows let in the highest amount of daylight while north-facing windows let in diffused and reflected glare-free light. On the other hand, east- and west-facing windows let in direct sunlight, glare, and heat gain, which are difficult to manage. Thus, different glazing solutions are required for different orientations, especially in the kind of building mentioned in the case study.