Why I switched to laminated glass for outdoor art pieces

I used to think regular glass was totally fine for my stained glass hobby projects, especially small stuff like suncatchers. It seemed like a waste to buy more expensive laminated glass. Then I made a decorative panel for my buddy's patio, and it cracked after just one season outside. I was pretty frustrated after all that careful cutting and soldering. Another glazier at a trade meetup told me that moisture and temperature changes wreck annealed glass over time. He showed me some of his outdoor pieces made with laminated glass, and they looked brand new after years. So I tried it on my next garden project, and it's been solid through rain and sun. Now I'm convinced that for any glass art going outdoors, laminated is the only way to go.

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia9051mo agoMost Upvoted

But what about using tempered glass instead? I've seen some artists use it for bigger outdoor panels with no issues. Maybe it depends on your local climate and how the piece is mounted.

abby_king221mo ago

Yeah the local climate point is big. Tempered glass is strong until it hits a tiny flaw in the edge, then the whole thing can go. I saw a big panel crack just from a shadow line falling across it wrong, the temperature difference did it. So mounting has to be perfect to avoid any pressure points, and even then, a stray pebble from a lawnmower could be enough. It's just a way bigger gamble than acrylic for anything permanent.

patb121mo ago

Hey, for bigger outdoor pieces, what makes tempered glass work sometimes but fail other times? Is it all in the installation, or does the glass quality play a bigger role?