Heat Strengthened Glass and Tempered Glass: Why FACADESHIELD™ is the Game-Changer for Today's Facades 

When it comes to today’s construction, glass is no longer just a design feature — it’s a building component. Two of the most common types of safety glass are heat strengthened and tempered glass. Both are strong and durable, yet there are distinctions that should be understood in order to select the correct glass for building cladding, windows, and other structural applications. 

Tempered glass is highly popular for its safety and sturdiness. It is severely heated and rapidly cooled, making it up to five times stronger than ordinary annealed glass. If it breaks, it shatters into small, blunt pieces that minimize the risk of serious injuries. This makes it ideal for applications where human safety is paramount, such as shower doors, glass doors, and car windows. 

Heat strengthened glass is also thermally treated but cooled more slowly and gradually than tempered glass. This makes it about twice as strong as annealed glass and provides greater resistance to thermal stress. Unlike tempered glass, it shatters in a spider-web pattern but generally remains in one piece, making it best suited for high-rise facades or curtain wall applications. It also has less optical distortion than tempered glass and is less prone to spontaneous breakage caused by nickel sulfide inclusions. 

From an installation perspective, heat strengthened glass provides greater versatility for laminated applications. It can be paired with other glass types or coatings to meet performance and design goals such as solar control, UV protection, and energy efficiency — all essential for sustainable building design. 

In making a choice between the two, the decision often depends on project-specific requirements such as building codes, aesthetics, and safety needs. For applications where post-break behavior, thermal resistance, and higher optical quality are critical, heat strengthened glass emerges as the clear winner. 

For building professionals, contractors, and facade specialists seeking the best blend of integrity, longevity, and appearance, there is no better choice than FACADESHIELD™ by FG Glass. Engineered to deliver world-class quality, performance, and compliance with international standards, FACADESHIELD™ has become the preferred solution for superior facade systems worldwide.