Glass Consultant

Who needs a Glass Consultant?

• Architects  who specify window and curtainwall glass for buildings
• Building owners who experience glass problems such as glass breakage or fogging of glass
• Attorneys who are pursuing matters involving glass defects or glass safety
• Manufacturers who have issues with glass quality or performance

Why are Glass Consultants needed?

Glass is a lot more complicated than it looks. Take what might seem like a simple case: A glass shower door shatters and injures the bather. Is this a simple matter? Not at all.

A glass consultant would review the installation, the parties, the glass quality, the glass fabrication quality, the hardware and the history of the shower door. Through experience and data collected, a most-likely theory is developed and presented.

What does a Glass Consultant do?

• Utilizes professional experience and education for the benefit of clients
• Employs testing equipment to test glass quality
• Performs forensic investigations to determine the nature and extent of problems
• Educates clients and other parties regarding the technical aspects of an issue
• Renders opinions regarding causes and solutions of problems

Questions an Architect or Specifier might ask a Glass Consultant

• What “U-factor” should I specify?
• What glass thickness will meet wind load?
• What are the relative costs of different glass types?
• What SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) is right for my building?
• Should I specify different performance for different elevations?
• Should I use a pyrolytic or vacuum deposition Low-E coating?
• What surface should the Low-E coating be applied to?
• Should I use argon or krypton in the airspace?
• Will my insulated glass need breather tubes?
• Should I use a single seal or dual seal insulated unit?
• What warm edge technology is the most reliable?
• Where should I use safety glass?
• Should I use safety glass in areas not required by code?
• What type of safety glass should I use?
• Is vacuum glass technology ready for use on my building?
• Can I incorporate dynamically dimmable glass in my new windows?
• Is PV (photovoltaic) ready to be incorporated into my design?
• How can I make sure my glass is hurricane resistant?

Questions a Building Owner might ask a Glass Consultant

• My window glass is breaking. What should I do?
• What are our options for reducing glare and fading of furniture?
• Some of our glass is fogging up? Will the problem get worse?
• A window washer scratched my glass. Can it be fixed?
• My glass is showing strange discoloration. What is it and what can be done?
• How do I know if my building has safety  glass in the right locations?
• There was an explosion next door. Did it harm my glass?

Questions an Attorney might ask a Glass Consultant

• What are the proximal causes of the glass defect or broken glass injury that took place?
• What type of approach would be most appropriate for analyzing and reporting the glass problem?
• What will it cost to involve a Glass Consultant in this matter?
• Have we included all of the appropriate parties in the complaint?

Questions a window or glass manufacturer might ask a Glass Consultant

• To what extent is my liability in the current issue?
• Was my product installed correctly in the field?
• Can you help me negotiate a reasonable settlement for the problem at hand?
• What processes or procedures should I adopt to provide better product quality?

Read more…

Annealed Glass, Heat Strengthened Glass, Tempered Glass and Insulated Glass
The Lowdown on Low-E Glass

If you need a Glass Consultant…
Contact Mark Meshulam at
Mark@ChicagoWindowExpert.com
847-878-8922