Many different type of glass are used in the construction industry including thermal energy-glass which is good for reducing energy usage but poor for recycling, fire-proof glass, sound insulation glass and security glasses. However in the context of a domestic dwellinghouses by far the most frequently used type of glass component is the sealed glazing unit. This is where an inert glass is sandwiched between layers of glass in order to achieve both acoustic and thermal insulation in double or triple glazing.

The production of glass involves the expenditure of high levels of energy, and causes pollution, although the actual materials used are plentiful. Normal glass has high durability and can be re-cycled. However there are often long term problems with sealed units where the seals breakdown causing the units to fail.

To be rational however there are very limited alternatives to the use of glass in the context of a domestic dwellinghouse, an those that do exist, which are generally plastic based have there own set of ecological and sustainable issues.