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- Toughened and laminated safety glass
Toughened and laminated safety glass, supplied and fitted
Glass in doors and close to the floor should be safety glass. We tell you which type suits the opening, measure it and fit it.
- Open 24 hours, every day
- Homes and businesses
- Fully insured
- Photos for your insurer
What safety glass is and where you need it
Safety glass is glass made to be less dangerous when it breaks. The two main types are toughened and laminated. We supply and fit both, in homes and in business premises.
Toughened glass breaks into small blunt pieces instead of long sharp shards. Laminated glass is two sheets bonded to a layer between them, so it cracks but holds together in the frame.
Safety glass is expected in doors, in panels beside doors and in glazing close to the floor, because those are the places people fall against or walk into. When a pane in one of those spots breaks, it makes sense to replace it with safety glass whatever was there before. See door glass replacement for doors and shopfront glass replacement for commercial fronts.
Toughened glass is made to size and cannot be cut on site. So we measure on the first visit, close the opening with emergency boarding up if the old pane is broken, and fit the new glass on a return visit. Sealed units can be made with safety glass too, as covered under double glazed unit replacement.
Toughened and laminated at a glance
- Toughened breaks into small blunt pieces
- Laminated cracks but stays in one piece
- Both are used in doors and low glazing
- Toughened glass is made to size
Ask for a safety glass quote
Tell us where the glass is going and roughly how big it is, and we will price it.
Prefer to talk? Call 0808 135 0137.
What our safety glass service includes
Glass we supply
- Toughened glass made to size
- Laminated glass
- Clear safety glass
- Patterned obscure safety glass
- Safety glass in double glazed units
- Single panes for timber and metal frames
- Panels for doors and door side panels
- Panes for shopfronts and glazed entrances
What the visit covers
- Broken pane made safe and boarded first
- Opening measured for the new glass
- Existing glass checked for a safety mark
- Advice on which type suits the opening
- New glass fitted on a return visit
- Old glass cleared and taken away
- Photos before and after the work
- Itemised invoice showing the glass fitted
What safety glass costs
Safety glass is ordered pane by pane, so we quote each job separately. Four things set the price.
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Toughened or laminated
The two are made in different ways, and the type you need affects the cost. -
Size and thickness
A full-height side panel needs more glass, and often thicker glass, than a small door pane. -
Where it is going
A door, a side panel, a low window or a shopfront. Each is fitted in its own way. -
Single pane or sealed unit
Safety glass built into a double glazed unit costs more than one sheet on its own.
Send a photo of the opening for a safety glass quote
How getting safety glass fitted works
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Send a photo of the glass
Show us the door, panel or window, and include something in the shot that gives a sense of scale. -
We advise and quote
We say whether toughened or laminated suits the opening and give you a price for it. -
First visit to measure
Exact sizes are taken. A broken pane is cleared out and boarded while we are there. -
Return visit to fit
The finished glass is brought to the property and fitted, and the old glass leaves with us.
Why use us for safety glass
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The right type for the place
We look at where the glass sits and explain which type belongs there, in plain words. -
Boarded until it arrives
A broken door or low panel is covered with cut timber while its replacement is being made. -
Phones open all hours
If a glazed door or panel breaks at night, you can still reach us to get it made safe. -
The glass type in writing
Your itemised invoice states what glass was fitted, which is useful for insurers and landlords.
Before and after: what our toughened and laminated safety glass looks like
Choosing between toughened and laminated
Toughened glass is the usual choice where the main worry is somebody being cut. That covers most doors, side panels and low windows in a home. When it does break, the whole pane crumbles at once, so the opening is left empty until it is boarded.
Laminated glass stays in its frame when it cracks, so the opening is still closed afterwards. That makes it a common choice where security matters as well as safety, such as shopfronts, glazed entrance doors and windows that are easy to reach from outside.
Often the simplest answer is to fit whatever was there before. Safety glass normally carries a small permanent mark in one corner, and if you can read it, tell us what it says. If you cannot find one, send us a photo and we will tell you what we think you have.
Related glazing and boarding services
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Door glass replacement
Glass panels in front, back and patio doors. -
Shopfront glass replacement
New shopfront glass made to size and fitted. -
Double glazed unit replacement
New sealed units fitted into your existing frames. -
Emergency glazing
Broken glass measured and replaced by a glazier. -
Broken window repair
Cracked and smashed panes taken out and replaced. -
Door boarding
Damaged doors and frames boarded and locked up.
We also work for landlords and letting agents, facilities managers, schools and pubs and restaurants. Useful guides: toughened or laminated glass: which one you need and can a double glazed unit be replaced without a new frame, or see all guides.
Safety glass questions
What is the difference between toughened and laminated glass?
Toughened glass shatters into small blunt pieces. Laminated glass has a layer bonded between two sheets, so it cracks but stays together. Both count as safety glass.
Where is safety glass needed?
It is expected in doors, in glazed panels next to doors and in windows that come down close to the floor. If you are unsure about a particular pane, send us a photo and we will tell you.
How do I know if my glass is already safety glass?
Look in the corners for a small mark printed or etched into the glass. No mark usually suggests ordinary glass, though on old panes it can be faint or hidden by the frame.
Can toughened glass be cut to fit on the day?
No. It is cut to size before it is toughened and cannot be altered afterwards. That is why we measure first and come back to fit it.
Is laminated glass more secure than toughened?
Laminated glass holds together when it is broken, so it goes on filling the opening. Toughened glass is strong, but once it breaks the pane falls away. Tell us what matters most and we will advise.
How much does safety glass cost?
The price turns on the type of glass, its size and thickness, where it is being fitted and whether it is part of a sealed unit. Send a photo and a postcode for a quote.
Need safety glass measured and fitted
Send a photo of the door, panel or window and the postcode. We will tell you which glass it needs and what it costs.