Oceania Glass ComfortPlus Questions & Answers

Hi Adam, The first step you need to take is to raise any issues initially with the company who installed your windows. They need to inspect the issue in the first instance, and contact Viridian Glass with proof of product purchase on your behalf for further investigation if required.

If you have further queries you are also welcome to contact viridian@viridianglass.com - however without proof of purchase via your window installer we are limited in what we are able to do to assist as we are not responsible for the install of the product.

Kind regards Viridian Glass

Hi Shane, Veridian directly does not cover. It's the installer who covers. The problem is to prove how did the glass break. Impact or thermal. First few was changed bit it took some effort. Afterwards it was a battle. If your windows are standard then it should be ok.

Hi Shane, Thanks for your question. ComfortPlus contains a Low E hard coating which is what adds the insulating properties to the product. There is nothing wrong with the glass, there are just a couple of things to be aware of as it doesn’t install, handle or clean like ordinary glass. These considerations are:

It needs to be installed to the interior of the building if installed as single glazing, however if building into a double glazed unit the coating will be enclosed.

However – if installed as single glazing cleaning and handling instructions must be followed: external link 

There is also a haze characteristic given off in certain lighting conditions by the coating, this has nothing to do with the product but is the way the coating interacts with the light. We have a technical document on this here: external link 

We do not install the glass, so ensuring a thermal assessment is done (if it is a toned product) and installation is undertaken properly is the responsibility of the window installer.

An alternative product we can suggest, if double glazing is a requirement, would to move over to a soft coat Low E double glazed product. These products include Viridian ClimaTech, LightBridge or LightBridge next (if you need added noise control). These products clean like ordinary glass as the coating is fully enclosed in the double glazed units. You can enquire with your builder about changing out for these products, they will definitely help meet BASIX regulations.

Hopefully this is of help. All the best with your build!

Kind regards Nicole Viridian Glass

Only one of the windows will be double glazed and I have two sons & a cat that likes to chase bird through the window so keeping the inside clean will be difficult. I assume these other products attract a premium. How much more is it to switch to the Viridian ClimaTech, LightBridge or LightBridge? Thank you

Hi Shane, we can't advise on cost as we don't fabricate the glass in to the window and install. The final cost has to come through the contractor working on your build as we only supply the finished glass units, not the whole window system. Viridian ClimaTech is the entry-level double-glazed product, so you could start with enquiring about this product, then LightBridge and LightBridge next go into our more premium range which may not be required for the performances needed on the build. Double glazing gives you up to three times better thermal insulation compared to standard single glazing. It is not going to cost the same as single glazing, but you are paying for a product which is produced in a specific way to make it perform better.

Hi Shane, if the wallet allows stretch for double glazing. Avoid comfort plus at all costs. It’ll save you potentially in the long haul.

Viridian is rubbish. I don't know why this kind of product is still available in market. Hard to clean. Crack all the time. I am replacing mine broken with toughened glass now 10.38 tinted. this is my 9th broken glass. even though covered by warranty but all the hassle I had to go through.

Hi Randall, thanks for your question. There are some important considerations on where and how glass needs to be installed, based on these they determine what glass types need to be used. The window company or glazier should always carry out what’s called a thermal assessment, it’s a review process that determines if annealed glass (standard glass) needs some additional heat processing to make it suitable in the type of application (think of like when you need to use galvanising metal or stainless steel in certain applications) annealed glass (standard glass) sometimes can’t be used in certain applications.

Thermal assessments help identify if the glass may be thermally at risk of cracking, this can occur in toned product options due to the heat variants on the glass and the amount of shading on the glass. This has nothing to do with the quality of the glass, but more to do with the type of glass and position of installation in relation to the sun orientation.

If there is a thermal risk then the supplier can order a toughened panel in the sister product to ComfortPlus, which is called SolTech or EnergyTech instead. These products are the base glass to ComfortPlus and have the same appearance and thermal performance, they are toughened to address the thermal issues and provide the safety requirements that laminated glass offers. It’s not uncommon for both to be supplied on projects for these very reasons.

We would suggest you enquire with your window installer to assess the glazing and associated window system to understand what product options may help in your situation.

So if a thermal assessment was done and my windows crack I should have full recourse on whoever specified the glass?

Hi Randall, First the window company would need to inspect the window to ascertain the fault, the processor (company that cuts and supplies the glass) will then be engaged if it’s a product fault.

Thermal cracking will generally be eliminated if the glass is heat strengthened or toughened, if you like please contact us on viridian@viridianglass.com so we can discuss the issue further with you.

Hi Tess, Thanks for your question. ComfortPlus is sold as a finished laminated Low E glass, which means it contains the interlayer in the middle of the glass (for added safety and UV protection) as well as the Low E coating for added production. SmartGlass is sold under a different name because you can order the product in different ways depending on your requirements. You can order it just as a single glass with a Low E coating applied (the base option), or you can order the product with one of two interlayer options for the middle of the glass. One interlayer option is the added safety and UV protection (exactly like ComfortPlus), and the other option is to add an interlayer which has acoustic benefit. The reason we name the products differently is because SmartGlass is a residential product which we predominately sell via our window fabricator network. Being able to adjust the finished product adds flexibility to the window team and homeowners when selecting glass for the specific requirements of the home, whether there be thermal or acoustic needs for example. Hopefully this is of help!

Kind regards Viridian Glass

Thank you. How does the cost of Smart Glass compare with double glazing? An approximate percentage difference would be helpful. Is double glazing worth the extra cost in terms of quality?

Hi Tess, We supply the finished glass units on to the window fabrication and trade businesses, who then provide a quote based on the type of frame you choose so it is always a challenge for us to be able to provide an approximate difference as the finished glass unit is a component of a wider system which we supply via our trade partners.

Double glazing gives you up to three times better thermal insulation compared to standard single glazing. It is not going to cost the same as single glazing, but you are paying for a product which is produced in a specific way to make it perform better. With double glazing, you may notice your home maintains a more comfortable temperature in those extreme months, with more time going by before needing to use powered heating or cooling. Making your home more energy efficient.

There is more information in a few blog posts on our website which provide more detail: external link  external link  external link 

All the best with your search, if you would like a local list of fabricators in your state to discuss costs with further feel free to complete your details on the form here and we can send over a list: external link 

Kind regards Viridian Glass

Thank you

Hi Gina, Thanks for your question. ComfortPlus is one of Australia’s highest performing glass products. Single glazed Low E glass products, like ComfortPlus, have some specific care, installation and cleaning requirements to ensure the longevity of the product. These are:

The Low E coating must be installed to the interior of the building. This ensures the performance of the product and protects the integrity of the coating.

There are also specific care and cleaning instructions on our website which cover construction maintenance as well as day to day cleaning. These can be found here: external link . This product does not clean like ordinary glass.

The presence of haze can also occur in some lighting conditions. This is a characteristic of glass and Low E coatings, and is not a fault of the glass. More information on this can be found here: external link .

Once the product leaves our processing facilities, it then goes through a few further steps in the supply chain before it is installed into a home. We encourage you to speak to your window installer if any particular concerns about this product for your specific needs to ensure these considerations are taken into account to protect the glass during transportation, installation and post-construction.

Feel free to download our brochure which explains more about this product, as well as the considerations mentioned above, take a look: external link .

We hope this explains a bit more about this product to support you to make your decision.

Kind regards Nicole Viridian Glass

I have Comfort Plus, which is similar. See my post rom yesterday where I posted 2 photos

Hello, I’m not sure but my glass contractor told me that it is the same product.

Has anyone taken these thieves to court because I'm about to do this!

Not realty sure. If it is on the outside surface of the glass, then standard removal (Ie. scrape carefully with a razor blade) should work. Bunnings used to sell a plastic razor blade which was excellent for removing cement and paint from glass, but don't know if they still sell them. I have used the plastic one to remove small paint spots from the interior surface of the glass without damaging it, but don't know how it will work with mortar. You could try in a small unobtrusive spot first to see how it goes. I would contact CSR/Viridian to see what they advise. It is great glass but you do have to be careful not to damage the inside surface.

You cannot use a razor on the outside as it will most likely be tempered glass, it will scratch. If you can comfirm 100% it is not tempered/toughened/safety glass, it will be fine with a quality razor and soapy water.

On the inside, the film. Gently with fingernails. But there will most likely be residual marking.

Colin I can only comment on comfort plus TM glass as that is what I have. We still had to put blinds over these windows as the sun still blazed in on our furniture and there was still a lot of heat getting through . We are upset at how cleaning is near impossible in winter you get condensation which leaves purple streaks does not cut out noise unless its double glazed . Very disappointed in this glass would not recommend to anyone.

Thanks Ros

Very helpful

Colin

Hi all, Please understand my product review was not solely aimed at Viridian as they are a completely competent & reputable business. My "warning" was for all COMFORT PLUS GLASS which as I understand is offered by a number of companies now. This type of glass has a film on only one side of the glass (supposed to be the internal side) & the issues with this glass can be avoided by double glazing the glass with the film sandwiched in between the two pieces of glass however this will obviously double your costs.

My advice is no matter what glass company you choose try to avoid the term "comfort plus" or "thermal protection" & if you desire protection that can not be provided by external shade such as block out shutters, canopy's or steel louvres then your best course of action would be to have "tinted glass" installed (equally expensive or possibly more so) or just normal/clear glass installed then have a tinted film applied (also a minor extra cost but may deteriorate after time which will need replacing). Either of these optioned have their own problems which I have mentioned (in brackets) but will be less likely to change colour & are easy to fix if they do. Furthermore the cleaning of both options will present little to no problems compared with the "comfort plus" products.

I hope this is of some help,

Ash.