Windows are a great addition to any home, providing a great amount of natural light shining into a room, a source of warmth from the sun and a beautiful view. Windows provide homeowners with the look they desire within their home and can make the difference of having a dark drab home or one that is bright and open. Often times we overlook how important some aspects of the home really are. Without windows in your home, the house would be completely dark and dull. Glass windows are an excellent source of natural light and allow us to peak out at nature while enjoying the comforts of our own home.

How Glass is Made

Glass windows are a fabulous product that adds value to any home. Glass windows are made up of five ingredients including sand, gypsum, soda ash, lime stone and dolomite. The making of glass is an interesting process that requires exact temperatures and a specific skill set. The materials are put into silos at a batch house. The five ingredients of glass are measured precisely, mixed, weighed and conveyed into the charging area and melting furnace of the plant that the glass is made.

Sand to Glass Temperature

Sand is the main ingredient of glass and has a melting temperature of three thousand degrees, however when mixed with the other materials that are required to make the glass, sand’s melting point declines. The materials are all melted together in a giant brick structure that is similar to a brick oven. When the ingredients enter into the furnace, preheated air is forced into the chamber which causes the materials to melt in just a manner of minutes. The heat from the structure is intense and gets the materials to the proper melting temperature. During the melting process, air bubbles, from which are taken care of during the next process which is called the fining process.

Glass Fining Process

The fining process allows all of the air bubbles to escape into the surrounding chamber atmosphere. When the fining process is complete, the melted glass is then put into the forming chamber. As the glass cools and is formed, it rises to the top of the liquid bath of tin. After this, the glass is put through the stretching process which will determine the specific thickness and width of the glass. The glass will go through a number of cooling water baths until the process is final.