Laminated glass and tempered glass are both considered safety glazing, but they’re built for different jobs. Tempered glass is heat-treated to be much stronger than standard glass, and when it does break, it shatters into small, relatively harmless granules instead of sharp shards.
Laminated glass works differently. It’s two or more panes of glass bonded together with a plastic interlayer, usually PVB. When it breaks, that interlayer holds everything in place, so you still have a barrier there even after impact.
For security purposes, laminated glass is usually the better choice. It stays intact after breaking and resists forced entry in a way tempered glass, despite being stronger, just isn’t built for.
Need a hand figuring out if your project should used tempered or laminated glass? Check out Landmark’s Tempered vs. Laminated Glass Code Checker FREE tool!
