Cleaning & Inspection

Be sure the glass was cleaned & inspected before installing glass. That should have been done at this point, but NEVER install dirty glass. Chips & scratches will not be as noticeable when dirt distracts the eye.

Caulking Glass for Exterior Applications

Always silicone all glass for any exterior application. We are currently using a GE brand product called SCS 2801 Clear Silglaze II. Never use anything other than that without approval from your team leader. In order for insulated glass to do its job, it has to be sealed 100%. Some sealants that are available on the market have been known to “eat” the rubber spacer seal, causing seal failure. Insulated glass typically has a 5 year warranty for seal failure, but not under such conditions. Good’s Millwork will then have to replace the glass. Big problems.

Beveled Glass

When installing beveled glass, always turn bevel to the exterior side. Bevels act as prisms in the sunlight creating an interesting color diffraction which both highlights the glass work and provides a spectrum of colors which would ordinarily be absent in clear float glass. This is most visible when installed toward the exterior side.

Pattern Glass, Also Known As Obscure or Textured

Always install pattern or textured glass with the smooth surface of the glass toward the exterior side of the door. We have 2 reasons for this.

1 – Getting a good tight seal with silicone is a lot easier with the smooth surface than with the rough (textured) surface.  Some pattern glass has deep contours, such as reeded & rain.

2 – The interior side is less likely to get as dirty, and need as much cleaning. Some pattern glass will be hard to clean. If the glass is insulated, we get the glass company to turn the rough surface toward the middle when they can do so without compromising the warranty for seal failure.

Low-E Glass

Low-E applications involve depositing a thin, transparent coating of silver or tin oxide on the glass surface to allow short-wavelength sunlight to pass through while blocking long-wavelength heat radiation. You will notice some insulated glass units coming in with labels on them “Glaze This Side In”, or “Glaze This Side Out”. That is a recommendation from the Glass Company, but not a deal beaker or warranty issue. Low-E is usually applied to one of the middle surfaces (2 or 3) to prevent it from getting scratched. Follow the label IF it does not conflict the orientation of installation instructions for beveled or pattern glass specified above.