IndyCars and Glass Safety

What a race! IndyCar racing is full of excitement. Race Day this year was beautiful and the race went smoothly with a close competition to the checkered flag! I love this time of year in Indy.

You may or may not be surprised to find out that there is no glass used in the anatomy of a IndyCar. So you might be asking yourself, “What do GlassExpress and IndyCars have in common?” The answer is safety. While IndyCars are made to be fast, their number one concern is that they are durable and can withstand the conditions relative to their use. Similarly, the glass replacement project or custom glass piece we provide for your home has glass safety as our top priority.

glass safety

That’s why we use a product focused on glass safety called tempered glass. Also called strengthened glass, this durable surface is created through a chemical or heat treatment whereby it is modified internally to withstand pressures standard glass can’t. When broken, tempered glass fragments into small pieces sometimes called pebbles. Unlike regular glass which is known to shatter into jagged shards on impact, tempered glass breaks in a fragment pattern of blunt pebbles that are made to cling together. This anti-shatter quality is why tempered glass has safety listed as a major advantage.

Unlike IndyCars, this glass is regularly used for side and rear windows of regular cars. Tempered glass has many other commercial and residential uses. Any public setting where there is the risk of accidental impact or vandalism would benefit from tempered glass. From bus stops, to bank teller stations, to shopping malls, tempered glass is everywhere. Applications for a home include; shower doors, table tops, large hanging mirrors, architectural glass doors, and custom shelving units. This versatile and beautiful glass is only limited by the designer’s creativity.

In addition to its unique break pattern, tempered glass is also thermally stable. This means tempered glass is less sensitive to changes in temperature and can withstand high heat, making tempered glass a good choice for places where the sun beats in for several hours a day or as a custom fireplace or cooktop!

So don’t forget to race into Glass Express if window or glass replacement is what your project calls for. Stronger, safer, and thermally stable tempered glass will leave you finishing strong.