Tempered glass or annealed glass are the two most common types of glass which are used for tabletops. Both glass types come in different varieties like clear glass, tinted glass, frosted glass, etc. However, each variety of glass can be categorized as tempered or annealed glass. So here in this article, I will try to explain the difference between these two categories.
Annealed Glass
Annealed Glass is the most basic type of glass which comes with no safety features. When annealed glass breaks, it shatters into big sharp pieces which makes it dangerous when broken. It is the cheapest option for your tabletop and it is suitable where there is not much risk of getting the glass broken.
Strength: Annealed glass is not much strong and may require support or more thickness of glass if the tabletop size is too large. Annealed glass cannot bear extra pressure as compared to tempered glass.
Safety: As explained before, annealed glass doesn’t come with any safety features. It doesn’t go through a toughening process during manufacturing so when this glass breaks, it shatters into large and sharp pieces. This is a huge drawback due to which people prefer tempered glass instead of the annealed glass tabletop.
Cost: Annealed glass is the cheapest option for your glass tabletop. You can buy an annealed tabletop for almost half of the price of a tempered glass top.
Customization: An advantage annealed glass has over tempered glass is that it is easy to cut, resize and customize. All you need is a glass cutter to do any customization with your glass panel.
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Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is also known as toughened glass or safety glass. It is because it goes through a toughening process during manufacturing which involves heating and cooling the glass at a specific temperature. This process gives the glass top extra strength and safety features. Due to its safety feature when tempered glass breaks, it shatters into small pieces of glass which makes it easy to dispose of. Tempered glass is a suitable option where there is a high risk of injuries if glass breaks for example pool fences, tabletops, and shower doors.
Strength: Toughened glass is two times stronger than annealed or regular glass. It is the toughening process that gives tempered glass extra strength. Toughened glass is a suitable option if your tabletop size is too large or it doesn’t have any support under it.
Cutting And Customization:: A toughened glass cannot be cut at home as in the case of annealed glass. A toughened glass panel is cut and shaped before the toughening process. After making the glass panel toughened it cannot be cut or reshaped.
Conclusion
The choice between these two glass categories depends on your requirements and budget. Like if you just need a simple glass cover for a small table then annealed glass can be a suitable option. However, if you want a heavy-duty and durable glass tabletop or your tabletop size is too big then you must choose tempered glass only for your tabletop.
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