If you’re building a new home or looking to make some updates at your existing property, you’ll know that double glazing for your windows and doors is an option you’ll commonly be presented with.
In order to understand if this is the right choice for you, it’s important to know what this popular feature actually is and what benefits it can bring to your home.
What actually is double glazing?
Double glazing uses two panes of glass instead of one. Inert gas, usually krypton, xenon or argon, is usually isolated between the two panes to increase their heat retention and durability. In some cases only air is isolated between the airtight panes.
Lower your energy bill
Energy transfer from outside the home to inside is significantly reduced when double glazed windows and doors are installed or aluminium doors. or aluminium doors. . Double glazing has been estimated to cut energy costs of heating and cooling a home by up to half.
An eco-friendly option
Double glazing is an eco-friendly investment in the home that can reduce your carbon footprint. After initial retrofitting or installation costs, double glazed windows and doors begin to help the homeowner cut down significantly on energy expenses over time.
Double glazed windows and doors that use Low Emissivity or Low-E glass are particularly effective at retaining heat in the home, helped along by a spacer bar at the edge of the window which ensures the double glazing system operates at maximum efficacy.
Spacers are generally made of polymer or metal and also contain a drying agent that helps eliminate any potential moisture trapped between the panes.
It’s important to make sure your double glazed windows are properly sealed – the best way to do this is to hire a qualified craftsman, as opposed to opting for a DIY or imitation job.
Effective locking mechanisms are also beneficial to the proper operation of the double glazed window to make sure that when it’s shut, it’s completely sealed off from outside draughts. Compression shoot bolt locks are often a good choice, but many other options are also available.
Minimise noise
Not only will homeowners see a major reduction in heat loss by installing double glazed windows and doors, but noise from outside will also be quietened.
Medium to high frequency noise like voices and yard work happening outside will be much quieter when inside the home.
The gap between the panes in double glazed windows and doors can also be increased in order to further reduce noise pollution, although this should be increased only moderately to avoid cancelling out the heat retention benefits of double glazing.
Say goodbye to mould and condensation
On top of reducing noise and energy loss, double glazing can minimise the occurrence of condensation in your home. In a single pane window, cold air from outside interacts with warm air from inside to form condensation on the window.
This condensation can eventually lead to mould formation and in winter it can become ice, which hikes up heating costs. With double glazing, condensation is significantly reduced, as is the risk of mould.
Consequently, homeowners may also see cleaning cost savings from the decision to install double glazed windows and doors.
Author Bio:
Nathan Bishop is the owner Go Green Glazing. They are based in Geelong, Victoria and specialise in the retrofit of double glazed windows. His team has over 100 years of combined experience in window repair, replacement & retrofitting.
