Which Glass Do I Need? A Room-by-Room Guide
The glass you need is set by the room and the opening. Fixed windows above sill height take standard float glass. Shower screens, glass doors, and balustrades take toughened safety glass because they are wet, walked into, or fallen against. Splashbacks behind cooktops take toughened glass rated for heat. Low windows within 500mm of the floor and glazing beside doors take safety glass. Overhead glazing takes laminated. When you are unsure, safety glass is the safe default, and the building rules make it mandatory in the higher-risk spots.
Key takeaways
- Fixed windows above sill height: standard float glass is fine.
- Shower screens, glass doors, and balustrades: toughened safety glass is required.
- Splashbacks behind cooktops: toughened glass rated for heat.
- Low and door-side windows within the danger zones: safety glass (toughened or laminated).
- Overhead glazing such as skylights and canopies: laminated glass so shards stay held.
Windows and doors
Most fixed windows sitting above bench or sill height take standard float glass, and thickness steps up with the size of the pane so a large picture window is thicker than a small one. Where energy efficiency and noise matter, the same opening can be upgraded to an IGU for double glazing, with the individual panes still chosen on safety grounds.
Doors are different. Any glass in a door, or in the fixed side and highlight panels right next to a door, is a high-risk spot because people walk into it, so it takes safety glass. Glazed entry doors, internal glass doors, and sliding doors all use toughened glass, and laminated is used where security or acoustic performance is wanted as well.
Windows low to the floor sit in the same danger zone. A pane whose bottom edge is close to floor level, or a large low window someone could fall against, is treated as safety glazing. If you are replacing glass in an older Adelaide home, this is the most common spot where a plain float pane gets upgraded to toughened on replacement.
Wet areas: showers and splashbacks
Shower screens are always toughened safety glass. Frameless and semi-frameless screens use thicker toughened panels (commonly 10mm) that carry their own load through hinges and clamps, while framed screens can use a thinner toughened pane because the frame does the supporting. Either way the glass is toughened, never plain float, because it is a wet zone people lean and slip against.
Kitchen and laundry splashbacks are toughened glass too, and behind a cooktop they must be a heat-treated pane rated to take the heat of the burners without stressing. A single back-painted or printed toughened panel gives a grout-free surface that wipes clean, which is a large part of why glass splashbacks are popular.
Behind a gas cooktop specifically, the glass sits close to a live flame, so the specification and the clearance to the burner matter. Confirm the panel is rated for that position rather than assuming any toughened sheet will do.
Balustrades and overhead glass
Glass balustrades on stairs, landings, decks, and pool surrounds carry a fall risk, so they use toughened or toughened-laminated glass sized to the span and the fixing method. Frameless balustrades rely on the glass thickness and the base channel or spigots for strength, so these are thicker panels and the specification is not something to guess at.
Overhead glazing is the one place laminated is preferred over plain toughened. Skylights, glass canopies, and any pane someone could stand under take laminated glass so that, if it breaks, the shards stay bonded to the interlayer instead of falling. This is a genuine safety distinction, not a finish preference.
Across all of these, the pattern is simple: the higher the risk of impact, falling, or a wet slip, the stronger the required glass. We connect you with vetted local specialists who confirm the right specification for each opening so you can compare 3 free quotes.
Ready to get real numbers? Compare 3 free quotes from vetted Adelaide specialists for glass splashbacks.
Frequently asked questions
No. Windows above sill height away from doors can use standard float glass. Safety glass becomes mandatory in the higher-risk positions: in and beside doors, low to the floor, in wet areas, and in balustrades.
Frameless shower screens are commonly 10mm toughened glass because the panel carries its own load through hinges and clamps rather than a frame. Framed screens can use a thinner toughened pane since the frame provides the support.
A toughened glass splashback rated for heat, installed with the correct clearance to the burner. The pane sits close to a live flame, so confirm it is specified for that position rather than using a general toughened sheet.