Glass conservatory roof panel smashed

3card wrote: »

Hi all


Approx. 2 years ago we had a conservatory with glass roof double glazed panels. On Saturday we came back after being out to find the floor covered with glass. The inner panel had shattered.


I have started the ball rolling with getting a replacement unit from the conservatory manufacturers but I now this this is a major safety issue and I am looking round to see if there are any installers of the film that can be applied in insitu that will hold the glass in the event of this happening again


Has anyone got any experiences of this or any recommendations for this kind of service.


I am not a worrying person usually but this has got me extremely concerned regarding safety

By shattered do you mean that it was broken into a million little bits? if so then this is toughened safety glass. If it hasn't and it has fell down in big clumps then this is not a safety glass. If it was lamintated (2 sheets of glass with a film between) then it would have broke, but stayed in one piece.

3card wrote: »

Hi


Yes it was in a million little pieces and I also know it was toughened glass.
I have spoken to a few companies this morning and they have all confirmed that this sounds ok to current standards I find it hard to believe that it shouldn't be laminated.
They also told me that this type of occurrence is very rare


I have also spoken to a company this morning about fitting a film and I have arranged for them to come round to have a look and give me a quotation

You had the conservatory built to your Specification, you managed and inspected the work and you faced up to your legal duties regarding safety.. This means if you are now unhappy with your decision to specify toughened glass then you cannot blame the installers. Indeed, from a legal perspective, you are in dodgy area under your legal duties under the CDM Regs.



Viewed in a different light, conservatory design and installation is all an unregulated area of work. Which means anything goes, and toughened glass roofs will be installed in many instances. Since everything is unregulated the consumer is giving conservatory companies a free habnd to do as they please. Unless of course they manage and control this, and face up to their legal duties. It seems you fell short here.

3card wrote: »

Contrary to your comments not only am i NOT blaming any installers but i am always recommending them. I cant fault the company at all.

The current hot spell is showing up weakness and bad workmanship with conservatory construction. Just like with your example the glazed units on roofs are failing. Bad workmanship and poor practice are culprits. To this one adds the wider question of why toughened glass was ever used in these roofs. Such use is folly.


It bewilders me that when such points are made consumers still recommend the company that installed their defective conservatory. This is doing no favours to genuine consumers who genuinely care about seeking a genuine company.

Furts wrote: »

To this one adds the wider question of why toughened glass was ever used in these roofs. Such use is folly.

Sorry Furts, but I'd rather have a million pieces of glass rain down on me than a couple of jagged sheets ala "The hand that rocks the cradle"

'Tis not folly to use toughened glass - it's 'standard'.

Even the market leader only specifies Laminated glass as a 'Security' measure - not a safety measure - safely is toughened!

HTH

Russ

Ruski wrote: »

Sorry Furts, but I'd rather have a million pieces of glass rain down on me than a couple of jagged sheets ala "The hand that rocks the cradle"

'Tis not folly to use toughened glass - it's 'standard'.

Even the market leader only specifies Laminated glass as a 'Security' measure - not a safety measure - safely is toughened!

HTH

Russ

Safety for a window or door can be toughened, it can equally be laminated. Here it is down to the consumer on what they specify. The conservatory industry take this further, Because they are an unregulated industry that make their own rules it is no surprise that toughened gets used. It is a good earner replacing the units! But consumers can specify laminated. It is simply a matter of how many care.



As I type this I am sat under a large Velux window in my office. Needless to say this large Velux was specified and supplied with laminated glass. I have experienced moments when I am very pleased that such a decision was made! Were it toughened I suspect it would have been replaced a couple of times over recent years. Instead it is laminated and it has resisted impacts with no ill effects.