When renovating or building your house, you definitely can't miss the windows. If you're thinking of upgrading your windows, you might be considering double glazed windows. Perhaps you already understand the benefits of double glazed windows, especially regarding heat insulation. Moreover, you have compared costs and known that they may cost you more. Nonetheless, is the extra cost worth it? Your answer lies in the understanding of how they work. With this knowledge, you'll be better positioned to decide whether or not double glazed windows would be your best choice.
To assist you, here are a few things to look at:
Air Spaces
Double glazed windows are made of two glass panes, often leaving some space between them. The air that's trapped in these spaces is what gives your double glazed windows an edge in importance to your home. This trapped air serves two important functions of insulation and condensation.
Insulation: The air insulates against heat and noise. For heat insulation, the air acts as a barrier and reduces the passage of cold or hot air between the outside and inside of your house. This means that double glazed windows can offer you warmer winters and cooler summers by preventing cold temperatures outside from affecting your internal microclimate during cold seasons and reducing the effect of hot temperature in warm seasons.
If you live in a noisy neighbourhood or by a busy road, the two layers of glass can dilute the noise as it passes through the air gap.
Condensation: Condensation, especially during cold seasons, can cause mildew, mould, or even rotting window frames if they're wooden. The air in between your glazed window panes may keep your room at room temperature and eliminate dampness or condensation within your home.
Performance
The performance of double glazed windows will vary with what's inside the air cavities or the glass material. Cavities filled with nitrogen or argon will be highly effective in insulation. Other types such as laminated and thermal glass also come with their benefits. For instance, laminated glass will have thin plastic membranes between the glass layers to make the windows more shatterproof as well as offer greater insulation. Nonetheless, double glazed windows may not provide insulation against radiant heat, meaning heat will pass unobstructed through the windows when direct sunlight strikes them. To handle this, you can go for UV blocking window tinting or thermal glass (designed with thin membranes to cut the UV radiation).
There you have it; now you have an idea of how the double glazed windows work. If you have any other questions, consider contacting a window specialist that offers double glazed windows to discuss your concerns.
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