Is Safety Glass Required At The First Floor

Glass floor tiles being installed in an aluminum grid system.

Is safety glass required at the first floor.

Safety films can be used to bring ordinary glass up to grade a safety glass requirements. The exposed glass surface is less than 60 inches above any walkway. Safety glass is required when the lowest point of glazing is within 800mm from floor level. The proceedure involves heating the glass up and then cooling it down rapidly.

Tempered glass is glass that has an extra proceedure done to it to make it 4 to 5 times stronger. Uniform building code ubc since 1967 and southern standard building code ssbc at about the same time. It works in a similar fashion to laminated glass by holding shattered glass pieces to the film if broken. Glass cannot be further processed cut drilled etc after tempering.

There is a walking area within 36 inches of the glass. The height you are required to use safety glass in a residential situation has changed from 700mm to 800mm from floor level it has changed from between 700mm 1000mm to 800mm 1000mm. Tempered glass is required as safety glazing in hazardous applications such as floor to ceiling partition walls entrance doors sidelites etc. Glass floor pavers in a 1 thickness.

Florida building code fbc since inception a couple of years later. Cast glass usually 1 thick cast glass is made in a mold as solid one piece panel. Builders are required to use safety glass next to stairways ramps and landings providing that the glass is less than 60 inches above the walkway. There are restrictions on using film instead of toughened or laminated glass and this depends on the size of the glass pane and its thickness.

This process makes the glass stronger and also changes the way the glass breaks. As the drawing below shows any glass in doors that does not start over 1500mm from the floor must be safety glass. All glass in the bathroom or around a hot tub or sauna must consist of safety glass if the bottom edge is less than 60 inches above a standing or walking surface such as the shower floor. Glass pavers 1 thick solid pavers can be circular or square and are set within an aluminum stainless steel or cast iron framework.

The top edge is more than 36 inches above the floor. The main one you need to understand is when it is required to use tempered safety glass. International residential code irc since inception in 2000. Glazing adjacent to doors windows side panels wholly or partially within 300mm of the edge of a door and which is also wholly or partially within 1500mm from floor level must be safety glass.