Fire-rated glass is not one product with one rating. The letters and the minutes on the specification tell you what the glass is tested to do, and for how long. Ordering “fire glass” without that detail is one of the fastest ways to fail building control.
At The Glass Shop Online we supply certified fire-rated glass and match it to the rating, size and frame type you have been asked for.
What the letters mean
Integrity, written as E, means the glass stops flames and hot gases passing through for the stated time. It does not limit how hot the safe side of the glass becomes. A vision panel in a door is often specified this way, commonly for 30 minutes.
Insulation, written as I, limits the temperature rise on the unexposed face during a fire. Glass is not ordered as insulation on its own. It is paired with integrity.
Integrity and insulation together, written as EI, is the full barrier. The glass stops flames and smoke and also limits significant heat transfer. That is the class used where people may be close to the glass, or where an escape route has to stay usable. An office screen or an escape route can need 60 minutes rather than 30. Building control sets the rating. We do not guess it.
Why the frame matters
Fire-rated glass is tested as a complete system: the glass, the frame, the seals and the fixings. A certified pane in a frame that is not fire-rated, or fitted with the wrong beads or ordinary silicone, does not keep the rating. We supply the technical data and certification with the glass so the installer has the tested make-up to work to.
We stock brands such as Pyroguard and Pyrobel. Pane size also affects what can be used. A larger opening can need a different thickness or a specific frame, even when the minutes on the certificate look the same. Browse fire-rated glass.
Our recommendation
Start with the class and the minutes from building control or the architect, then send us the sizes and the frame type. We will match a certified product rather than mix components. That is the only reliable way to get a system that will sign off.
Rating, sizes and frame type are enough for us to specify the right certified glass.
Questions you might still have
What does E30 mean?
Integrity for 30 minutes. It stops flames and hot gases. It does not limit heat transfer the way EI30 does.
What does EI60 mean?
Integrity and insulation for 60 minutes. It stops flames, smoke and significant heat transfer.
Can I put fire-rated glass in any frame?
No. The frame, seals and fixings have to be part of an approved system, or the certification does not hold.