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What is Tempered Glass?


Tempered glass is a kind of safety glass that gets treated through a process of tremendous heating and fast cooling; thus, making the glass harder than normal glasses. The cooling process determines whether the glass is tempered or standard. Tempered glass is made to cool quickly while the normal glass is made to cool slowly. Tempered glass is known to be four to five times stronger than a standard glass and is also called as toughened or strengthened glass.

Tempered glass is more heat resistant and scratch resistant compared to standard glass. The process that makes tempered glass heat resistant is called the thermal process. Tempered glass is made in different sizes and thickness and can also be tinted just like any other types of glasses.

To create any type of glass, sand, soda ash and lime are mixed together and melted at very high temperature. By using the methods of blowing, pressing, or drawing, a hot liquid is formed into glass. After the glass is shaped, it will go to a process of heating and cooling called annealing. This process keeps the glass from crushing and restoring its strength, so tempered glass and standard glass differs greatly in the way they are being processed.

When tempered glass breaks, it explodes into little pebbles pieces. Standard glass breaks into large sharp shaped edges. Thus, tempered glass is much less dangerous to those coming in contact with it. With this brittle nature and along with its strength, tempered glass is frequently referred to as safety glass. Standard glass will break in the particular area which will result in cracks or damage in one location only, but still can make the rest of the sheet intact, while the tempered glass is more crash resistant, but can shatter at once thus leaving no intact areas.

Tempered Glass History

It was believed that in the early 1900's that Tempered glass was developed. The first patent is said to be held by Rudolf Seiden, an Austrian chemist who immigrated to the United States in 1935. Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. was the first one to develop Herculite tempered glass in 1938, but stopped producing it within a few years as the company focused on regular float glass.

Tempered Glass Types

To make a tempered glass, there are two processes being used:

• Vertical tempering: The glass is being held in a vertical position by using metal tongs to move through the furnace. There are marks of tongs left on the edge and will not be seen after the frame has been installed in the glass.

• Horizontal tempering: This is the most commonly used method of tempering glass today. In a horizontal position it moves the glass through the furnace through the use of rollers. This leaves a slight wave caused by the rollers but not visible enough for the observer to notice.

Tempered Glass Uses

Tempered glass can be found almost everywhere nowadays. For examples, tempered glass is found in glass coasters, computer monitors, liquid crystal displays (LCD), skylights, refrigerator shelves, oven door, door windows, tub enclosures and shower doors. This type of glass is used to make the carafes in automatic coffee makers. Nowadays, many public structures, such as bus stops, as required by Building Codes to use tempered glass windows.

Some manufacturers also use tempered glass for making their baking and cooking products.


Make Places Feel More Inviting with Japanese Noren

There is always something about a hanging Japanese noren that makes a place feel warmer and inviting. Also known as door hanging or Japanese doorway curtains, Japanese noren curtains are typically soft and thick rectangular tapestries, which are made of fabrics, like cotton, polyester, rayon, and linen. They are traditionally hung on the entrances and doorways of shops and restaurants and can be used in many ways, i.e., as signage, as soft fabric blinds that will help to screen spaces from the flow of dust from the road or to shield glass-walled interiors from the heat and glare of the sun, as space and room partitions, as a means of giving spaces a sense of privacy, and many more.

Being made of fabrics, which sometimes have the subtle sheen of silk, Japanese noren curtains are usually soft to touch and will delight you for their beautiful texture. Depending upon their fabric thickness, some Japanese noren can filter the flow of light without completely blocking your view of the outdoors. Thicker varieties, meanwhile, particularly those that are long, can even work as space dividers that can help to keep the heat or cold of your air-conditioning equipment enclosed inside an intended space. And, just like curtains, fabric blinds, and all your other functional decorating implements,you can use your Japanese noren to give your indoor and outdoor spaces many different kinds of looks.


Maintain the Privacy of Spaces Even With Open Doors

Japanese noren curtains are easily hung by feeding a curtain rod, like a curtain rod, thin bamboo pole, or a long wooden dowel, through the loops or pockets, which are sewn on their top. They also feature one or more slits for easy viewing and passage. Unlike most curtains, they are designed to be hung without folds around the rod and they are available in various lengths – from the short Japanese noren curtains, which you can hang like valances or signs on the doorways, entryways, and windows, to the long Japanese noren, which are excellent at maintaining the privacy of a room even when the doors are open because they hang long enough to partially or fully cover the doorway.

With proper care, your Japanese noren will actually last for a very long time. Hang them in areas where they are not directly exposed to the sunlight, hand-wash them regularly to get rid of any dust and dirt that will reduce their color, especially of their silkscreen-painted design.


Create an Abundance of Colorful, Japanese-Style Looks

Create an abundance of colorful looks and Japanese-style decorating themes with these Japanese noren curtains! Whether you simply love Japanese noren or thinking of bringing a beautiful kind of art – especially one that can multitask as soft fabric screens – into your space, like the living room of your home, the sitting room of your office, mansion, or building, the dining area of your restaurant, and the entryway to your patio, garden, or veranda, KimonoRobeStore.com is here to guarantee that you will find the perfect Japanese noren for you.

Looking for a Feng Shui noren, an Asian tapestry that will provide a rich color palette to your decorating theme, a high-quality reproduction of a Japanese or Asian painting, or a noren with a distinctive Japanese style, a seasonal flair, a fun or playful appeal, or a modern look? Trust that GlassCoasterStore.com has these Japanese noren, Asian tapestry, or genuine Asian home decor for you to choose from!


Buy Now!

Shopping your genuine Japanese noren here on GlassCoasterStore.com, you will actually see how these enduring Asian tapestries highlight the Japanese artistry and were masterfully crafted to color and beautify every place you bring them in. Thus, it is easy to love them at first sight because of the high-definition prints of their design on beautifully textured, often heavyweight, high-quality fabrics. So, don't hesitate to settle for just one – collect Japanese noren in all your custom designs for a themed look, as ready extra to hang on extraordinary days, or to send as Asian gifts for very special friends and loved ones.

All our Japanese noren is ready to ship. Shipping to your destination within the 48 contiguous states of the United States is also available for your order. With our drop-shipping and international shipping offers, you can also send your Japanese noren order directly to your customers or to their lucky recipients here in the United States or to international locations, which are covered by our international shipping destinations. So, shop away because GlassCoasterStore.com makes it so easy for you to shop these Japanese noren and all the other Asian home decor that we have in-store in just a few clicks! Happy shopping!


Interesting Facts and History of the Japanese Noren

Traditionally, businesses hang a noren outside of the door as a sign that their shop is open. They are always removed or hung inside the door at the end of the business day to mean that their shop is closed. While giving shops a unique persona, noren also acts as a welcome sign and a promotional tool that attracts with its color and design.

The Japanese noren is deeply stitched within the heart, history, and culture of Japan. It was during the Jomon Period (13000 - 300 BC), many thousands of years ago, when the Japanese started to adapt their use as Nanren or door hanging. Using large leaves, long grasses, and reeds, people would hang them at the doorways of their homes and temples as windbreakers for protection from the sun, wind, and dust.

During the Heian Period (794 - 1192), people started to make noren as rectangular tapestries with a slit using fabrics, like hemp. They were also utilized as everyday implements, particularly as door hangings and partitions for large rooms. The Muromachi Period (1392 - 1573) had seen the evolution of the Japanese noren as a tool for trade and recognition when the Japanese shops started to hang them at the entrance of the stores with their business name, logo, products, or services while families would decorate them noren with their family name.

Over the centuries, the noren was also called by many names, like Nanren, Nauren, and Nohren. Its purpose and design have also attracted many individuals and businesses alike, thus more than door hangings, door signs, and promotional tools, they are cherished as canvas for works for art, as multipurpose tapestries for decorating the inside and outside of homes and business places, Asian decor, and a lot more.