What would it take to make some custom windows? I am looking to do some non-operative floor to ceiling windows. Ive found glass pretty cheap and was wondering what it would take to make some windows? Whats the normal thickness of glass windows? 3mm? Would there be any advantages to going to say a triple 3mm window, or even a triple pane 6mm window? I assume it would be rather cheap to construct, as they would only need a simple frame and something to keep the layers of glass seperated from each other (like some sort of thin gasket if you will.

Anyone got any ideas? At $0.44 / sq ft for 6mm glass, in sizes upto 7 ft x 10 ft it would work awesome in my application. Anyone?

If you try to make double- or triple-glazed windows yourself, you're pretty much guaranteed to get condensation between the panes. There's a lot of engineering (and art) involved in designing insulated windows that don't sweat on the inside.

Even with single-glazed windows, there are code standards concerning wind pressure resistance and general safety, the result being that in large sizes, inexpensive off-the-shelf glass might very well pose a serious safety hazard. I wouldn't hesitate to fabricate small single-glazed windows myself (no more than 36 x 36, say), but I'd think twice about trying to make anything bigger.

-Steve

I agree with Steve, windows are an art. You could look into comercial windows, it could be a bit cheaper and also realy good loking.

In an other hand, a friend of mine built a big summer kitchen and used normal tempered glass with a steel frame. For the use they do it is perfect but I would not want it in my home, especialy in Quebec...

eole

Glass seems to be increasing popular today don't you think? I've just set up a new prefab website which lists various websites to do with prefab and from looking at the various prefab buildings these sites are offering they all seem to be less wall more glass! Will it be possible to make stronger shatter-proof glass in the future for all residential homes? It just seems that the bigger the pane of glass - the more likely it is to break at some point!

Unless we know where you live and the climate, it is almost impossible to give you any useful advice on the subject. As a previous person said, building a good window is somewhat of an art. The best solution for custom window sizes or opening is to have a glass or window place build you a sealed unit, meaning that the unit is sealed and won't have condensation inside. You could also ask a company that does commercial, aluminum windows about custom units.

I guess whether you live in a warm climate and are wanting to keep the heat out, or living in a cool climate and want to keep the heat in, good sealed window units are always desirable.