25 Sep 2026
Industrial autoclave used to bond laminated glass plies and interlayers

Glass Nomenclature: A Common Language for Describing Glass

“Quarter-inch lami.” “Nine-sixteenths laminated.” “Three-eighths clear temp.” If you’ve ordered glass for any length of time, you know how much meaning gets packed into a few words, and how often those words get read differently. Terms vary from region to region, between imperial and metric, and even from one generation of glaziers to the next. When a description is vague, the wrong glass shows up and everyone loses time.

The National Glass Association (NGA) is working to fix that. Its technical paper Glass Nomenclature – Schema 1 (FB78-25), excerpted in Glass Magazine this summer, proposes a standard shorthand for describing glass makeups that anyone in the industry can read the same way. Here’s a quick guide.

The Basic Vocabulary

  • Lite: a single panel of glass, or a single panel of laminated glass.
  • Ply: one individual layer of glass or plastic within a laminate.
  • Laminate: two or more plies bonded together with interlayer material.
  • Interlayer: the bonding layer between plies. Besides holding the plies together, it can add performance such as penetration resistance, holding shards in place when the glass breaks, solar control, sound reduction, color or design.
  • Insert: a sheet or other material sealed inside the laminate, whether or not it covers the whole lite.
  • Kind: how the glass has been strengthened, written as a code: AN (annealed), HS (heat-strengthened), FT (fully tempered) or CS (chemically strengthened).

Why Metric?

The standard uses millimeters for glass, interlayer and airspace thicknesses. Metric numbers add up cleanly, so you can read the overall thickness of a makeup at a glance. If you think in fractions, here are the standard nominal equivalents for common flat glass thicknesses:

Imperial (nominal) Metric (nominal)
1/8″ 3 mm
5/32″ 4 mm
3/16″ 5 mm
1/4″ 6 mm
5/16″ 8 mm
3/8″ 10 mm
1/2″ 12 mm
3/4″ 19 mm

Writing a Single Lite

For a single (monolithic) lite, start with the nominal thickness in millimeters, then add the kind code. If there’s no kind code, the glass is assumed to be annealed.

  • 6 = 6 mm (1/4″) annealed
  • 10FT = 10 mm (3/8″) fully tempered, a common frameless shower thickness
  • 12FT = 12 mm (1/2″) fully tempered

To call out the glass material, add a code in braces after the thickness and kind. No code means clear. Common codes include CL (clear), LI (low-iron), BR (bronze), GY (gray) and GN (green). So 10FT{LI} reads as 10 mm fully tempered low-iron glass.

Surfaces and Coatings

Every lite has an outboard and an inboard surface, and either one can carry a coating or finish. In the standard, a surface code placed before the thickness describes the outboard surface; placed after, it describes the inboard surface. Codes include * for a low-E or reflective coating, r for mirrored, a for acid-etched, f for fritted, d for digital print and p for painted or roll-coated. When a specific manufacturer’s coating is used, its name goes at the end of the code after a double asterisk (**).

Writing a Laminate

This is where the shorthand really earns its keep. List each glass ply from outboard to inboard, separated by commas. Then add a hyphen, the interlayer thickness in millimeters to two decimal places, and the interlayer code: b for PVB, ev for EVA, ip for ionomer or u for polyurethane.

  • 3,3-0.76b = 3 mm annealed | 0.76 mm PVB | 3 mm annealed (6.76 mm overall, what many people call 1/4″ laminated)
  • 3,3-0.38ev = 3 mm annealed | 0.38 mm EVA | 3 mm annealed
  • 6FT,6FT-1.52b = 6 mm fully tempered | 1.52 mm PVB | 6 mm fully tempered

For laminates with more than two plies, list all the glass first. If every interlayer is the same, write it once: 6,6,6-1.52b. If they differ, list each interlayer in order: 6,6,6-1.52b,2.29b means 6 mm | 1.52 mm PVB | 6 mm | 2.29 mm PVB | 6 mm.

Why It Matters on Your Jobs

Compare “1/4-inch laminated” with 3,3-0.76b. The first leaves the ply thicknesses, strengthening and interlayer open to interpretation. The second leaves nothing to guess. That matters because:

  • Interlayers change performance. Interlayer type and thickness affect safety, sound control and how the glass behaves when it breaks, which can matter for code compliance.
  • Overall thickness has to fit. A laminate that comes in thicker than expected may not fit the glazing pocket or channel.
  • Clear specs mean fewer remakes. When everyone reads the order the same way, you get the right glass the first time.

You don’t need to memorize every code to order glass. But the next time you write up a laminated or coated makeup, spelling out each ply, its kind and the interlayer removes the guesswork, whatever format you use. The full NGA paper, including every material, surface and interlayer code, is free to download.

Not sure how to spec it? Call us at (972) 506-9580 or send us a message.

Source: “Glass Nomenclature,” Glass Magazine, National Glass Association, July 2026, excerpted from NGA Glass Technical Paper FB78-25.

25 Sep 2026
Two workers wearing cut-resistant gloves handling a large sheet of glass

Glass Handling Safety: A Refresher for DFW Installers

Every lite that leaves our warehouse ends up in someone’s hands: your crew loading the truck, carrying it up a driveway, setting it in a frame. Glass is unforgiving when it’s handled wrong, and the injuries it causes are serious. So we were glad to see Window + Door recently share guidance from MyGlassFAB, the National Glass Association’s online training platform, on the basics of handling glass safely.

That guidance was written for workers on the fabrication floor, but the same principles apply in your shop, on your truck and on the jobsite. Here’s our installer-focused version, with a few field tips of our own.

1. Inspect Before You Lift

Damaged glass can fail suddenly while it’s being moved. Before you pick up any lite, look it over for these common faults:

  • Scores or cutting over-runs. A stray score line left over from cutting weakens the glass and can cause it to break when handled. The thinner the glass, the bigger the risk.
  • Cracks. Cracks are often tiny and can run farther than they first appear. A cracked lite can run or break almost as soon as you lift it.
  • Chips and shells. Because glass is stored and moved on edge, edge damage is common. If a chip looks like it compromises the lite, don’t lift it.

If you find a fault, mark it where others will see it (a white grease pencil works well), set the lite aside and tell whoever is in charge. Take edge damage on tempered glass especially seriously: tempered glass can’t be recut or re-edged, and a damaged edge can cause it to break without warning.

Field tip: Make inspection part of every pickup and delivery. Check edges and faces before the glass goes on your rack, not after it’s on the wall. If something doesn’t look right with glass you got from us, call us right away.

2. Gear Up

The right personal protective equipment is non-negotiable. Depending on the task, that can include:

  • Hard hat
  • Safety glasses or a face shield
  • Cut-resistant jacket or sleeves with neck protection
  • Cut-resistant gloves
  • Apron
  • Closed-toe work boots

Pay special attention to cut protection where major arteries run close to the surface: the neck, the upper inner arm, the inner thigh and the wrist. A cut in any of those areas can become life-threatening fast.

Before heavy lifts, take a couple of minutes to stretch your arms, shoulders, neck and lower back. The original article walks through a simple routine.

3. Know the Weight

No industry standard sets a maximum weight for a one- or two-person carry. That’s why every shop needs its own written guidelines covering which sizes and thicknesses one person can carry, when it takes two, and when to use mechanical help such as suction lifters or glass carts. Even if a lite falls within your company’s one-person limit, ask for help if you’re not comfortable carrying it alone.

Glass is heavier than most people expect. As a rule of thumb, flat glass weighs about 13 pounds per square foot for every inch of thickness:

Nominal thickness Approx. weight per sq. ft. 30″ × 72″ panel
1/4″ 3.3 lb 49 lb
3/8″ 4.9 lb 73 lb
1/2″ 6.5 lb 98 lb

Actual weights vary a little with glass type and actual thickness, but the point stands: a half-inch shower panel is close to 100 pounds before you add hardware, and it’s awkward to hold. Plan the carry before you start it.

4. Carry It Right

For a one-person carry:

  • Make sure your path is clear and no one is in the way before you lift.
  • Carry glass vertically. Never carry it flat, and never tuck it under your arm.
  • For small lites over short distances, use both hands, one on each side. Never carry glass one-handed.
  • For larger lites, put one hand palm-up under the bottom edge near the center, and use the other hand on the top or side edge for balance.
  • Hold the glass so that if it slips, you can let go and it falls away from you.
  • Keep the lite close to your body. Your shoulder can help support and steady it.

5. Out on the Jobsite

The fabrication floor is a controlled environment. Your jobsite isn’t. A few more things to keep in mind in the field:

  • Watch the wind. A large lite catches wind like a sail. On gusty North Texas days, get extra hands or wait for a calmer window before carrying big pieces outdoors.
  • Beat the heat. Glass sitting in the Texas sun gets hot enough to burn, and sweaty gloves lose their grip. Keep glass shaded when you can, and keep a dry pair of gloves handy.
  • Secure the load. Transport lites on edge, padded and strapped to your rack. Glass that shifts on the drive arrives with exactly the chipped edges you’re trying to avoid.
  • Check your suction cups. Clean glass and clean cup faces hold better. Test the seal before every lift.

Train Your Team

If you’re bringing on new crew members, don’t leave glass handling to on-the-job learning. MyGlassFAB offers an online course, “Handling Glass: Safety Basics,” free to National Glass Association members in good standing, along with other fabrication training. A short course and a written carry policy can save someone a trip to the emergency room.

Questions about thickness, weight or handling for an upcoming job? Call us at (972) 506-9580 or send us a message.

Source: “Best Practices for Safely Handling Glass,” Window + Door, National Glass Association, June 2026, courtesy of MyGlassFAB.

Featured photo: Shixart1985 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

11 Dec 2018

A Member of the Texas Glass Association

Did you know Dallas Flat Glass Distributors has been a supporting member of the Texas Glass Association for over 10 years? The Texas Glass Association (TGA) is a non-profit organization formed by local glass shops that have come together to forward the education of our growing industry and build lasting relationships with like-minded individuals. As a member, it is our goal to provide you with continuing education courses and networking opportunities.

To stay up to date with events, like our Facebook page and let us know what type of courses you would like to see!

Dallas Flat Glass Distributors Facebook Page

If you are interested in becoming a member of TGA, please email Kristina.

See you there!