What Is Double Glazing And 5 Facts About Glazing Windows
The days where people were forced to use single-glazed windows are gone. There’s a straightforward explanation. Double glazIing window installation (being windows that have only one glass pane) aren’t suitable for.
A single window with a single glass allows up to 60 percent of the heat to be absorbed by the world. This is a huge problem with regard to the environmental impacts and the cost of heating your house.
Nowadays, many homeowners prefer double-glazing windows since they’re more energy efficient when keeping heat in the home. Nowadays, you can take it an extra step and install triple-glazed windows that improve the insulation of your home by adding more layers of glass.
What is Double Glazing?
The name implies that double glazing is the window which is made up of two glass panes. The main component of a window is an IGU, also known as an insulated glass unit (IGU) or double-glazed sealed unit that is encased within a frame made of timber aluminum, uPVC or aluminium.
The double glazed glass panel is made up of two glass sheets, separated by a bar of spacers to create an air gap that is filled with an insulating gas, such as the Xenon gas, Krypton and Argon gas.
Today 6 out of 10 homes located in the United Kingdom are fitted with double-glazed windows. The primary benefit that double-glazing windows offer is its thermal insulation. The term thermal insulation refers to the ability to keep the heat inside a room, as well as block the cold outside air from entering, making your home more efficient in energy use.
How Does Double Glazing Work?
The principle of double glazed windows and doors is to create an air space between panes of glass that encapsulates the transfer of heat between different temperatures (outside temperature as well as inside).
A gap (usually between 6 and 12 millimetres) between two glass sheets creates the space (naturally full of gas) which slows down heat transport (cold as well as hot) through transmission, thereby growing the efficiency of heat transfer.
The air gap is not able to capture heat; however it does so by slowing the flow of heat and thereby decreasing the loss of heat. It is essentially reducing the speed of heat loss from the inside of a home to the outside, which provides double-glazed windows with its insulation properties.
How Does Double Glazing Help Reduce Heating Loss?
Best double glazing windows reduce heat loss through a thermal cushion as well as gas insulation that is contained in the unit sealed. If cold air hits the glass’s surface, the glass transmits heat to the layer of gas.
The gas layer decreases the temperature transfer rate and reduces the transmission of heat between two different temperatures. At the same time warm air from within the room hits the glass’s interior.
The gas decreases the transmission of warmth inside, which allows for the retention of the heat within the space. In a double-glazed unit that has an exterior glass pane and the interior glass pane will differ in temperature.
How Does Double Glazing Help Reduce Noise?
Apart from being a superb thermal insulation, double-glazed windows also help to reduce the amount of sound that enters an area, in comparison to windows with a single glazing.
Sound is produced by waves of vibration, and the energy that a sound wave generates is carried from the point of origin until it reaches our ears. Thus, if an additional glass pane serves as an additional layer, it could interfere with the sound wave and block the noise that enters the room.
- The wider the space between glass panels, the more benefits of acoustic insulation.
- Increasing the size of one glass as compared to the other one will increase the sound insulation.
- Vents for trickles that are attached to windows to provide ventilation can let unwanted sounds into the home. To address this issue it is possible to install specially designed acoustic ventilation devices.
How Does Double Glazing Reduce Condensation?
Our air is awash with tiny droplets of water that are not visible by the naked eyes. If the air is hot the molecules that hold the water are separated. When the air cools the water molecules move closer to one another. When water molecules get too close to each other they will join to make a visible liquid known as the “dew point”.
Condensation occurs when humid air comes into contact with the cold outside such as a window. Each sealed unit is equipped with crystallised desiccant in the bar that is used to create space.
The function of the desiccant is to draw moisture from the air gap while maintaining an air gap that is dry between the panes of glass. Internal condensation happens when the seals of the sealed unit begin to fail, and moisture is introduced into the inside of the unit. The desiccant is saturated and can’t hold any additional moisture.
- Consequently, condensation forms within the unit.
- The reason you see an abundance of condensation on single glass is because it is prone to cold. This causes the dew point to be triggered by water vapour that is present in the air.
What Is The Most Suitable Double Glazing Glass?
The most energy efficient glass to utilise for double glazing is the low-emissivity (Low-E) glass. It lets sunlight and heat pass through, but limits the amount of heat that is allowed to escape.
The Advantages Of Double Glazed Windows
We’ve highlighted the benefits of adding double-glazed windows in your home:
It is warmer in winter – Double-glazing windows are ideal to provide insulation. Double glazing can also help conserve natural heat and save it for colder seasons. This is an ideal way to keep your home warm during winter.
Savings on energy costs – If you opt for double glazing it requires less energy to heat or cool the room. This results in lower energy bills, which saves your cash during the process.
Cooler during summer – Double glazing traps sunlight’s heat into the windows in summer, which keeps your home cool.
Safety and Security – If you have single glazing insulation throughout your home the safety and security are enhanced. Double glazed windows are more secure and stronger than other windows.
A lower chance of condensation – Double-glazed glass helps to reduce the accumulation of moisture on the windows since the airtight seal prevents condensation from accumulating. Other windows typically allow condensation build up and result in windows becoming mouldy as time passes.
Reduced noise – Installing double-glazed windows will provide a quieter and quieter home.