Written By: Brad Campbell | August 8, 2022
As a leading manufacturer and installer of security glazing products, we see some of the same questions about Riot Glass popping up again and again, so we wanted to put together this list of some of the most common Riot Glass FAQs.
Riot Glass, LLC is the name of our security glazing company, but Riot Glass® is also the name of our proprietary line of laminated security glass.
Riot Glass security laminates are designed to be retrofitted into or onto your existing framing systems, making them a very cost-effective security glazing solution.
Riot Glass is available in a variety of thicknesses and compositions for different security needs. The range also includes ballistic-grade (bullet-resistant) laminated glass.
Besides Riot Glass laminated security glass, we also design and manufacture a line of polycarbonate security glazing called ArmorPlast®.
All our products use American-made materials and are manufactured by us. You can expect the highest level of craftsmanship and professionalism when dealing with Riot Glass, LLC for all your security glazing needs.
Riot Glass security laminates consist of two or more sheets of strengthened glass laminated together on top of one or more thermoplastic interlayers.
This type of laminated security glass is specifically designed to thwart forced entry, burglary, smash-and-grab theft, and rioting and looting, as well as protect against active threats.
ArmorPlast is similar to Riot Glass in that it can be used for the same applications, but it does not contain any actual glass. Instead, it consists of polycarbonate glazing panels, which provide the highest level of impact resistance available on the market.
Laminated glass can eventually be broken through, whereas polycarbonate is virtually unbreakable.
Both ArmorPlast and Riot Glass are full retrofit solutions and are available in containment-grade, forced entry-resistant models and ballistic-grade, bullet-resistant models.
We’ve already touched on how our products are designed to prevent forced entry and provide active threat mitigation, but they can also provide a variety of other benefits. These include:
Our clients include everyone from high-end retailers to government organizations. The reality is that most types of commercial facilities face similar security threats, and we can work with anyone to find the perfect fenestration security solution for them.
Riot Glass and ArmorPlast are ideal for securing:
Riot Glass, primarily designed for commercial and institutional buildings, can indeed be retrofitted onto existing aluminium window frames commonly found in high-end builds.
However, it is not compatible with the vinyl framing solutions typically used in residential homes. While Riot Glass can enhance security and protection against forced entry, its effectiveness on residential properties with vinyl frames can be limited due to differences in installation requirements and frame compatibility.
If you're looking to secure existing vinal-framed windows, you may need to explore alternative solutions tailored to the specific window-framing such as security film, or security screens.
A retrofit security glazing solution is one that does not typically require us to remove or replace the existing glass and framing to install it.
Riot Glass and ArmorPlast are both retrofit solutions, and in the vast majority of cases can simply be attached to or onto your existing framing systems.
In very few cases, such as on old buildings with significantly deteriorated or weak window support structures, the installation process may be more complex than a simple retrofit. Again, this is very rare.
Besides the ease of installation, retrofit security solutions are also much more affordable and less time-consuming/disruptive than complete glass replacement.
This makes retrofitting preferable for most types of commercial facilities, where you don’t want to disrupt business with a big door and window replacement project.
Yes, absolutely.
If you’re worried about the civil unrest that could turn into rioting and looting, Riot Glass or ArmorPlast can provide 24/7 forced entry protection for your business, so you don’t have to worry about boarding it up.
Or, if storm damage is a bigger concern, we offer products that have been tested and certified in accordance with Miami-Dade hurricane testing standards.
This means that they can actually be used instead of board-ups and other storm damage mitigation barriers in hurricane zones, including Miami-Dade County.
The reality is that there is no type of security glazing product that is 100% bulletproof. However, we do offer glazing with different UL 752 ratings, which are the ratings given by Underwriters Laboratories to all ballistic-grade security products.
We have ballistic-grade glazing certified up to a UL 752 Level 7 rating, which means that it can stop multiple military-style rounds from an AK-47 assault rifle.
If you want active shooter protection, but bullet-resistant glazing isn’t in your budget, our non-ballistic solutions can be used to provide access denial and keep bad guys out.
For example, containment-grade ArmorPlast AP25 can be riddled with bullets and it will not significantly diminish in strength or allow an active shooter to pass even a hand through.
For any security glass retrofit project, we always recommend starting with a threat assessment.
This is a special type of consultation with a security expert, during which they will personally examine your property to identify vulnerabilities and make recommendations about the best type of security glazing to use.
We hope that the answers to these Riot Glass FAQs have given you a better idea of what we do at Riot Glass, LLC and what types of security solutions we offer.
If you want to harden your property’s security with Riot Glass or ArmorPlast, contact us today for a free consultation. We can help you schedule a threat assessment or work with any local glass contractor to get our products installed, no matter where you are located.
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