Architectural Glazing
Architectural Glazing Plastics for Safer, Brighter Buildings
Impact-resistant acrylic and polycarbonate glazing for façades, canopies, skylights, security barriers, and interior partitions.
Architectural glazing plastics provide clear, lightweight, and impact-resistant alternatives to glass for commercial, institutional, and public buildings. Laird Plastics supplies acrylic, polycarbonate, and multiwall glazing panels that improve safety, daylighting, and energy performance in applications ranging from storefronts and curtain wall infill to canopies, skylights, and protective barriers.
Plastics for Storefronts, Canopies, Skylights & Interior Glazing
Laird Plastics supports architects, glaziers, and contractors with glazing plastics tailored to safety, security, daylighting, and code requirements for modern building envelopes and interiors.
Safety & Security Glazing Plastics
Impact & ProtectionHigh-impact polycarbonate and specialty laminates for protective glazing where resistance to forced entry, vandalism, or accidental impact is critical.
Storefront & Curtain Wall Glazing
Clarity & WeightClear acrylic and polycarbonate glazing panels for storefronts, façades, and curtain wall infill where optical clarity, weight reduction, and safety are priorities.
Canopies, Skylights & Daylighting Panels
DaylightingMultiwall and profiled polycarbonate glazing that delivers diffused daylight, UV protection, and impact resistance for exterior canopies, skylights, and walkway covers.
Interior Glazing & Partitions
Space DivisionLightweight, shatter-resistant glazing for office fronts, interior windows, guardrails, and partitions that support open, bright interior layouts.
Quick Facts: Selecting Plastics for Architectural Glazing
Use these parameters to compare glass and glazing plastics when making decisions about façades, canopies, skylights, and interior glazing systems.
| Parameter | Why It Matters | Design Guidance | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact resistance Safety | In high-traffic or public areas, broken glass can create safety hazards and downtime for cleanup and replacement. | Use polycarbonate or specialty security glazing where people or equipment may strike the glazing or where forced-entry resistance is required. | Entrances, schools, transit facilities, protective barriers, guard panels. |
| Optical clarity & aesthetics | Glazing clarity affects daylighting quality, views, and overall appearance of the façade or interior space. | Select acrylic or high-clarity polycarbonate for applications where crisp, glass-like appearance and consistent light transmission are critical. | Storefronts, display cases, interior partitions, brand-focused façades. |
| UV & weathering resistance Durability | Outdoor glazing is exposed to UV radiation, temperature swings, wind, and precipitation that can cause yellowing or embrittlement over time. | Use UV-stabilized and weatherable grades with documented long-term performance for exterior canopies, skylights, and façades. | Canopies, skylights, walkway covers, exterior guards and screens. |
| Weight & framing | Glazing weight influences framing sizes, installation methods, and structural loads on the building. | Take advantage of the lower weight of glazing plastics to reduce framing mass or enable larger panels, while confirming deflection and fastening details. | Retrofit façades, large-format panels, overhead glazing, temporary barriers. |
| Codes & standards Compliance | Building codes and safety glazing standards govern where and how plastics can be used instead of glass. | Confirm applicable safety glazing, fire, and structural requirements for each opening and coordinate with the design team and local authority having jurisdiction. | Doors, sidelites, guardrails, fire-rated assemblies (with appropriate systems). |
| Thermal & condensation | Thermal performance, condensation control, and glare management affect occupant comfort and energy use. | Use multiwall polycarbonate or specialty coated glazing where insulation and glare control are required, and coordinate with HVAC and envelope design. | Daylighting roofs, skylights, atriums, covered walkways, translucent façades. |
How to Choose the Right Plastic for Architectural Glazing
Use these steps to narrow glazing plastic options before finalizing details with your design team, engineer, and code officials.
Define performance & risk level for each opening
Start by mapping how each glazed opening is used, who interacts with it, and what risks it must address in service.
- ● Public vs. staff-only areas, ground level vs. elevated façades.
- ● Exposure to impact, vandalism, or potential forced entry.
- ● Requirements for safety glazing, fire rating, or blast mitigation.
Choose between acrylic, polycarbonate & multiwall options
Each glazing plastic has trade-offs in clarity, impact resistance, stiffness, and cost that should be matched to the project goals.
- ● Acrylic: excellent clarity and surface gloss, good weathering, moderate impact strength.
- ● Polycarbonate: very high impact resistance, good toughness, security and protective glazing.
- ● Multiwall PC: lightweight, insulating, diffused daylight for roofs and canopies.
Plan for framing, fabrication & long-term maintenance
Glazing plastics must work with framing systems, gasketing, and maintenance practices just like glass.
- ● Confirm panel thickness, sheet sizes, and allowable deflection with the design team.
- ● Coordinate fabrication details—cutting, drilling, edge finishing, and cold or hot bending.
- ● Select cleaners and maintenance protocols that protect the glazing surface over time.
Architectural Glazing Plastics FAQs
Answers to common questions about using acrylic and polycarbonate glazing in building envelopes and interior spaces.
What is the difference between acrylic and polycarbonate for glazing?
Acrylic offers excellent optical clarity and a glass-like surface finish with good weathering performance, making it popular for storefronts and display glazing. Polycarbonate is tougher and significantly more impact resistant, making it better suited for security, protective, or high-abuse locations. The best choice depends on your priorities for appearance, impact resistance, and budget.
Where can architectural plastics safely replace glass?
Architectural plastics are commonly used in canopies, skylights, protective barriers, interior partitions, guards, and some façade or storefront applications. They are especially useful where breakage risk, weight, or impact resistance is a concern. Designers should always review local building codes and safety glazing requirements before substituting glass with plastic.
Do architectural glazing plastics meet building code requirements?
Many glazing plastics are engineered to meet specific safety glazing and performance standards when used in approved systems. However, code compliance depends on the combination of material, thickness, framing, location in the building, and applicable standards. Coordination with the design team, engineer, and local authority having jurisdiction is essential to confirm acceptable use.
Will acrylic or polycarbonate glazing yellow or scratch over time?
UV-stabilized grades of acrylic and polycarbonate are designed to resist yellowing when properly installed and maintained. Like any clear material, plastics can scratch if cleaned with abrasive tools or harsh chemicals. Using recommended cleaners, soft cloths, and protective coatings where appropriate helps maintain clarity and surface appearance over the life of the installation.
How can Laird Plastics help with glazing plastic selection on a project?
Laird Plastics can provide guidance on material options, thicknesses, and performance differences between acrylic, polycarbonate, and multiwall glazing products. Sharing drawings, performance requirements, and project constraints allows our team to suggest suitable materials and connect you with fabrication or installation partners experienced in architectural glazing plastics.
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