Tempered Glass | Building Codes (when to use it)

Tempered glass is made to reduce the chances of injury or death. According to the 2012 International Residential Code, it is required at these hazardous locations.

  • Any door.
  • Anything within 2′ of a door on the hinge side.
  • Anywhere within 5′ of a hot tub, swimming pool, spa, sauna, shower, or bathtub.
  • Any walkway around wet locations where the bottom edge of the glass is less than 5′ high.
  • Any glass alongside a stairway, landing, or ramp.
  • Any window with a single pane greater than 9 square feet.
  • Any type of guardrail or handrail.
  • Basically any glass in an area where a human could fall through it, or it could fall upon someone, should be tempered.
  • Mirrors are subject to the same safety rules unless they have a solid backing.