Do you need tempered glass throughout the entire house? How to prioritize areas by risk before making a purchase decision

Tempered glass does not need to be used for every glass panel in the house. However, there are 5 areas where it should be installed according to safety standards: glass doors, openings with a bottom edge lower than 60 cm from the floor, bathrooms, stair areas, and large glass walls. For homes with children, elderly residents, or large pets, the use of tempered glass should be expanded to more areas.

“Do you need to use tempered glass throughout the entire house?” This is a common question among people who are building a new home or renovating. The short answer is no, it is not necessary. A more useful answer is, “Which areas should use it first if the budget is not enough for every glass panel?”

Tempered glass is 30–80% more expensive than regular glass, depending on size and thickness. Therefore, prioritizing by risk is very important. This article does not explain what tempered glass is, as that is already covered in another article. Instead, it will help you decide which areas should be installed first for maximum safety within your available budget. → Read more: Types of glass used in aluminum work

How is tempered glass different from regular glass? A quick summary before making a decision

For those who are not yet familiar with it: tempered glass goes through a high-heat treatment process and is then cooled rapidly. This makes it 4–5 times stronger than regular glass. When it breaks, it shatters into small, less sharp pieces, unlike regular glass, which breaks into sharp shards. → Full details on the production process and all types of processed glass

Why is tempered glass required in high-risk areas?

International standards (ANSI Z97.1 / EN 12150) and Thai Industrial Standards (TIS) require safety glass to be used in areas with a high risk of impact or falling against the glass. The main reason is that if regular glass breaks in these areas, sharp fragments can immediately cause serious injuries. In contrast, tempered glass breaks into small, blunt pieces, greatly reducing the risk of severe injury.

How do tempered glass and laminated glass differ in safety?

Both are safety glass, but they protect in different ways:

• Tempered glass: When broken, it shatters into small pieces. This helps reduce the risk of cuts, but the pieces can scatter.
• Laminated glass: A PVB or EVA interlayer is placed between 2 glass panes. When broken, the fragments remain attached to the film instead of scattering, making it suitable for areas where the glass is installed above head level.

Which areas in the house should use tempered glass first? A risk-priority table

This is the key point of the article: if you cannot use tempered glass for every panel, prioritize these areas first, ranked from the highest risk down.

Why are glass doors and large openings the most important areas?

Glass doors receive the most impact in a home, whether from forceful opening and closing, people leaning on them, children running into them, or strong wind during storm season. If regular glass in a door breaks, it can break into large, sharp pieces and may seriously injure someone while they are passing through the doorway. This is why both international standards and structural engineers require safety glass to be used for doors without exception.

Why must tempered glass be used in bathrooms and wet areas?

Bathrooms combine 3 risk factors: wet and slippery floors, unstable body balance while showering, and sudden movement. If regular glass in a bathroom breaks, sharp fragments, together with a wet floor and limited space, can easily cause serious injuries. Tempered glass in bathrooms is something the SGQ team recommends without exception, no matter how limited the budget is.

How much more budget is needed when switching to tempered glass?

One of the reasons people hesitate is that they are not sure how much more expensive it will be. This table estimates the additional budget for each area to help with planning.

How much more expensive is tempered glass than regular glass?

In general, tempered glass is about 30–80% more expensive than regular glass, depending on 3 factors:

• Thickness: The prices of 6 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm tempered glass can differ significantly. Door applications that need to support more weight usually require 8–10 mm glass.
• Size: Glass panels larger than 2 sq.m. usually require special orders, with additional cutting and transportation costs.
• Shape: Tempered glass must be cut before the heat-treatment process. If holes, corner cuts, or notches are required, additional labor costs will be added.

Tempered vs Laminated vs Regular Glass: Which Type Should You Choose for Each Application?

Tempered glass is not the only answer for every area. In some areas, laminated glass is a better option. Here is a comparison table to help with your decision.

When should you choose laminated glass instead of tempered glass?

There are 4 cases where laminated glass is the better option:

• Glass installed above head level, such as skylights or glass roofs: If tempered glass breaks, the glass granules may fall down. With laminated glass, the fragments remain attached to the film first.
• Areas that need sound insulation: Laminated glass, especially with a thicker PVB interlayer, can reduce noise significantly better than tempered glass.
• Applications that require intrusion resistance: The laminated interlayer helps the glass resist impact for longer, making it suitable for areas that need extra security.
• Homes near main roads or airports: Laminated glass provides better sound insulation, making it a better choice for reducing traffic or aircraft noise.

Plan according to your home situation: children, elderly residents, and pets

The risks in each home are different. Here is how to adjust priority based on the people living in the house.

For homes with young children under 10 years old, which tempered glass areas should be added first?

Young children can run and fall unexpectedly. Tempered glass should be added to the standard list in the following areas:

• All glass panels lower than 1.2 meters from the floor, as children may hit or fall against them at any time.
• Sliding doors that children can open by themselves, as there is a risk of fingers getting caught or children running into the glass.
• กระจกห้องนอนเด็กทุกบาน เด็กอาจโยนของชนกระจก
• Glass beside stairs or walkways, in case a child falls on the stairs and hits the glass.

💡 SGQ team recommendation: Homes with young children should use tempered glass at least in every area lower than 1.2 meters from the floor. This usually increases the budget by about 15–25% from the standard plan.

For homes with elderly residents, which areas should receive special focus?

Elderly residents face 2 main risks: poor balance and fragile bones. Injuries from regular broken glass may be much more serious than for the average person.

• Bathrooms: Always the first priority. Elderly residents are most likely to fall in bathrooms, so every glass area in the bathroom should use tempered glass without exception.
• Walkways and sitting areas: If there are large glass panels or glass walls in areas where elderly residents sit and rest, they should be tempered glass.
• Bedroom entrance doors: If they include glass, tempered glass should be used because elderly residents may fall against them.

For homes with large pets, which areas need special attention?

Large dogs weighing over 15 kg can run into glass with enough force to break regular glass, especially thin sliding glass panels or ground-floor glass.

• All sliding doors: Dogs often run into transparent glass doors because they may not see the glass.
• Low-level glass partitions: If there are glass partitions in areas that pets can access.
• Ground-floor windows that are frequently opened: Dogs may jump up or try to pass through them.

3-Level Budget Plan for Choosing Tempered Glass

Not sure where to start? Here are 3 budget-based plans that we most often recommend to customers.