Lee & Cates Glass FAQ’s

There are primarily two types of safety glass.

Tempered glass is used to create entrance doors and other components in commercial buildings. It’s also used in vehicles as door, vent and back glass. During the manufacturing process, tempered glass is heated to over 1,200 degrees. It’s then shot with cold air, which forces the glass to cool very rapidly. That process causes the outer surface to become much harder than the inner material. As a result, tempered glass shatters into tiny fragments with rounded edges when it’s broken.

Laminated glass is used primarily for vehicle windshields. Two sheets of glass are bonded together by a plastic inner layer known as polyvinyl butyral. The inner layer softens the blow when anything hits the windshield and prevents the glass from separating. That, in turn, reduces the chances that you and your passengers will be seriously cut in the event of an accident.

Unfortunately, our air contains many contaminants which can attack the vulnerable edges of mirrors. Those contaminants, along with moisture, work to discolor and erode the mirror’s silver backing. That is why edge sealing is so important. At Lee & Cates, we use the most current technology available to seal mirror edges and slow that type of damage.

Lee & Cates brand foaming glass cleaner is available at all of our stores.

While there are many good brands on the market, the most economical glass and mirror cleaner is a homemade mixture of one part white vinegar and two parts water. Spray the cleaner on the glass, then clean and wipe it away with a wadded up newspaper. Yes, newspaper! It won’t leave lint on the glass as some cloth rags do. And remember, when cleaning mirrors, never use abrasives, alkali, ammonia or acids. All are very harmful to the mirror’s silver backing.

At Lee & Cates, we stock only the highest quality glass available. From single-strength window glass to impact-resistant glass, our flat glass products are guaranteed against any manufacturing defects.

Each product we offer comes with its own warranty, the terms, and conditions of which vary. However, Lee & Cates Glass is committed to our customers’ complete satisfaction. If any product we install fails as a result of our workmanship, we will re-install the product at no cost to you. For warranties on specific products, please contact any Lee & Cates location.