Does Cabinet Glass Need to Be Tempered?
US building codes (IRC and IBC) require tempered safety glazing in hazardous locations, the places a person is likely to walk into the glass. Most cabinet doors are not in that category. A few are.
Tempering is recommended when:
- The door is large. If annealed glass breaks there, the shards are dangerous
- The cabinet is in a high-traffic area where the door could be hit
- The cabinet is at floor level (base cabinets) where children or pets are present
- The glass is in a door that swings into a walkway
Small decorative lites in upper doors are usually fine in annealed glass. We make both. Tell us the cabinet and we will say which one fits.
The cost difference: Tempering adds a modest per-square-foot charge. For a standard kitchen's worth of cabinet door lites, it's a small premium for the safety improvement.