How Do The New Triple Glazed Windows Really Save?
Home improvement involves giving up an old design for a new and improved one. Everybody loves a change to the better. It is the same case for windows where single and double glazed windows are making way for the new triple glazed windows. If you are going to install your own set of triple glazed windows, what should you expect to improve in your home? The following points give you not only the benefits but also the information about what goes into the windows. Some of these benefits come at a cost which is left to the owner to decide whether or not to shift to the new triple glazed windows.
Types
The first thing you should know is that the new triple glazed windows come in mainly three types - the one in which the traditional spacer is used in each of the glazing gaps; the second type in which the central triple glazed glass has single U shaped channel spacer and is sealed between the outer and inner lites, the central lite is thus encapsulated; and the last type in which there are suspended film adhesions onto a metal/foam or metal spacer.
Benefits of the triple glazed windows
The new triple glazed windows offer a more rigid and stronger window due to their three layers. They have already proven to be efficient in cold weather climates of the Scandinavian countries and Canada by decreasing heat loss and thereby, providing greater thermal comfort. Further, their response against condensation problems faced by the ordinary glass windows has been good and they also are much better energy savers. They are also found to insulate against sound, making them viable for urban areas.
These improvements have come about by introducing an optimal distance of sixteen millimeter between the glass panes, a coating to promote low emissivity that insulates against heat loss, argon gas being pumped into the cavity between the glass to further aid in insulation and using of cold bridges in the form of aluminum spacers around the glazed panes.
Although they have been a success in cold weather countries, these are expected to do just as well in the warm weather countries. The reason for this being they not only keep the heat of a room in, but also the heat of the outside world out.
So, should you switch?
Switching the windows alone wouldnt be sufficient to gain the optimal performance of the new triple glazed windows as the frame can hinder their performance. So, one has to insulate the frame as well. Moreover, the standard of insulation elsewhere in the house should match the insulation of the triple glazed windows as well, or cold spots can drain the heat away. The triple glazed windows performance in this respect seems to be just a little higher than that of an energy efficient double glazed window. With three panes of glass, the window is not only heavy, but there is a sacrifice of intensity of light that enters the room. This may offset any energy saved by insulating against heat loss.
The price difference between the triple and double glazed windows is only marginal and the benefits are comparable. The new triple glazed windows do hardly anything that is new from their double glazed ancestors. In fact, they do almost the same things as their predecessors but do them more effectively which can be felt and seen on the heating bill.
Types
The first thing you should know is that the new triple glazed windows come in mainly three types - the one in which the traditional spacer is used in each of the glazing gaps; the second type in which the central triple glazed glass has single U shaped channel spacer and is sealed between the outer and inner lites, the central lite is thus encapsulated; and the last type in which there are suspended film adhesions onto a metal/foam or metal spacer.
Benefits of the triple glazed windows
The new triple glazed windows offer a more rigid and stronger window due to their three layers. They have already proven to be efficient in cold weather climates of the Scandinavian countries and Canada by decreasing heat loss and thereby, providing greater thermal comfort. Further, their response against condensation problems faced by the ordinary glass windows has been good and they also are much better energy savers. They are also found to insulate against sound, making them viable for urban areas.
These improvements have come about by introducing an optimal distance of sixteen millimeter between the glass panes, a coating to promote low emissivity that insulates against heat loss, argon gas being pumped into the cavity between the glass to further aid in insulation and using of cold bridges in the form of aluminum spacers around the glazed panes.
Although they have been a success in cold weather countries, these are expected to do just as well in the warm weather countries. The reason for this being they not only keep the heat of a room in, but also the heat of the outside world out.
So, should you switch?
Switching the windows alone wouldnt be sufficient to gain the optimal performance of the new triple glazed windows as the frame can hinder their performance. So, one has to insulate the frame as well. Moreover, the standard of insulation elsewhere in the house should match the insulation of the triple glazed windows as well, or cold spots can drain the heat away. The triple glazed windows performance in this respect seems to be just a little higher than that of an energy efficient double glazed window. With three panes of glass, the window is not only heavy, but there is a sacrifice of intensity of light that enters the room. This may offset any energy saved by insulating against heat loss.
The price difference between the triple and double glazed windows is only marginal and the benefits are comparable. The new triple glazed windows do hardly anything that is new from their double glazed ancestors. In fact, they do almost the same things as their predecessors but do them more effectively which can be felt and seen on the heating bill.