Safety Glass regs and random imploding of conservatory roof

[catlad]

Velux windows are laminated as standard.

 

[ronniecabers]

Velux never used to be...that's something new they are doing then. Very often they were just standard 4mm window glass

 

[crank39]

Changed many units in them that were just 4mm float glass, firework puts hole in outer pane in November, customer puts claim in in February, I come along and find 4 inches of water in the cavity and now I have to spin the window over to get to the tin ware to remove the screws and change the unit, try doing that without getting wet

 

[catlad]

Ok new since the mid eighty's then

 

[ronniecabers]

Clearly something is amiss then, as we have changed many many velux sealed units that have only been Annealed glass ...old 8mm spacer and the newer 16mm spacer bar versions too

 

[catlad]

Hi Ronnie
Laminated inner toughened outer Although I'm not sure when the toughened outer started.

 

[ronniecabers]

Interesting, as I don't think I've ever come across one with laminate in yet. Tough yes but not laminate.... very odd

 

[crank39]

Regarding toughened glass in Velux roof windows this little article has just popped into my newsfeed, interesting that it goes against some comments here that Velux were laminated as standard

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co...tj0owXU5uPShyNADeUrVGPOgH68_SVagR0-bsfbZQH1NM

 

[ronniecabers]

Interesting comment about never specifying tough glass for overhead. I do agree that tough has its limitations but unless that roof is sitting perfectly level and even laminate will crack .... I have seen it a few times on self built wooden conservatories where the laminate glass is twisted. Also you would be incredibly unlucky for a bird strike to break toughened ( a stone dropped from a fair height may well break it though!)

Also if it's not recommended, why do nearly all Conservatory roof manufactures supply Toughened glass for glass roofs?

 

[Notch7]

Never specify toughend for overhead glass, always laminated.

Conservatory installers would disagree.

Ive done roof units upto 800mm wide x 4metres long, 4mm tough is heavy, lam would be impossible to lift.
Toughened units are reall flexible -a metre one would easily bow 8" if picked up flat.

In 20 years Ive never seen both skins of a toughened unit blow, I dont think therevis much risk of injury from toughened glass.

The OPs story is a bit scary though! -every broken unit Ive replaced has broken into small chips.

 

[crank39]

I've never seen both break other than when a concrete planter is thrown through a patio door during a break in, I've seen and replaced roof units when the outer has popped but never been to an inner although I know guys that have, it's not nice, OK it's not going to slice you in half, at most hundreds of pin pricks and you'll be finding glass 3 months later despite how well you've hoovered or mopped

Agree with notch also about the weight of lam especially in that size, I dare say you couldn't even get it up there without cracking the lam, just too much deflection for the the lam to take

 

[catlad]

I have to apologise I have been fed duff info on laminated as standard on velux windows! I will find out and get back to you when I have more reliable info.

 

[catlad]

Ok well the info now on Velux is its standard now since the latest generation 2014 and its been an option since 1985

 

[ronniecabers]

Thank you for being honest enough to hold your hands up that you were fed duff info. Many wouldn't, unfortunately as you saw , several of us are in the trade and knew that lami wasnt standard from 1985 through experience of dealing with them.

Lami from STD in 2014 would make sense, as Document Q states Lami on new builds now for security reasons ( god knows how you are supposed to break it in event of a fire! ) ,and I've heard many a property burgled by gaining acces from easy to get to velux windows