Small Light Glazing, What is small light glazing
Small light glazing speaks to what is small light glazing and why use small light glazing.
This small light glaze which are subjected neither to large wind force stresses nor to large amounts of thermal expansion and contraction.
They may be glazed by very simple means. In traditional wood sash, the glass is first held in place by small glazier’s points and then sealed on the outside, a simple compound of linseed oil and pigment that gradually hardens by oxidation of the oil.
Putty must be protected from the weather by subsequent painting and tends to harden and become brittle with age.
As an alternate to glazing putty, newer latex and silicon caulking compounds that can be applied more quickly and need not be painted may be used for field glazing. Improved more adhesive and more elastic putties or glazing compounds are employed for factory glazed sash as well.
Small lights up to 24 inches:
Limited thermal and load movements in small light sizes allow the use of a variety of nonhardening caulking compounds. These compounds range in both cost and performance, from oil-based caulks to the better acrylic latex caulks. Caulking compounds offer advantages in respect to cost and ease of application compared with the high-performance elastomers, such as the silicones that are required for larger light sizes.
Intermediate lights up to 72 inches:
All light sizes in this category are glazed in a channel system, where the legs of the channel are the fixed and removable stops. Required rabbet dimensions are available and listed for various sash openings, loads, and Plexiglas glazing thicknesses. The rabbet width specified provides the proper sealant width that is essential to accommodate combined wind, thermal, and humidity movements in the Plexiglas® acrylic light.
A gunned-in sealant bead 1/4" wide by 1/4" deep is specified for all sizes within the intermediate range. The distance between the fixed and removable stops must be no less than the thickness of the plexiglas glazing plus the specified minimum 1/4" sealant width.
Gun-grade acrylic latex caulks that allow 15% joint movement may be used for intermediate light sizes up to a maximum of 36". Beyond this size, one of the high-performance silicone sealants listed under the Large Lights section below must be used.
Depth of sealant:
The depth of the sealant is a constant 1/4" for all light sizes. The sealant depth is set by inserting a filler tape in between the Plexiglas glazing and the exterior stop.
Return from Small Light Glazing to Home Page
Return from Small Light Glazing to Origins of Glass
Hard copy and E book for sale. Introduction to Building Mechanical Systems. Click here.