Along with the science of the air space transfer, different coatings on the glass can have an impact on thermal transfer. Low E glass types can be oriented to reflect heat away from the building or reflect heat back into the living space depending on the environmental need. Laminated glass can inhibit sound and the PVB layer between the glass will block out a high percentage of UV rays. Tinted glass can be used in a variety of shades that can vary the SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient).

With Jada products, the installation of the glass is from the inside of the house. This method best protects the exposure of the insulated glass edge, glass clips and beauty rings from moisture. Insulated glass needs to remain dry and ventilated to maintain the warranty.

From the exterior, the bond between the glass and the metal sash is protected with a "wet seal" of Dow Corning 795 sealant. This is carefully tooled in for a smooth transition between glass and steel as well as a durable and flexible water seal. The glass is held firmly in the sash with concealed glass clips and then the entire perimeter of the glass is fit with a "beauty ring" that conceals the clips.

In unique circumstances for oversized glass, the glass is installed from the exterior. This allows for the crane lifting and install of the oversized glass without moving the glass through the building. When using this method the frame profiles are made up using stainless steel materials to increase the rust resistance for the weather side beauty ring and glass clips.

For long term maintenance or glass replacement the beauty rings can be removed and the glass clips screws removed. Then new glass can be installed and the clip and beauty ring system can be re installed.

The larger the glass the more difficult to produce perfect glass. Agnora glass can produce tempered insulated glass in very large sizes up to 130 x 300. Careful consideration is needed to evaluate the implementation of oversized glass. For fixed openings, it is really a question of overall glass thickness, weight and installation access. For operable openings the weight and thickness are more of an issue. Overall thickness may limit the systems that the glass can fit into, while the weight can limit the functionality of the product.

The coatings for oversize glass are not a plentiful as normal glass makeups. The glass coatings can affect thermal qualities and overall product values as well as color of glass when matching with other glass types.

Most oversize glass is sold without warranty. Selecting the right vendor should include a clear understanding of their warranty and their standard for imperfection of the glass.

Through our experience with many glass vendors we have come to say that “perfect glass is 80% perfect”. This seems to be the reality of the glass industry. When people look through glass at the world outside, all glass will look good. It is when people look “at” the glass that the questions arise. Viewed from a close distance with bright lights on, one can find flaws in every piece of glass. For this reason the glass industry has established standards of glass inspection.

The industry standard for glass inspection is called the 11 foot rule. It basically says that it considers imperfections as something than can be seen under normal lighting from 11 feet away, and that it is in the center 80% of the glass.  

When we supply the glass we strive to improve upon this standard and provide glass that is generally clear without workmanship flaws. We work closely with our manufactures starting with the understanding that our clients need a higher quality product. In the end, with some rejections and some remakes, we get “pretty good” glass. Given enough remakes, one could probably get “better than standard” glass.  In the event that glass needs to be replaced after it is established to be "within the inspection standards", we can keep trying until everyone is satisfied and just track the costs for the effort as an added budget item for the project.

There are ASTM inspection standards that can be introduced to better clarify the inspection methods, but in the end it is good to get 80% perfect glass.

One other thing to be aware of is that the use of “rare” specialty glass can add to the challenge of getting “perfect” glass. Specialty glass can lead to working with shops that take even less care in the cleaning and insulating process.. With every glass type consideration there should be a study of the actual supplier and their quality measures.