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- Glass Standards and Guidelines
Glass Standards and Guidelines
The following chart lists the industry standards and specifications that apply to glass used in windows, doors, skylights and architectural glazing applications. It is intended for reference and guidance only and should not be used to assess the suitability of specific installed glass/glazing. Concerns regarding specific glass characteristics should be evaluated by a professional having expertise in the glass/glazing field using the appropriate specification(s).
Glass Inspection for the Homeowner provides guidance addressing the general criteria and requirements for inspecting glass/glazing installed in windows, doors and glazed assemblies.
| Standard/ Specification | Purpose/Description | Applies To | Measures/Evaluates |
| ASTM C1036, Standard Specification for Flat Glass | This specification covers the quality requirements of flat, transparent, clear, and tinted glass intended to be used primarily for architectural glazing products. | Glass intended to be used primarily for architectural glazing products including: coated glass, IGUs, laminated glass, mirrors, spandrel glass or similar uses. | Point blemish, linear blemish content, associated distortion, dimension, squareness, reflectance and transmittance. |
| ASTM C1048, Standard Specification for Heat-Strengthened and Fully Tempered Flat Glass | Establishes the physical requirements for flat, heat strengthened, and fully tempered coated and uncoated glass | Heat-strengthened and fully tempered coated and uncoated flat glass | Glass strength, overall bow, localized bow, dimension, hole, notches and cut-out tolerances and product labeling |
| ASTM C1172, Standard Specification for Laminated Architectural Flat Glass | Specifies the quality requirements for flat laminated glass consisting of two or more layers of glass bonded with an interlayer material | Flat, laminated glass | Imperfections, blemishes, size and dimensional tolerances, bow and warp, marking |
| ASTM C1376, Standard Specification for Pyrolytic and Vacuum Deposition Coatings on Flat Glass | Specifies the optical and aesthetic quality requirements for coatings applied to glass | Coated glass | Pinholes, blemishes, scratches and color non-uniformity |
| ASTM E2190, Standard Specification for Insulating Glass Unit Performance and Evaluation | Specifies the durability requirements for IGUs | Double and triple pane IGUs | Edge seal durability, internal moisture formation, internal volatile fog formation, argon gas retention |
| IGMA TM-3000, North American Glazing Guidelines for Sealed Insulating Glass Units for Commercial & Residential Use (an FGIA document) | These guidelines assist designers, specifiers, fabricators, and installers in achieving long-term performance of IGUs | All IGU and VIG | Provides guidelines associated with successful field performance of IGUs |
| IGMA TM-3100, Voluntary Guidelines for the Identification of Visual Obstructions in the Airspace of Insulating Glass Units (an FGIA document) | Provides guidelines for categorizing and qualifying unintended visual obstructions in an IGU | Double and triple pane IGUs | Size, frequency and how to view various potential visual obstructions including glass marks, dirt/debris, optical effects, fogging and sightline infringement |
