Unfortunately, we no longer provide single use complimentary glass samples. Like many businesses, Viridian now uses digital platforms to provide inspiration and project examples.

As a trade-based supply business, dealing directly with glazing subcontractors, during the pre-construction phase of a project, we often supply the installing glazing subcontractor with a working project sample. This is a sample of the finished product for final confirmation and sign off by the architect and builder, which hopefully will be sourced and supplied by Viridian.

Please complete the online form with as much project detail as possible, and we will put the right person in touch with you.

If you are an architect, specifier or engineer and you need technical advice, please complete the online form and we will put the right person in touch with you.

A measure of how effective glass (and window) is in preventing heat escaping from the inside to the outside of a building. The lower the U Value, the greater resistance the glass has to heat flow and therefore the better insulator it is.  U Value is measured in W/m2k.

For example, 4mm VFloat™ Clear glass has a U Value of 5.9, whilst ComfortPlus™ has a U Value of 3.6. So ComfortPlus™ is a better insulating product than 4mm VFloat™ Clear glass.

The total amount of heat transmitted through the glass into the inside of the building is represented by the SHGC. Each glass type has a different SHGC. The lower the number the better the solar control performance of that particular glass product.

For example, our 4mm VFloat™ Clear glass has an SHGC of 0.85, whilst ComfortPlus™ has an SHGC between 0.57 and 0.60 depending on the colour.

The amount of visible light transmitted through the glass. This is represented as a %.  A higher number means for light is passing through the glass.

R Value is a measure of how well a material resists heat transfer whereas U Value is a measure of how well a material transmits heat. As such, solid materials such as bricks, insulation and walls are measured in R Values whilst glass is measured in U Values. Unlike glass where lower U Values mean better insulation, for materials that are measured in R Values it is the higher the R value the better the insulation. Conversion between the two can be achieved using the following relationship U Value =1/R.

Rw is the ‘weighted sound reduction index.’ It is a number used to rate the effectiveness of the glass as a noise insulator and is measured in decibels (dB). It also takes into consideration a correction factor for the response of the human ear. For example, if a busy street has a noise level of 75dB and the required level of noise in a room is 40dB, the Rw value of the required glass is 35dB. Glass types with a Rw value greater than 35dB can then be offered as solutions.

It is worth remembering that every 10dB reduction is perceived by the ear as being half as loud, so that a 20dB noise reduction would reduce the perceived noise by 75%.

A sample of glass is glazed in an acoustic test chamber where it is subjected to various frequencies. Sensitive microphones compare the source side with the receiving side to produce a plot and measurement of the effect of the glass at each frequency. The chamber is calibrated to ensure that it is the glass performance only that is being measured. In the field, anyone with a noise meter can potentially measure noise. However, it is a specialist’s field of work, and should be undertaken by noise consultants who have the knowledge to do a noise survey and present the information in a proper and useful way. Inexperienced use of a meter will not produce information that can be relied upon.