There is a wide range of specialist glass available, including
Low Emissivity (Low E) glass like Pilkington 'K' which,
while more expensive to install, offers heating savings
by making a double-glazed unit up to 30% more energy efficient
than standard double glazing.
However, especially if you have children, your main consideration
might be safety in which case it would be prudent to specify
either toughened or laminated glass throughout your conservatory.
Toughened glass, the cheaper option, is usually 4mm thick.
If broken it shatters into small pieces of relatively harmless
glass (untoughened glass, by contrast, breaks into potentially
lethal shards).
Laminated glass is, is usually two pieces of 3mm thick
glass separated by an interlayer – giving an overall
thickness of 6.4mm. The glass cracks rather than shatters
when broken as the interlayer holds the cracked glass in
position. For this reason, laminated glass also makes an
ideal security glass.
It is possible to combine toughened and laminated glass
to make a double-glazed sealed unit.
