FIRE-RATED > GLASSOPOLIS HEAT BARRIER

 

There are two categories of Fire-Rated Glass. They differ in what they protect against. The most common is called "Fire-Protective" which means it provides protection against smoke and flame. The second is called "Fire-Resistive" which also protects against smoke and flame but has the additional ability of protect against the transfer of heat. This second type of product is also commonly referred to as "Heat Barrier" glass.

 

When you need Fire-Resistive glazing that is a barrier to heat as well as smoke and flame, give us a call. Glassopolis offers heat barrier solutions for your application.


What is fire-resistive glazing?

Fire-resistive glazing is a special fabricated glazing material that can survive heat to protect against fire and smoke but also insulates against heat to prevent burn through. It blocks heat, protecting people and valuables on the non-fire side of the glass where heat transfer might be a concern. It is listed for use in doors, sidelites, transoms, borrowed lites and wall applications with a fire-rating of up to 2 hours.

 

How is it made?

There are several manufacturers of fire-resistive glazing, and their products differ slightly. In general, the glazing is an assembly of several panes of glass with one or more layers of intumescent material (typically a gel that expands and goes opaque when exposed to heat). The glazing ends up being thick and heavy, with products rated for 120 minutes being up to 54mm thick and weighing more than 10 pounds per sq ft.

 

Most fire-resistive products are both fire-rated and impact safety-rated.

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Read about Glassopolis in US Glass magazine. Here's the article...

 

How is “Fire-Resistive” different from “Fire-Protective”?

Fire-protective glazing protects against flame and smoke, but does not insulate against the heat of a fire. Fire-resistive glazing protects against flame, smoke and heat.

 

A typical fire-protective glazing would be “thin” glass-ceramics. A typical fire-resistive glazing would be a “thick” intumescent product.

 

There are specific fire tests that must be passed before a product can be called Fire-Resistive. In general, these are not window tests, but in fact are wall tests. In essence Fire-Resistive glazing is really a transparent wall, not an opening!

 

How is it installed?

How and where Fire-Resistive glazing is used is different from how you would glaze normal materials.Heat Barrier It is important that the wall, frame and the fire-resistive glazing work together to form an entire wall that is meets the fire-rating specified.

 

There are very nice framing systems available from various framing manufacturers. These are often specified for their style, not performance, as there usually are inexpensive framing options available. Some fire-resistive glazing can be glazed directly into a fire-rated wall assembly (such as double drywall). Call Glassopolis for more details on your framing options and save big.

 

How to order?

Call Glassopolis with your project details and ask for a quote. We can supply just the fire-rated glazing, or just a framing solution, or both. Most vendors try to lock you into an expensive bundle of both glazing and frames. Glassopolis gives you more options and will help find the solution that best meets the needs and budget of your customer. Call Glassopolis today for a quote.