Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) assists architects, interior designers and other specifiers throughout the design process by offering several curated glass sample kits for product evaluation.
These kits have been carefully crafted by our architectural services team to provide you with a useful tool for determining how a glass might look and perform in each environment—although we always recommend evaluating a full-size glass mock-up in site before moving forward with fabrication.
Five glass sample kits headline our selections, and all of them are available without cost to you, in the Vitro Sample Order Center.
Low-E Glass Sample Kit
Why You Need It: According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Efficiency and Renewable Energy Buildings Energy Data Book (2012), 61% of a building’s total energy use consists of HVAC, ventilation and artificial lighting costs—all areas where glass can make significant, long-term cost savings contributions. High performance low-e glasses greatly facilitate downsized mechanical equipment costs and reduced energy costs for continuous, long-term savings. Typically, the investment in a higher performing low-e coating will return its investment relatively quickly.
Trusted by architects for half a century, the Solarban® glass products included in this kit keep occupants comfortable and allow you to realize your boldest visions. They feature some of the highest light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratios in the industry and can be combined with a wide array of tinted glass options by Vitro for even better performance and aesthetic effects.
What You’ll Get: A range of solar control low-e glass products, including Solarban® 60 glass, Solarban® R67 glass, Solarban® 70 glass, Solarban® 70 Optigray® glass, Solarban® 60 Optiblue® glass (formerly Solarban® z50 glass), Solarban® 90 glass, Solarban® R100 glass, Solarban® 72 glass, Solarban® 60 Starphire® glass and Solarban® 60 Solargray® glass.
Where to Get It: Click here.
Advanced Low-E Sample Kit
Why You Need It: Vitro’s Advanced Low-Emissivity (Low-E) Glass Sample Kit featuring a wide range of high-performance Solarban® solar control, low-e glass products for convenient, hands-on comparison. Each product sample in the Advanced Low-E Glass Sample Kit features a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.25 or less, which indicates a superior ability to reduce the transmittance of heat energy from the sun, making them ideal for use in façade designs requiring daylighting control.
With building energy codes requiring improved solar control and thermal performance, particularly in the southern region of the United States, the Advanced Low-E Glass Sample Kit makes it easy for design professionals to access high-performing products. These proven products will meet or exceed the latest energy code requirements while adding a distinctive aesthetic to your next big project.
What You’ll Get: The Advanced Low-E Glass Sample Kit contains Solarban® R100 Solexia® glass, Solarban® 90 glass, Solarban® R77 Solarblue® glass, Solarban® R77 Atlantica® glass, Solarban® 70 Solargray® glass, Solarban® 70 Solarbronze® glass, Solarban® 70 Optiblue® glass, Solarban® R67 Optigray® glass, Solarban® R67 Azuria® glass, and Solarban® 60 Pacifica® glass.
Where to Get It: Click here.
Performance Tinted Glass Sample Kit
Why You Need It: Tinted glass lowers the amount of sunlight, reduces glare and provides neutral-warm or neutral-cool palette colors, from light to medium to dark. Tinted glass is ideal for any project that can benefit from added color that harmonizes with the overall building design and site features. Some applications for tinted glass include IGUs, facades, safety glazing, spandrel glass and single-lite monolithic glass. Tinted glasses can be produced with low-e coatings for additional passive or solar control performance.
What You’ll Get: The streamlined, foam-free package contains 4-by-6-inch uncoated samples of Solexia® glass, Atlantica® glass, Azuria® glass, Solarblue® glass, Pacifica® glass, Optigray® glass, Solargray®, Graylite® II and Solarbronze® glasses.
Where to Get It: Click here.
Starphire® Glass Kit
Why You Need It: Aesthetically, the clarity and color fidelity of Starphire® glass makes it ideal for interior elements like spiderwalls, balustrades, fish tanks, backsplashes and doors. But in higher thicknesses, Starphire® glass truly shines.
Typically, when you order glass for countertops, tables, glass doors, room dividers or shower enclosures, the edge color gradually changes according to the thickness of the glass. If you look at the edge of almost any piece of standard clear furniture glass, you’ll notice a green cast. That effect is exaggerated as the glass becomes thicker or longer. But with Starphire® glass in higher thicknesses, you'll see a significantly reduced greening or distortion effect compared to that of traditional clear glass. Additionally, for interior applications where the glass edge is exposed, Starphire® glass maintains its signature azure blue edge.
What You’ll Get: This kit contains two 4" x 6" samples of clear glass and Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass by Vitro Glass in 16 or 19mm thicknesses.
Where To Get It: Click here.
Sungate ThermL™ Comparison Kit
Why You Need It: Sungate ThermL™ glass is a low-e coating engineered for use on the interior surface of a typical one-inch insulating glass unit (IGU) that dramatically improves U-values when paired with a Solarban® solar control low-e glass by Vitro on the second surface. When Sungate ThermL™ glass is paired in a one-inch IGU with a half-inch airspace with argon and Solarban® 70 glass on the second surface, the U-value is 0.19, which is a 21% improvement over using Solarban® 70 glass alone. This pairing provides a VLT of 63% and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.27.
The Sungate ThermL™ Comparison Kit allows you to see the low reflectivity and superior clarity of Sungate ThermL™ glass for yourself by comparing a 4" x 6" sample against a similar sample of Solarban® 60, 70 or 90 clear glass.
What You’ll Get: This kit includes two 4" x 6" samples of Solarban® 60, 70 or 90 (2) Clear + Clear glass and Solarban® 60, 70 or 90 (2) Clear + Sungate ThermL™ (4) Clear glass.
Where To Get It: Click here.
Updated on October 10, 2024
