Frequently Asked Questions
Got a specific question?
Search through our FAQ below.
We’ve taken the liberty of answering some common questions already for you, if you get stuck, somewhere, we might have already answered it below for you.
General Questions
Highland Glass is currently a trade wholesale supplier only, while our glass does get used for many residential, repair and general glazing applications, we are a couple steps back from where your enquiry needs to be. A local glazier has the skills and qualifications to carry out repairs, replacements and installations, if you’d like them to use one of our products, it would be best to discuss its suitability with them.
Highland Glass services a range of areas from our current two branches including, but not limited to, the Central Tablelands, Western Plains, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, South Coast, Sydney Metropolitan, Upper Hawkesbury, Canberra & ACT, Riverina and Central Coast.
That depends! We have great relations with a number of glass companies and manufacturers, generally speaking if it’s available in Australia, we can source it for you, or custom fabricate it for you. However, it would be best to contact us directly to make sure as more often than not, specific glass types are subject to availability and also feasibility as many different types of glass have an equivalent we probably already stock.
Highland Glass specializes in wholesale supply and distribution of glass, while we would love to handle your cut to size and processing here (life is just easier that way isn’t it?) we can supply sheets and also blocks of glass if required.
Yes! Highland Glass is always on the lookout for keen candidates in search of a rewarding career. Head on over to our employment page to view a list of currently available roles.
That is a very complex question. If you’re asking this, we are guessing you might be looking to start a new build or renovation, that’s okay, but there are a number of questions that need to be answered before this.
Generally speaking, in Australia, we are governed by various building codes like BASIX, this determines based on the construction and materials used in a project what requirements have and have not been met in relation to the obligations you have in order to meet basic energy efficiency needs.
Your architect or builder would generally have completed or should be completing a profile on what your requirements for glass will be, inclusive of target values for things like U-Value and SHGC. It is important to note however, that just because a glass meets or exceeds these values, does not mean it is the correct glass to use in this application. The best point of contact is to discuss directly with your architect or glazier about what your requirements will be and what you are expecting out of your glass.
The glass world is complicated, and surprisingly, glass is a lot more involved than your average Joe would think! We have a lot of industry terms, ratings and definitions that most of the time might not be important to you, but they are important to us or your glazier and builder.
If you’re looking for some more information, head on over to our glossary page.
Core Products
Safety glasses are defined by the Australian Standards, more specifically AS2208.
And A-Grade safety glass by definition is either Toughened (NOT heat strengthened) or Laminated.
It depends on the application. Toughened glass is generally stronger (when comparing like for like thicknesses) and can be much harder to break.
However, when a toughened glass does break, it pops and shatters, releasing the huge amount of energy the toughening process puts into the glass as tension. While the shards are small and much safer than a float glass product breaking, it will leave a gap where the glass once was.
Laminate glass has a special interlayer typically made from PVB (polyvinyl butyral) that holds glass in place in the event of a breakage, however because each individual piece of glass forming the laminate is thinner and usually not toughened, laminate glass is easier to break when compared to toughened.
Toughened glass is best for raw strength (impact prone environments ie, ballustrades, shower screens,) while laminate glass is better for security (places where glass is a barrier, ie. shop fronts, display cabinets.)
It is possible to provide both toughening and laminating by toughening two individual pieces of glass and then custom laminating them together, however, this is a highly custom process and has to be hand made piece by piece. This kind of glass is incredibly strong and usually not suitable outside of it’s specialized applications. (High security installations, correctional or high dependency mental health.)
Glass is manufactured from a range of elements, but mostly silica or silicon dioxide as it’s formally known. During the smelting process, silicone dioxide (mostly in the form of sand) is heated to over 1000 degrees. During the process it is also mixed with limestone and soda ash, both of which allow glass to withstand incredible temperatures without melting, and make it much stronger than just silica on it’s own.
Because of these additions, iron oxide works it’s way into the glass during the process, this is what gives glass it’s green tinge. Most standard glass will be listed as “clear,” and will appear clear at smaller thicknesses, however, as thickness increases, the green tinge of iron oxide can become more noticeable. Certain glass types such as “low-iron” or neutral can overcome this but may present with a light blue to blue tint themselves, which itself is an unavoidable effect of Rayleigh Scattering when light passes through the glass.
BAL or Bushfire Attack Level, is a designation given to glass products to define how well a specific product stands up to a bushfire.
Outside of specifically made bushfire zone glass, which is only required in very few locations, a 6mm toughened will provide a BAL-40 rating, suitable for the overwhelming majority of locations where a BAL rating needs to be considered.
During the manufacturing process for all tempered glass, tension is built up inside the pane of glass itself when heated to the extremely high temperatures required to make tempered glass.
The combination of this tension and the heat often creates distortions or other visual effects that are unavoidable. We have prepared a handy brochure to better explain these distortions and what is expected and within tolerance according to Australia Standards.
Processing
Highland Glass is a wholesale supply and distributor only. Our processing is in-house and for our ongoing glass supply.
Because of obvious reasons, we cannot take in external glass to process on our machines, it would be best to speak with your local glazier regarding any glass requirements.
Depends on where it is being used. Generally for glass going into a frame, no, it doesn’t require any edgework, however edgework is usually performed for caution and safety and ease of installation.
When glass is cut and notched out, it can often leave an uneven edge that is sharp and dangerous. Particularly with thicker glasses this can pose a safety hazard for installers, a simple arris will remove this danger for most glasses, while thicker glass types (10mm and above) would require something more sophisticated such as a flat grind or polish.
If the glass is being used as a balustrade, frameless shower or furniture, then standards would dictate it would need some kind of edgework in order to keep the glass safe, flat polishing and rounded corners are good options to smooth out edges and create a quality looking product.
No, at present Highland Glass offers just flat glass services. We can cut square, rectangular, circular, parallelogram, templates, shapes (both simple and complex) and all manner of in-between, but curved glass requires a specialized line that is not very often utilized outside of its unique application.
But who knows what the future holds?
Toughened glass can be processed, just prior to it being toughened is all.
When glass is toughened, it’s heated up to about 450 degrees before being rapidly cooled, this process, similar to hardening metal and steel, builds tension inside the glass, where the heated molecules on the inside of the glass orient and pull on the rapidly cooled molecules on the outside. This makes the bond incredibly strong and tensile, however the added tension puts a lot of explosive force inside the glass. If we were to cut or alter the shape of the glass once it has been toughened, it would cause the tension in the glass to be broken and the piece will shatter.
Highland Glass can provide glass based on a supplied drawing or template, provided it is within the required tolerances. We have prepared a handy brochure to help explain the requirements for submitting a template or drawing.
Thermal Control Glass
Low E stands for “Low Emissivity,” and is just like regular glass except it has a specialized coating applied to one face of the glass. The coating provides additional performance in relation to heat transfer and reflectivity of solar radiation, working as an insulating barrier that keeps the heat inside during winter and outside during the summer.
That depends. Building requirements are very complex, and if you are checking here for that answer, you’re most likely in the wrong place. In Australia, we are governed by building codes such as BASIX, this determines what materials you need in order to satisfy all the requirements to have a structure that is above board, this is inclusive of the type of glass and level of performance it needs to have to meet the minimum in thermal efficiency. The best place to check is with your builder or architect who can run you through what those requirements are, don’t forget to ask for Highland Glass!
Low E comes with a specialized coating that should be looked after with some additional care, the coating is incredibly hard and shouldn’t come into contact with metallic objects. You can read our full cleaning guide here.
Home & Decor
No, EnduroShield is designed to be applied in our factory during manufacture of your shower panel. There does exist DIY kits for home use, but they aren’t quite the same as our professional application. Perhaps it’s time for a new shower screen?
We can paint any colour from the Dulux World of Colour series 2, and metallics from the Evic Xpress range. Please speak to your local representative about viewing a fan deck, or better yet, check out their full range on the Dulux website.
Glass is manufactured from a range of elements, but mostly silica or silicon dioxide as it’s formally known. During the smelting process, silicone dioxide (mostly in the form of sand) is heated to over 1000 degrees. During the process it is also mixed with limestone and soda ash, both of which allow glass to withstand incredible temperatures without melting, and make it much stronger than just silica on it’s own.
Because of these additions, iron oxide works it’s way into the glass during the process, this is what gives glass it’s green tinge. Most standard glass will be listed as “clear,” and will appear clear at smaller thicknesses, however, as thickness increases, the green tinge of iron oxide can become more noticeable. Certain glass types such as “low-iron” or neutral can overcome this but may present with a light blue to blue tint themselves, which itself is an unavoidable effect of Rayleigh Scattering when light passes through the glass.
Unfortunately mirror products cannot be toughened. They come with a unique coating applied to one side which is what gives mirror it’s reflection. This coating is unable to be run through a toughening furnace.
Patterned glass is highly diverse and unfortunately there are no industry set standards when it comes to patterns. While there are very common patterns you can find in most places (like Spotswood or Satinlite) even these will differ from place to place and even between each batch.
There is no guaranteed way to match an existing patterned glass, we can, however, provide samples for you to view to help assist with this process.
Acoustic Glass
Formally, RW is the “weighted sound reduction index” a material provides. It indicates an expected reduction in noise measured in dB. Glass alone doesn’t determine what kind of acoustic performance you will receive, as this is determined by the system as a whole, inclusive of the framing, glazing methods and even the door or wall the glass has been installed in. You will need to contact your local expert to discuss your requirements.
This is a complex question. Some places may mandate it as part of their building code, for others it may be a matter of preference.
Places such as hospitals or other care environments as well as certain work places with noise hazards may mandate a maximum dB limit in a particular space, this means if the area is to have glass, then this glass might have to meet certain criteria in what it offers for noise reduction.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways and is almost always determined by the project engineer. It is best you speak with them to discuss your requirements.
Glass Cleaning
Cleaning your glass is a good routine to ensure it lasts you a lifetime, depending on the type of glass you have will determine the best methods of achieving this. Why not have a look at our cleaning guides here.