Blast-resistant glazing in Harpenden

Blast-resistant glazing in Harpenden: what will it cost?

Typical prices for blast-resistant glazing in Harpenden are £450 to £1,495 plus VAT (£540 to £1,794 inc VAT) per m², supplied and fitted. Use the quote tool for a guide figure, then we survey and confirm a fixed price.

Blast-resistant glazing is laminated glass fitted in a frame and fixing system designed to stay in the opening, or fail safely, when hit by the pressure wave from an explosion. Its purpose is to stop glass becoming high-speed fragments, which cause most injuries in a blast, and it is designed from a threat assessment rather than chosen off the shelf.

Glass and fitting options

Sealed units with a laminated inner pane
Deep-bite frames and structural silicone or mechanical retention
Manufacturer's test evidence supplied with your quote
Glazing classed to BS EN 13541 or tested to ISO 16933 and 16934
Blast-resistant net curtains as a fragment-catching layer
Laminated glass with thick or stiff interlayers

Fitting in Harpenden and nearby

From the AL5 district we also cover St Albans (5 miles) and Luton (5 miles). Survey dates depend on installer availability.

Hertfordshire includes the historic centres of St Albans and Hertford, post-war new towns such as Stevenage and Hatfield, and Watford's shops and office parks along the M1.

Typical settings for blast-resistant glazing:

Government, council and civic buildings
Transport hubs, venues and stadium frontages
Offices in city centres and near potential targets
Embassies, courts and police premises

Getting the right glass for your building

Fragment hazard

Some designs accept that glass will break but keep it in place; others allow controlled failure into a catching system. Both aim to stop flying shards.

New glazing or retrofit

New facades can be designed as a full tested system. Existing buildings often get film with edge retention, internal secondary glazing or curtains instead.

What the rules say in England

England

Fire-rated glass is different

Glass in fire doors, fire screens and protected escape routes has to be fire-rated glass tested as part of that door or screen system, under Approved Document B and the fire safety duties of the building's responsible person. Laminated and security glass are not fire-rated unless the product says so. Where a pane needs both fire and security performance, it must be a product tested for both.

Planning permission

Changing the glass in an existing window or shopfront does not usually need planning permission, because the building looks much the same afterwards. A new or altered shopfront, or security features added to the outside of a building, may need planning permission from the council. Bollards or barriers on the pavement need the highway authority's consent, which is normally the council.

How it works

Postcode and a few photos
On-site survey
Fixed written price and lead time
Fit, check and explain

Blast-resistant glazing in Harpenden: questions

Can you survey in Harpenden and nearby towns?

Yes. Surveys in Harpenden, St Albans and Luton are booked around installer availability.

Who decides what level of protection we need?

Your security adviser, insurer or a blast engineer, based on a threat and risk assessment. Government guidance from the National Protective Security Authority covers the approach.

What does ER1 to ER4 mean?

They are explosion-pressure classes in BS EN 13541. Glass samples are tested in a shock tube, with higher classes meaning higher pressures. The class applies to the glass, so the frame must be designed to match.

Can existing windows be made blast-resistant?

They can often be improved. Anti-shatter film with an edge-retention system, laminated replacement glass in strengthened frames or internal secondary glazing can cut the flying-glass hazard, depending on the threat.

Blast-resistant glazing in nearby towns

Other glazing in Harpenden

Start with a guide price online, then we survey and fix the price in writing.