Available for Download: Installed Decorative Glass; General EPD Education

NGA Task Group Volunteers Develop Two Brand-New Glass Technical Papers

Task groups comprised of member volunteers within the Fabricating and Forming Committees worked thoroughly to develop these brand-new resources to reflect the latest developments and trends within the industry.

“Our members are dedicated to producing resources that answer real and timely questions,” states Urmilla Sowell, NGA advocacy and technical director. “Developing new resources takes time and persistence, and we’re proud of the guidance these GTPs provide our members and stakeholders.”

Best Practices for Installed Painted Decorative Glass

This GTP defines testing standards for painted glass products for interior and exterior (non- spandrel) applications. The focus is on adhesion, compatibility, chemical durability, and mechanical performance. This document also contains a list of those standards as a starting point to help eliminate undesirable performance of installed back painted glass.

“I would like to thank all the task group members for their participation,” expressed decorative task group chair James Wright, Virginia Glass Products. “We created a document that will help the industry maintain a level of credibility when using [paint] products with glass.”

General EPD Education

This GTP was written for the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) community involved in the selection, specification and review of lifecycle environmental impacts of building components. It has been observed in the marketplace that professionals are trying to compare Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) values, and the purpose of this document is to highlight challenges in comparison. The practice of comparing EPDs is not encouraged, nor always appropriate, and could lead to misleading conclusions.

“When AEC professionals use EPDs to compare individual products, they are straying well beyond their intended purpose and likely making ill-informed decisions as a result. EPDs are important documents and companies invest a lot in producing them, but it’s critical that specifiers and engineers understand why they are created and use them within the appropriate context,” explains Steve Marino, Vitro Architectural Glass and forming task group chair. “I am very proud of the work our task group did to produce this document.”

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE VOLUNTEER TASK GROUP MEMBERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH GTP