When you go to a hockey arena, a department store, office, or any other commercial space, you’re going to see glass. The versatile material can be utilized in various ways. That revolving door at the last hotel you stayed in: glass. Those room dividers in your office building: glass. The display tables at your favorite clothing store: glass. The list goes on and on.

However, glass manufacturers cannot simply take ordinary, or annealed, glass and create whatever item is next on their to-do list. A lot of the glass that you see in a commercial space has been tempered. This means that the glass was put through a heat treatment to increase its strength and durability. You see countless glass-made items every day, such as the items mentioned above, so you may be wondering what some of the most common products made from tempered glass are.

As a glass manufacturer that has been working in the industry for more than eight decades, here are some tempered glass uses that our customers often request:

1. Sports Arena Applications

Have you ever wondered why the glass panels around a hockey rink do not shatter when players knock into them? It’s because the glass was fabricated in a specific manner to prevent it from breaking. Other sports arena applications for tempered glass could include the railings.

2. Railings

Where there are stairs, there are railings. Glass railings are a great addition to the interior space, but they need to hold up to a lot of wear and tear. Thick, tempered glass is the perfect material for railings because it ensures that they will look good and last a long time. 

3. Table Tops

Tempered glass can be used for an array of table tops, such as conference room tables and reception desks. After the glass is tempered, ask your glass manufacturer to back-paint it so a pop of color is incorporated into the space as well.

4. Display Cases 

Display cases and other retail store fixtures are frequently made of tempered glass. Not only does the material let customers clearly see the products inside the case, but it also decreases the chance of someone being able to break the glass and steal the items on display.

5. Office Partitions

Table tops aren’t the only design component in an office interior that can be made of tempered glass. Office partitions can also be crafted this way. With tempered glass, the partition won't break if an employee accidently bumps into it.

Learn more about the glass tempering process.