Can Glass Ever Truly be Unbreakable?

At Budget Glass in Nanaimo, we constantly get asked the question, “Does unbreakable glass actually exist?” The short answer is no, it does not. But there are products on the market that come very, very close. Below is our longer, more in-depth answer to the question, “Is there glass out there that can ever be truly unbreakable?”

Whether you’re upgrading all the windows in your home, building your dream home from the ground up, or you’re replacing a shattered storefront window at your business, chances are good that unbreakable glass is something that has crossed your mind. A type of glass that cannot be broken is an intriguing concept, and so is the idea of switching to unbreakable glass to strengthen the security of a building and protect the occupants inside from broken glass.

If you’ve even suffered through a break-in at your business or your home and have had to deal with getting a window replaced, your first thought might be making sure the next panel of glass you get installed is unbreakable!

Is Unbreakable Glass Truly Unbreakable?

First, let’s get this fact out of the way: there is no type of glass out there on the market that is truly unbreakable. However, there are two common window materials that are marketed as such: laminated windows and polycarbonate windows. While these materials can still break, they significantly help to keep your home, business, and family safe from shattered glass, home invasions, and stormy weather.

Two Types of Unbreakable Glass

Both laminate and polycarbonate windows are two very popular types of super resilient glass that are stronger and more durable than normal glass windows. They are also lightweight while being excellent insulators at the same time.

Laminated Windows

Laminated windows have a thin piece of transparent plastic – usually either polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) – manufactured in between two thin sheets of normal glass. During impact, the plastic layer stays in-tact and bonds the broken pieces of glass, resulting in a shatterproof product.

The glass of a laminated window will break, often creating spiderweb-looking cracks, but there won’t be piles of glass on the ground. Having the window in place is enough of a barrier to:

  • prevent a thief from entering
  • prevent a tree branch from crashing through
  • prevent occupants of the home from being struck by shards of broken glass
  • keep your home or business sealed up until a repair can be made.

Laminated windows are commonly used for windshields, skylights, and curtain walls. And when you take several layers of laminated glass and add them together, the result is bulletproof glass.

Polycarbonate Windows

Polycarbonate windows are made of fused panels of thick, sturdy, flexible polycarbonate (a type of plastic). There is no glass involved with polycarbonate windows. Given that these windows are actually plastic and not at all glass, a polycarbonate window is a lot more difficult to break than a standard glass window. The plastic absorbs the impact of whatever is coming for it, making it another great material that protects against break-ins, baseballs, birds, and branches.

It’s important to note that while they are marketed as being unbreakable, these two types of glass products cannot always stop a thief from entering your home or business. Determined thieves can always find a way in beyond windows, but specially reinforced windows such as the ones mentioned here go a long way in slowing down entry into the home, oftentimes until the would-be thieves either give up and move on to the next property, or law enforcement shows up.

A Note on Safety Glass

There are other types of glass on the market, such as tempered glass, toughened glass, and wire mesh glass, that are deemed or marketed as “safety glass”.  While stronger than normal glass, these types of glass should not be mistaken as unbreakable glass. The reason is because these products are designed to crumble upon impact.

Such crumbled glass is safer than jagged sharp edges, so these types of glass are indeed safety glass, but since the glass falls to the ground, safety glass certainly breaks. In the case of tempered passenger windows in a vehicle for instance, the desire would be for the window to break apart safely (crumble to pieces rather than shards). Tempered glass cannot provide protection against thieves, so if this is your goal, make sure you’re shopping for unbreakable glass and not safety glass.

Installing Unbreakable Glass Products

If you’re unsure if unbreakable products are right for you, consider the fact that both laminated glass and polycarbonate windows work double duty by increasing the security of a residence or business while also increasing energy efficiency and adding some sound deadening. They are also just as effective at reducing break-ins as they are at toughening up windows against stormy weather.

Such glass products should be considered by consumers looking to not only increase the security of the property, but also to protect occupants from injury resulting from broken or shattered glass. They are also perfect for storm-prone regions as well.

Two Ways to Switch to Unbreakable Windows

Looking for unbreakable glass for your home or business in the Nanaimo area? At Budget Glass, our professional glass and window installers have you covered. We can replace your existing windows with all-new unbreakable glass, or we can add layers of glass polycarbonate over top of your existing windows.

This simple addition to your existing windows is a more budget friendly way of increasing the security of your existing windows, without having to replace the entire unit. How does it work? We simply adhere polycarbonate products to your existing glass windows. These products reinforce your home or storefront’s existing standard windows while providing additional shatter-resistance without affecting your view outside!

Call Budget Glass for Unbreakable Glass Guidance & Installation

If you are currently dealing with broken glass or a shattered glass window affecting the safety of your home or business, call Budget Glass on our emergency line at (250) 755-6901 for immediate assistance in the Nanaimo, BC area.

Read More: Tips & Tricks for Cleaning Up Broken Glass

If you are not sure what type of glass upgrades are right for you, our window experts can guide you through the process. To learn how the glass professionals at Budget Glass in Nanaimo, BC can help increase the strength and security of your windows with unbreakable glass, give us a call at (250) 758-3374 or schedule an appointment online.