Fire-Rated Windows in Calgary

Wired Glass in Steel Frames

Jacksonport Glass supplies and installs code-compliant fire-rated windows for Calgary commercial buildings, institutional facilities, and multi-unit residential projects. The product is what the National Building Code of Canada specifies for rated openings: wired glass in fixed steel frames, ULC-certified, available in 20, 45, 60, 90, and 120-minute fire resistance ratings. We work directly with architects on spec submittals, general contractors on project schedules, and property managers on code compliance retrofits.

Looking for residential glass replacement (broken panes, foggy sealed units)? See residential glass replacement at /glass-replacement-calgary/ instead. This page covers commercial fire-rated assemblies only.

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What Fire-Rated Windows Are Made Of

A fire-rated window is a tested assembly, not a single component. The standard product we supply consists of three parts working together:

Wired glass

Polished or Georgian wired glass with embedded steel mesh. The mesh holds the glass together during fire exposure even after thermal shock cracks the pane. Standard thickness is 6mm (1/4 inch). Available in clear or obscured (Georgian) finish. The wire pattern is what gives fire-rated windows their distinct look.

Fixed steel frame

Hollow metal or rolled steel frame, factory-welded, with applied stops and intumescent glazing tape. The frame is FIXED, meaning non-opening. Operable fire-rated windows exist in modern ceramic glass systems, but the traditional wired glass product we supply does not open. This is intentional. A movable sash creates a gap that breaks the fire seal.

ULC certification label

Every assembly we install carries a permanent ULC (Underwriters Laboratories of Canada) label stating the fire rating duration and the test standard. This label is what building inspectors check. Without it, the assembly fails inspection regardless of how the glass performs.

The traditional fire-rated window has been in continuous code use since the 1950s because the wired-glass-and-steel-frame combination passes ULC S104 and ASTM E119 fire tests reliably and cost-effectively. It’s still the default specification in most Calgary commercial drawings.

Fire Rating Durations

20, 45, 60, 90, and 120-Minute Windows

The rating duration tells the building inspector how long the assembly will hold back fire and hot gases. Pick the duration that matches the rated wall it sits in.

Fire Rating	Wall Assembly Use	Typical Application
20-minute	1-hour corridor walls (limited use)	Office corridors, school hallways
45-minute	1-hour fire separations	Stairwell enclosures, exit corridors
60-minute (1-hour)	1 to 2-hour separations	Suite separations in multi-unit residential
90-minute	2-hour fire walls	Mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, exit shafts
120-minute (2-hour)	2-hour fire barriers	Property line walls, vertical exit enclosures
180-minute (3-hour)	3-hour fire walls (rare for windows)	Severe hazard separations

A 20-minute rated window in a 1-hour rated wall is acceptable when the window is less than 25 percent of the wall surface. Above that, the window itself needs to match the wall rating. This is one of the most common mis-specs we see corrected during inspection.

The fire rating duration also dictates allowable glass size. Wired glass in a 20-minute frame can run up to roughly 1,300 square inches per pane. Higher ratings reduce the maximum pane size because thermal stress concentrates in larger panes during a fire. We size each opening to match the rating during the spec phase.

Types of Fire-Rated Glass We Supply

Wired glass is the traditional product, but the fire-rated glass category includes several alternatives. We supply and install all of them when projects need something beyond standard wired glass:

Laminated fire-rated glass

Multi-ply construction with intumescent interlayers. Brands like Pilkington Pyrostop and Vetrotech Keralite. Fire-RESISTIVE rating, meaning it blocks heat transfer in addition to flames. Required for openings over 25 percent of wall area or in radiation-sensitive locations like hospital corridors.

Tempered fire-rated glass

Tempered safety glass with fire-rating qualification. Meets both fire and impact safety standards. Used in doors and sidelites where human impact is likely.

Intumescent glass

Multi-layer glass with intumescent gel between panes that expands and turns opaque during fire exposure, blocking radiant heat. Premium product for fire-resistive applications.

Wired glass (polished or Georgian)

The default specification. Steel mesh embedded in the glass holds fragments in place during fire exposure. Carries fire-protective rating only, not fire-resistive (heat transmits through the glass). Cost-effective and code-compliant for most commercial applications. Note: most jurisdictions including Alberta now require wired glass in human-impact locations to also meet safety glazing standards (CAN/CGSB-12.1) which the standard wired product does not meet. For impact-rated openings, we use safety-rated wired glass or one of the alternatives below.

Ceramic fire-rated glass

Lithium-aluminosilicate ceramic, sold under brand names like Pyran Platinum (Schott) and FireLite (TGP). Looks like clear float glass, no wire mesh. Fire-protective rating up to 180 minutes. Higher cost than wired glass but used wherever the architect wants a clear visual without the wire pattern.

Most Calgary commercial projects spec standard wired glass for cost reasons and only step up to ceramic or laminated products when the architect needs clear visibility or fire-resistive performance. We carry stock inventory for wired glass and order in branded ceramic/laminated products on a per-project basis.

Where Fire-Rated Windows Are Required by Code

The National Building Code of Canada and the Alberta Building Code both require fire-rated assemblies in specific locations. Not every commercial building needs them everywhere, but every commercial building needs them somewhere.

Here's where they're typically mandatory:

Vertical exit enclosures (stairwells) 1 to 2-hour rated assembly required, depending on building height.
Exit corridors 1-hour rated for buildings over a certain occupant load, typically 30+ occupants.
Mechanical and electrical rooms Usually 1 to 2-hour rated based on occupancy hazard.
Fire separations between suites in multi-unit residential 45 to 60-minute typical.
Property line walls within proximity limits 1 to 2-hour rated for walls within 1.2m of the property line.
Hazardous occupancy separations 2 to 3-hour for high-hazard storage, industrial uses.
Vertical service shafts (elevator, mechanical) 1 to 2-hour depending on shaft type.
Mixed-use building separations Rated assemblies between commercial and residential occupancies.

The fire rating of any window matches the fire rating of the wall it sits in, OR the building code allows a reduced window rating if the window area stays under a defined percentage of the wall. Your architect or code consultant determines exact requirements during design. We supply what the drawings call for.

Where Fire-Rated Windows Get Installed

The same product appears across very different building types:

Schools and educational facilities

Hallways, classroom doors with vision panels, gymnasium separations.

Office buildings

Stairwell enclosures, mechanical rooms, demising walls between tenant suites.

Warehouses and industrial

Fire separations between storage areas, mechanical room enclosures, office partitions inside the warehouse.

Mixed-use developments

Where retail meets residential or office meets industrial, every transition needs rated assemblies.

Multi-unit residential

Condo and apartment buildings need fire-rated windows in stairwells, suite-separation walls, and corridors. The wired glass product is the standard spec.

Hospitals and care facilities

Corridor vision panels, suite separations, mechanical room enclosures. Often requires fire-resistive (heat-blocking) glass in patient areas.

For all of these, we ship the same core product: wired glass in fixed steel frames with the appropriate ULC-rated duration label. Size, configuration, and quantity vary by project but the product spec is consistent.

Building Code Compliance

NBCC, ULC, and ASTM Standards

Code compliance is non-negotiable in this product category. Here are the standards every fire-rated window we install meets or exceeds:

Alberta Building Code

Adopts NBCC with provincial amendments. This is the binding code for Calgary projects.

National Building Code of Canada (NBCC)

Sets the framework. References ULC standards directly.

ASTM E119 Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials

The North American baseline. Most US-manufactured fire-rated products carry E119 certification, which is accepted under NBCC by reference.

NFPA 257 Standard on Fire Test for Window and Glass Block Assemblies

Specifically tests windows. Some Canadian jurisdictions accept NFPA 257 in parallel with ULC.

ULC S104 Standard Method of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies

The Canadian standard for door and window fire testing. Every assembly we deliver carries the ULC S104 test certification.

City of Calgary Building Permit Services

Local enforcement. Inspectors verify ULC labels physically on every rated assembly during framing inspection.

We deliver shop drawings stamped with the test standard reference for every project. Every window arrives with a permanent ULC certification label affixed to the frame. The label cannot be removed or painted over. Painted-over labels fail inspection.

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Fire-Rated Window Cost in Calgary, 2026

Fire-rated windows cost significantly more than standard commercial windows because of the certification testing, specialized glass, and steel frame fabrication. Real Calgary pricing for 2026:

Product Spec	Cost / sq ft	Cost / Window (12 sq ft)
Standard wired glass + steel frame, 20-min	$65 to $95	$780 to $1,140
Wired glass + steel frame, 45-min	$75 to $110	$900 to $1,320
Wired glass + steel frame, 60-min (1-hour)	$90 to $130	$1,080 to $1,560
Wired glass + steel frame, 90-min	$115 to $160	$1,380 to $1,920
Wired glass + steel frame, 120-min (2-hour)	$140 to $200	$1,680 to $2,400
Ceramic glass (Pyran Platinum, FireLite), 60-min	$180 to $260	$2,160 to $3,120
Ceramic glass, 90-min	$220 to $310	$2,640 to $3,720
Laminated fire-resistive (Pyrostop, Keralite), 60-min	$280 to $400	$3,360 to $4,800
Laminated fire-resistive, 120-min	$380 to $550	$4,560 to $6,600
Bullet-resistant fire-rated combination	$600 to $1,200+	Quote-specific

Pricing variables

Glass type

Wired is cheapest. Ceramic costs 2 to 3x. Laminated fire-resistive costs 3 to 5x.

Fire rating duration

Each step up in duration adds 15 to 25 percent to material cost.

Frame configuration

Standard hollow metal is base price. Steel channel frame and custom profiles add 20 to 40 percent.

Size

Standard pane sizes are most cost-effective. Anything over 24 by 36 inches usually needs custom fabrication.

Quantity

Per-unit cost drops 10 to 20 percent at quantities above 25 units in one order.

Lead time pressure

Standard 4 to 6-week lead times. Rush orders (under 3 weeks) add 15 to 30 percent.

A typical Calgary commercial project specifying 15 to 25 fire-rated windows lands between $25,000 and $80,000 for the glazing scope, depending on rating and glass type. We provide line-item pricing in every spec quote so the GC can compare directly against the project budget.

Frame Material Options Beyond Steel

Steel is the traditional and dominant frame material for fire-rated windows because steel reliably passes fire tests at all duration ratings up to 3 hours. But steel is not the only option. We work with three other frame materials when projects call for them:

Hollow metal galvanized (HM) frames

Galvanized hollow metal, factory-painted. Most common steel option. Industry standard for stairwells, mechanical rooms, and general commercial use.

Stainless steel frames

Available in 304 and 316 stainless. Used in commercial kitchens, food processing, healthcare environments where corrosion resistance and clean-room compliance matter. Premium cost. Long lead times.

Aluminum fire-rated frames

Available up to 90-minute ratings, sometimes 120-minute with specialty extrusions. Brands like Aluflam and Reynaers CS 77 Fire Proof. Used in modern commercial fit-outs where the architect wants thin sightlines or anodized colour matching. Cost premium of 30 to 50 percent over steel.

Wood and UPVC frames

Wood frames with fire-treated cores exist for historic restoration projects requiring specific aesthetic match. UPVC fire-rated frames exist in European markets but are uncommon in Canadian commercial spec. We can source either on request but neither is a Jacksonport stock item.

For 90 percent of Calgary commercial fire-rated window projects, the answer is hollow metal steel frame with the appropriate wired or ceramic glass package. The exceptions are aesthetic-driven, not performance-driven.

Manufacturers and Brand-Name Glass We Source

When project specifications call for branded glass products, we source them directly from authorized distributors.

Here's what we regularly supply:

Pilkington Pyrostop Multi-laminate fire-resistive glass. 30 to 120-minute ratings. Used where heat transmission control is required.
Pilkington Pyrodur Fire-protective laminated glass. 30 to 60-minute ratings. Mid-range product.
Schott Pyran Platinum / Pyran Platinum F Ceramic fire-rated glass. Clear appearance, no wire mesh. 20 to 180-minute ratings. Popular for architect-preferred clear-glass specs.
TGP FireLite (now Allegion) Ceramic and laminated lines. NGP and FireLite Plus products. 20 to 90-minute ratings.
Safti First GPX and SuperLite US-manufactured fire-resistive glazing. Premium product line for high-performance applications.
Vetrotech Keralite Ceramic fire-rated glass and FireGlass laminated lines. 20 to 180-minute ratings.
AGC Pyrobel and Pyrobelite European multi-laminate fire-resistive glass.
Saint-Gobain Vetrotech Same parent company as Vetrotech, broader product range.
Optimum Window Manufacturing Steel-framed window assemblies. We source frames from Optimum for projects requiring specific profiles not in our standard stock.

We don’t manufacture glass or frames. We’re a Calgary-based supplier and installer working directly with these manufacturers and their authorized Canadian distributors. Your project drawings can specify any of these brands and we’ll source accordingly.

Calgary Service Area and Surrounding Communities

We supply and install fire-rated windows across Calgary and the broader region:

Calgary Central

Downtown core, Beltline, East Village, Inglewood, Bridgeland, Sunalta

Calgary North

Country Hills, Coventry Hills, Evanston, Panorama Hills, Sandstone Valley

Calgary South

Auburn Bay, Cranston, Mahogany, McKenzie Towne, Seton, Walden

Calgary East

Forest Lawn, Marlborough, Penbrooke Meadows, Applewood

Calgary West

Aspen Woods, Crestmont, Springbank, West Springs

Surrounding communities

Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, High River, Crossfield, Carstairs, Olds

For projects beyond our regular service area, we deliver to the GC’s site and coordinate install with their crew, or send our certified installers for an additional travel/per diem charge. We’ve supplied fire-rated assemblies for projects as far as Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat.

Why GCs and Architects Choose Jacksonport Glass

A few reasons project teams in Calgary spec us:

Local supplier with stock inventory

Standard wired glass and steel frame components are in our Calgary warehouse. We can deliver same-week for stock-size openings, which matters when a project deadline tightens or an inspection catches a missing assembly.

Certified installers, not subcontracted labour

Our install crew handles every fire-rated assembly we deliver. We don’t push installation to third parties. ULC certification only holds when the install follows the test specification, and our crew is trained to that spec.

Spec quotes within 24 hours

GCs send us drawings, we return line-item pricing within one business day. Most competitors take 5 to 10 days for the same quote.

Project-direct billing

We invoice the GC or the property owner directly, work with project schedule of values, and can hold scope until permits clear. No retail-friction pricing models.

ULC label management

We track every label, photograph install conditions, and provide compliance documentation for the building inspector’s file. This is what separates a passable install from a smooth inspection.

No upselling on ratings

If your drawings call for 45-minute glass, that’s what we quote. We don’t push 90-minute upgrades to inflate the order. The rating is whatever the code requires for the wall it sits in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can fire-rated windows be openable?

The traditional wired-glass-in-steel-frame fire-rated window is fixed only, not openable. The fixed frame is what allows the assembly to maintain its fire seal during testing. Operable fire-rated windows exist using ceramic glass and specialty self-closing hardware, but they're uncommon in Canadian commercial spec and cost 3 to 4 times more than fixed assemblies. For 99 percent of Calgary commercial projects, the answer is fixed.

What's the difference between fire-protective and fire-resistive glass?

Are fire-rated windows tempered safety glass?

What does ULC labelling mean and where does it go?

How long does it take to spec and install fire-rated windows in Calgary?

Where can I use wired glass in residential homes?

Are fire-rated windows energy efficient?

What is the maximum size of a fire-rated window?

Do you provide shop drawings?

Can wired glass be replaced if it breaks?

Get a Spec Quote for Your Calgary Project

Send us your project drawings or a glazing schedule, and we’ll return line-item pricing within 24 hours. Include rating durations, sizes, glass type preferences, and target install dates. We work with stamped architectural drawings, hand sketches, or rough schedules at the budget stage.

Contact

Phone

(403) 558-0427

Email

connect@jacksonportglass.com

Office

10923 38 St NE UNIT# 1110, Calgary, AB T3N 1N8

Hours

Monday to Friday 8 AM to 6 PM

Drawings welcome via

Need standard residential glass work? See our residential glass replacement service at /glass-replacement-calgary/ for foggy windows, broken panes, and sealed unit replacement.