Products
PRODUCTS +VOX: UK glass manufacturer targets tiled roof market with heated glass
A UK glass manufacturer is urging installers and developers to rethink the role of roof glazing, positioning heated glass as an integrated performance solution rather than a purely aesthetic feature. According to Andrew Hayes, sales manager at TuffX, the company’s Glow heated glass has been engineered to deliver targeted infrared radiant heat through the glazing itself, removing the need for conventional heat emitters in certain roof applications.
“What you’re seeing here isn’t just standard glazing,” Hayes said. “It’s performance-led roof glass, designed to deliver infrared radiant heat exactly where it’s needed, while maintaining clean lines and a premium finish.”
The product has been developed to support tiled and hybrid roof schemes, offering installers an additional specification option as demand grows for minimalist interiors and open-plan extensions where wall space for radiators is limited.
Unlike traditional convection systems that warm air volumes, infrared technology focuses heat directly on occupants and surfaces. TuffX argues this improves energy efficiency by reducing wasted heat in unused air space, while also preserving architectural intent.
Glow heated glass is designed to remain visually indistinguishable from standard roof glazing, retaining clarity and slim sightlines. The system is compatible with tiled and hybrid roof constructions and is manufactured in the UK, with technical support provided for installers and contractors.
The company believes the product is particularly suited to contemporary residential extensions, modular buildings and higher-end commercial projects, where developers are seeking ways to differentiate specifications and add measurable value.
By integrating heating into the rooflight itself, Hayes suggests installers can offer clients a solution that combines daylighting and thermal comfort in a single product.
“Glow heated glass transforms roof glazing into an active heating solution, not just a design feature,” he said. “If you’re looking to add real value to your next tiled or hybrid roof project, we’d love to work with you.”
As competition intensifies across the UK’s fenestration sector, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on performance-driven innovation to help trade customers stand out. TuffX’s latest proposition reflects a wider shift towards multi-functional glazing systems that aim to do more than simply let the light in.
Why This Matters: The use of heated glass in glazed extensions is a logical solution where extending the existing wet heating system into new space would be costly or disruptive. Electric elements within the glass are therefore often the preferred option for providing background warmth and controlling condensation on large areas of glazing.
The main caveat with heated glass in roof lights is that it works against the normal logic of building services design, which places heat sources at low level so warmth can move upwards through the room by radiation and convection, whether via underfloor heating or low-level radiators. When the roof glazing itself is heated, much of that energy is effectively being delivered at the top of the space, so a proportion of the heat will be lost upwards to the outside rather than contributing to comfort at occupant level. However, taking this aside, heated glass would be well served in the apertures of the building.
