Glass & Glazing in British Columbia

Frameless screens use 8-10 mm toughened glass with polished edges and specialist hardware, priced per panel plus installation. Semi-frameless and framed options run meaningfully cheaper. Accurate templating matters — out-of-square walls are why this is not a DIY product.

Shallow scratches can sometimes be polished out of thick glass and small edge chips stabilized, but cracks always spread — a cracked pane needs replacement. For sealed double-glazed units, any crack means replacing the whole unit since the seal is compromised.

Custom-cut mirrors are priced per square metre plus polished edges, holes and fitting. Large wall mirrors need proper bonding or mechanical fixing to structure — a glazier job rather than adhesive strips. Bathroom mirrors should be moisture-backed to prevent edge blackening.

Glaziers price per pane by size, thickness and type: float glass is cheapest, toughened (tempered) safety glass costs roughly half again more and must be made to order, and laminated, obscured or low-E glass add further. Emergency board-up plus a return visit is the standard flow for breakages.

Toughened (tempered) glass is heat-treated to be several times stronger and crumbles into blunt granules when broken. Laminated glass sandwiches a plastic interlayer so it cracks but stays in place — better for security and overhead glazing. Codes dictate which is required where; laminated also blocks more noise and UV.

Glaziers treat winter breakages as emergencies — same-day board-up with insulation is standard, with the made-to-order pane following in days. Ask your home insurer about approved emergency glaziers before you need one.