There are a lot of reasons for glass to break and often not due to impacts.

There are a lot of reasons for glass to break and often not due to impacts. Thermal stress is a major cause but also can be due to stresses caused during handling or bending under wind pressure or potentially frame expansion and contraction pressures in larger assemblies.

Microscopic nickel sulfide inclusions can cause spontaneous breakage in heat strengthened and tempered glass sometimes weeks and months after installation. Some manufacturers cover this but most do not and it often becomes a finger pointing exercise during the construction process because nobody wants to pay potentially thousands of dollars to replace it.

With 3,000 to 5,000 SF of glass on many modern luxury residences this is something that should be expected and budgeted in as a potential future cost. More importantly is having a plan for potential replacement that will not damage finishes around the windows. Do not cover up your glass stops!

I help architects, builders, and owners select, specify, and detail luxury residential hurricane glazing systems without manufacturer or dealer biases.
From just one hour to as many hours as you need a glazing expert for your project.

I also give classes in all aspects of hurricane windows and doors on glass aesthetics and energy performance, manufacturer product overviews, detailed installation planning and best practices, and understanding hurricane product approvals.