Double glazing and the law

Kensington2 Image
06/27/2012 - 09:24

A quick question for you guys!I have been told by my carpenter that although I have specified double glazed doors and windows I must pay more if I want toughened glass that won't splinter and cut you if an accident happens. I am aware that in the UK all doors fitted with glass must be toughened and will just shatter if someone breaks it.. Surely in Italy they must have the same law that protects its citizens. If anyone has any idea and the specific law on glass in windows and doors in Italy I would really appreciate it.

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If I remember correctly - in the UK, glazed door panels should be toughened to prevent injury - but they are single glazed. Double glazed doors/windows in the UK are not toughened glass - 'cos they are are much less likely to shatter than a single glazed pane.聽 So I think your carpenter is correct, and toughened glass in double glazing is not 'normal practice', and is IMHO unnecessary

I fell off a stool and put my boot through my recently purchased double glazed french door, the glass shattered into frightening shards, I was very lucky not to get severley injured. So maybe toughened glass is not normal in Italy. (The door wasn't cheap either.)

Me - "Double glazed doors/windows in the UK are not toughened glass - 'cos they are are much less likely to shatter than a single glazed pane.聽" Bunterboy - "I fell off a stool and put my boot through my recently purchased double glazed french door" Won't ask what he was doing on the stool!聽 And it must have been some boot!!

AFAIK there is no 'health and safety' requirement for antinfortunistica glass in Itlay. You can choose to have it, it doesn't cost a lot more, and joiners often recommend it for ground level porte finestre, or windows not protected by shutters or inferriate, (where they think maybe a baddie will go at your glass with a hammer). Otherwise, you are just expected to not fall through your glazing. If you think you might, just specify toughened, and if you are seriously nervous, get it for both panes of a dg window. It's going to set you back something like 20 Euro - not a lot for peace of mind. If you specify laminated, then you have to consider that each pane of a double glazed unit gets thicker, and this has serious (although not insuperable) implications for the joiner.聽

In reply to by Fillide

In point of fact, Building Regulations in England and Wales require safety glass in all doors (except for very small panels) and also in adjacent fixed panels. This also effects glazing below waist level. 聽This also applies to double glazing in, which is almost mandatory because of other Building Regulations on the subject of energy efficiency. Apparently not in Italy. 8O) 聽 Neil