Have you ever been relaxing in your home, lost in a streaming boxset only to have your attention stolen by the sound of glass shattering? And when you warily clamber to your feet to investigate, you find that your window or splashback or even shower screen is cracked into crumbs with no culprit in sight?

No? Lucky you!

Actually, modern glass production processes have made spontaneous breakage a relatively rare occurrence. But it does happen – and can be very alarming when it does.

In this post, we’ll look at the reasons why glass can break spontaneously as well as sharing some tips on how to avoid it happening.

What is spontaneous glass breakage?

Spontaneous glass breakage is glass breaking with no obvious cause. No direct impact or identifiable damage.

It happens most often with tempered glass (for reasons we’ll get into) but it can happen in many types of glass. It can also happen to a range of glass objects such as windows, doors, shower screens or glass balustrades.

What makes glass spontaneously break?

The name ‘spontaneous glass breakage’ means there’s no reason for it to break. But this isn’t the case. The cause can be impossible to trace after it happens, but there is always something behind it – usually either the quality of the glass, or its installation.

Specifically, it usually boils down to one of the following factors:

Nickel sulfide (NiS) in the glass

The most common reason behind spontaneous glass breakage is nickel sulfide inclusions in the glass. These small internal defects can lead stress to build up in the glass and eventually exceed the strength of the glass so it shatters.

These inclusions can form when nickel and sulphur are in the raw materials used to make glass. They combine during the manufacturing process to form tiny particles of nickel sulfide (nickel sulfide stones) that are trapped in the glass.

These defects are usually too small to see. However, they can make a big impact on the stability of the glass, and can cause the glass to weaken over time. In turn, as the glass weakens, it becomes more likely to shatter due to the internal stress points.

The only way to reduce nickel sulfide stones is by detecting them before the glass is tempered. Even then, it isn’t always possible, but it will reduce the likelihood of spontaneous glass breakage as a result.

Thermal Changes

Glass is a poor conductor of heat. This makes it great at providing insulation in double glazing but also means it expands and contracts slowly.

If it’s exposed to sudden temperature fluctuations, the different parts of the glass expand and contract at different rates. This can cause the glass to crack or even shatter completely. An easy way to see this is if you took a glass dish out of the oven and put it straight into cold water. This temperature change causes thermal stress points in the glass, which weakens it – sometimes to the point of breaking.

Your windows are unlikely to be subjected to such extreme and quick temperature changes. However, the heat of direct sunlight on just one part of a window, or the change between indoor warmth and outdoor cold can weaken glass over time. If this happens too often, the glass can just shatter.

Edge Damage

If your window panes are handled poorly, small chips and scratches can form at their edges. This can weaken the glass, and this weakness can increase over time, leaving the glass susceptible to spontaneous breakage.

Badly Fitting Frames

When being fitted, it’s important to leave allowances for glass to expand and contract with temperature exposure. If this doesn’t happen, the restriction can cause stress on the glass which leads to a spontaneous glass breakage.

Conversely, if there is too much space between the pane of glass and the frame holding it, wind can pass through the gap causing the glass to deflect and bend. Again, over time this will cause stress to the glass and can lead the glass to break.

As you can see, a lot of the cases of spontaneous glass breakage are not actually spontaneous glass breakage at all. It is the glass pane struggling to regulate the stress inside it that toughens/tempers it.

How to Prevent Spontaneous Glass Breakage

It is essentially impossible to fully prevent spontaneous glass breakage. So many factors can cause it, many of them difficult to predict. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the chances of it happening.

A lot of the risk to glass caused by thermal stress is unavoidable. Having a window that faces the sun is quite nice actually, and that will always need glass in it.

• Careful installation
  Getting your windows installed by an experienced expert has many benefits to protect the life span of your windows including reducing the chance of spontaneous breakage. Over the years they will have learned what to do – and what not to do – to make sure your windows are installed correctly. They’ll even be more likely to know how to spot if something is wrong so they can address it.
• Choose laminated glass
  While there is a lot to recommend tempered and toughened glass, the treatment process does bring about a risk due to any nickel sulphide inclusions. Laminated glass doesn’t undergo the same production method meaning it isn’t at risk of breakage as a result of sulphide stones – but this type of safety glass may have other drawbacks so you should weigh your choice against your needs carefully.
• Heat soaking
  Heat soaking can be included in the glass manufacturing process to reduce the chance of breakage as a result of nickel sulphide inclusions. It involves an extra heat cycle that activates nickel sulfide expansion and accelerates it – creating the same degradation that would otherwise happen over years. If there is a potential problem, this will cause the glass to shatter during the heat soaking process instead of while in use. 

  Heat soaking is not a common practice however. Nickel sulphide inclusions are relatively rare, and in the majority of cases the risk of spontaneous breakage is too small to make heat soaking necessary. However, if you’re looking for glass that is going to be used at height or any other high risk area, it can be worth exploring the possibility of heat soaking.

• Inspect your glass regularly
  Unfortunately, inspecting your glass for any signs of weakening or damage won’t actually prolong it’s life. However, it can help you spot the potential for breakage before it occurs so you can get the replace your double glazed glass without having to worry about cleaning up a heap of broken glass.

What to do if your glass breaks unexpectedly?

Unfortunately, spontaneous glass breakage tends to leave the entire pane broken (particularly with tempered/toughened glass). This means your only option is to replace the entire pane.

Here at KLG Glass we can replace your double glazed window units with high-quality that is expertly installed. We will take every possible step to make sure your new window does not meet the same fate as the last. Talk to us today to find out more about how we can make sure your windows have the longest possible lifespan with the highest performance too.

 

Hanging a mirror in your living space can have many benefits. You can use a mirror to maximise the space, make it feel bigger and brighter, and use it as a design feature.

 

But this is only if you get the right mirror. Get one that’s the wrong size, shape or design and it could catch attention for all the wrong reasons.

As there are a surprisingly large number of variables to consider when picking out a new mirror for your home, we’ve put together this buying guide to help you find the right one. We’ll cover shapes, sizes, materials so you can see what your options are. Then next month we’ll be back with a second post to help you choose which mirror is best for you.

Types of Mirror

When choosing a mirror, the first thing to decide is what type you want. The right mirror for you will depend on where you want to put it and what function to perform.

There are benefits, features and drawbacks to every type though, so let’s take a look so you can see what might suit you best.

Freestanding mirrors

A freestanding mirror has a stand built into its frame and sits on the floor without support. As they are standalone, this type of mirror is very flexible – it can be used anywhere and you can move it around as much as you want with minimal effort.

This type is also the easiest to set up, and will often come pre-built and ready to use. No need to worry about finding nails and levels to hang them – they stand on their own.

Their main drawback is that they can be clunky and will take up more space than something fitted to a wall. As well as the space needed for the mirror and the stand, most freestanding mirrors will also sit at an angle to give the best possible reflection – and this takes up even more space. If space is at a premium, this won’t be the right mirror for you.

Wall mirrors

A wall mirror needs to be fixed or mounted onto a wall to keep it upright. 

This limits where they can be used as you need a wall surface that is large enough to fit the whole mirror. And if you want a big or heavy mirror, then you’re also going to need a strong wall.

The counterpoint to this, and their biggest benefit, is that they are space-saving. You don’t need any floor space to support the stand or account for an angle. They sit flat to the wall and are quite thin – they’re not going to cause any obstruction or encroach on your space.

Dressing table mirrors

Dressing table mirrors are smaller freestanding mirrors, usually designed for use on the top of a cabinet, desk or dressing table (explaining the name.)

Being smaller, they are obviously even easier to move than freestanding mirrors, though they don’t give as much of an expansive view. 

Also known as vanity mirrors, these are a functional choice if you just need a reflective surface to look in occasionally, but they offer little benefit in terms of brightening up a room.

Illuminated mirrors

If you need to make sure you can always see the reflection clearly, an illuminated mirror is a great option. This type of mirror has in-built lighting to make sure the surface is always bright enough to see details in its reflection.

Most illuminated mirrors have a light source around their entire perimeter making them perfect for use in places where natural sunlight is scarce. You want light to cover their surface evenly, otherwise shadows will be cast and obscure the view.

You should also pay attention to whether the light is warm or cool depending on what you need to see with it.

This is again a type of mirror you choose for the particular function of using the reflection. They’re usually too small to increase the natural light or feel of a room, and the light they provide is not usually enough to create their own light source.

Mirrored furniture

If you’re short on space in a room, it’s often a great idea to look into getting a mirror that is mounted to the door of a cupboard, such as a mirrored bathroom cabinet or wardrobe door.

With this built-in option, your choice of mirror shapes and sizes is usually more limited than it is with types. For example, it’s harder to find round mirrors that fit on a piece of furniture like a cabinet, but oversized mirrors and floor-length mirrors can make a great addition to wardrobe doors.

 

The type of mirror you choose is almost always dependent on where you’re planning to put it. Once you know that, and you know what type of mirror you want, you can start to think about specific design elements that have a more aesthetic effect.

Mirror sizes

When it comes to mirrors, there are very few size limits on what you can buy. While certain types – like vanity mirrors – are limited in terms of size, wall mirrors are pretty much open to your needs.

You can even get a bespoke mirror to fit a particularly awkward or outsized wall space.

However, one thing that might be affected by the size of mirror that you choose is the frame material, as some materials are better suited to certain sizes.

Mirror Frame Materials

One of the biggest design choices you can make about a mirror is what frame material it has. This will define almost the whole look of the mirror, helping it sit neatly or create a stylish contrast with the general design of the room.

The most common mirror frame materials are:

Wood

Wood is probably the most flexible choice of frame material, which makes it pretty popular. The wood itself can be stained dark for a dramatic look or pale for a Scandinavian look. You can even paint it a block colour for a bold statement or complete colour cohesion.

You can give it a completely clean finish for a modern or minimalist style, while distressed finishes could give it a more shabby chic or coastal look.

It even has more practical flexibility. It’s strong enough to allow for a thin frame without compromising its life span, and it’s not so heavy that it rules out a thicker frame design either. It should have a long life, though may require a little upkeep. And with a solid wood frame, if you decide to change up the look of your room you can even refinish the mirror to fit the new style.

There are few interiors that you couldn’t match a wooden mirror to and is often the default choice. The only downside is a potentially higher cost, but it’s far from the most expensive option and you’ll often find mirrors with a wooden frame are reasonably priced.

Metal

Perfectly suited to ornate frames, metal is also sleek enough and strong enough to be used for thin, minimalist frames.

While you may think of a bright shiny brass, gold, or chrome colour for a metal frame these choices can look cheap – particularly on large mirrors. Instead, a more matte finish, such as brushed chrome or even a matte black paint can create a luxury feel.

Many of the benefits of metal frames are practical. Metal is strong, so it can be used to make very thin frames that can withstand the edge of the mirror without adding much weight—both visually or literally.

Metal is also easy to maintain, but if it does get damaged (dinted or scratched), you won’t be able to fix it.

Plastic

If you want a mirror that is cheap but cheerful, plastic is a great option. It is obviously very flexible, with some designs being more intricate than others, which gives great flexibility but you’re not going to get a luxury feel with a plastic frame.

Plastic frames can be an easy way to add a splash of colour to a functional item though. They’re also easy to clean and lightweight but they’re not particularly durable or robust and may crack or snap easily depending on how thick or well-made they are.

Mirror frame

If you want a mirror that’s sure to stand out, then one with a leaded glass frame is sure to do it. Ranging from a mosaic pattern of smaller mirror tiles to bigger chunks split by leading, one thing is sure about this type of frame—it’s going to draw attention.

This can affect how flexible it is in terms of a design choice. Depending on the shape and layout of the mirror tiles, you can find a mirror that ties into a more contemporary look or a more traditional one.

Another benefit of this type of frame is that it can be designed to mimic panes of glass and look like a window. This makes it a fantastic choice to use in rooms that are low on natural light or to break up large interior walls.

In terms of practical benefits, a frame made of yet more mirrors is very similar to a frameless mirror in terms of durability and lifespan. Depending on the size of the mirror tiles (or, more accurately, the pattern of the leading) it might be quite fiddly to clean, especially to keep streak-free.

Frameless mirrors

With a frameless mirror, the mirror surface remains smooth and undecorated right to the very edge. This can leave it with a plain, minimalist look that can tip over into cold or functional in certain settings. It does, however, give the most expansive reflection possible which makes it a great choice if you’re using a mirror to create a brighter space.

Find a mirror to suit your home

Mirrors can change the look of a room in a whole host of different ways, as long as you find the right one. Now you know the choices you need to make, the next step is simply to start finding the right mirror for your space.

And if you think you need something extra special, like a custom mirror to suit your exact needs, speak to our team to find out more about our options.