When homeowners think about upgrading their windows, they often focus on frames, style and energy ratings. But one element is quietly working overtime to protect your home, laminated glass.
It doesn’t always grab the headlines, but laminated glass is one of the most effective ways to improve both security and safety in modern glazing. At Finesse Windows (add link to Homepage), we believe it’s the unsung hero of home protection.Here’s why.
What Exactly is Laminated Glass?
Laminated glass is made by bonding two panes of glass together with a tough plastic interlayer (usually polyvinyl butyral, or PVB). This means:
• Even if the outer glass is struck, the interlayer holds it in place.
• Unlike standard glass, it doesn’t shatter into dangerous shards.
• It continues to act as a barrier even after impact.
This is the same type of technology used in car windscreens; designed to stay intact during collisions. For homeowners, that same resilience offers everyday protection against break-ins, accidents and noise.
Security Benefits of Laminated Glass
Home security is only as strong as the weakest point. For most homes, that means the windows. Laminated glass adds a powerful line of defence:
• Burglary Resistance: Opportunist intruders usually try to smash glass to gain access. Laminated glass resists this, making break-ins far more difficult and time-consuming.
• Stays in Place When Broken: Even if struck repeatedly, laminated glass remains largely intact. This makes it incredibly hard for anyone to push through.
• Meets Safety & Compliance Standards: Building regulations require safety glazing in “critical zones” such as doors, side panels and low-level windows. Laminated glass exceeds these requirements.
• Peace of Mind for Families: Knowing your windows are made with security glass means one less thing to worry about.
At Finesse, laminated glass is part of our Core Protection approach; built into the product where security really matters.
Safety Beyond Security
Laminated glass isn’t just about keeping intruders out, it also protects the people inside your home.
• Shatter Protection: If a football, ladder or storm debris hits the glass, it won’t explode into sharp fragments.
• UV Filtering: The interlayer reduces the amount of harmful UV rays entering your home, helping prevent furniture fading.
• Noise Reduction: Laminated glass also blocks out more external noise, making your home quieter and more comfortable.
That’s why it’s increasingly used not just in high-security doors and windows, but also in family homes where safety and comfort go hand in hand.
Laminated Glass vs Toughened Glass
Many homeowners ask: What’s the difference between laminated glass and toughened (tempered) glass?
• Toughened glass is heat-treated to be 4–5 times stronger than standard glass. When it breaks, it shatters into small blunt pieces rather than dangerous shards.
• Laminated glass, by contrast, remains intact when cracked, because of its plastic interlayer.
Both have their place. At Finesse Windows, we often combine them: toughened glass in certain safety zones, laminated glass in security-critical areas. That way, customers enjoy the best of both worlds.
Where We Use Laminated Glass at Finesse
We recommend laminated glass in several key areas:
• Entrance doors – to prevent easy break-ins.
• Low-level glazing – safety in case of accidents.
• Large panes – to protect against impact and noise.
• Conservatories and extensions – where solar and UV protection are important.
Our surveyors check every project against FENSA and Building Regulations to ensure glazing is fully compliant. Where laminated glass offers better protection, we make it the default choice. In fact, latest Building Regulations state that 'Any glazing, which if broken, would permit someone to insert there hand and release the locking device on the inside of the door should be minimum of class P1A (laminated glass) in accordance with BS EN 356:2000."
The Finesse Difference
Why does laminated glass matter so much in the Finesse way of working? Because it aligns with everything we stand for:
• Core Integrity – security and compliance aren’t extras; they’re built into every product.
• Custom Care – if your home needs higher-grade security or acoustic glazing, we’ll design a tailored solution.
• Lasting Peace of Mind – our Decade of Care means every laminated glass unit is supported for ten years and beyond.
Final Thought
Laminated glass might not be the feature you show off to friends and neighbours but it could be the feature that saves you from a burglary, protects your children from injury, or keeps your living room cooler and quieter.
That’s why we call it the unsung hero of home security. Stronger, safer and smarter, laminated glass is proof that sometimes the most important protection is the one you barely notice until you need it.
With Finesse Windows, you don’t just get a beautiful new installation. You get glass that’s working harder, for your security, safety and comfort.