If you have a window in your home, then you have a place where there will be heat loss. However, you can minimize this heat loss with double glazed windows in Farnham. You may also consider triple glazing, secondary glazing or heavy curtains.
The benefits of energy-efficient windows
- Reduced energy bills: If all the single glazed windows in an average house were replaced with double glazing, the energy saving would amount to approximately £170.
- Smaller carbon footprint: by using less fuel you will decrease the carbon dioxide output of your home.
- More comfort: double glazing reduces the amount of heat that is lost through the window; it also means fewer draughts.
- Quiet: The double glazed keeps the heat in and both the cold and the noise out.
- Reduced condensation: as the barrier between the panes adds to the thermal efficiency of the window, condensation is eliminated.
How do double glazing windows work?
Double glazed windows have two sheets of glass separated by a space. This gap is usually 16mm. The gap is filled with an inert gas and then permanently sealed. Triple glazed windows are the same principle but they are made from three sheets of glass with two gaps. Triple glazed windows are not always more efficient as their efficiency depends on:
- How well they stop heat transferring from the inside to the outside
- The amount of infra-red that passes through the assembly
- How little air can escape around the seal
What should you be looking for?
- Glass: The glass that is most energy efficient is low-emissivity (Low-E) glass. You will not see it, but this glass has a microscopically thin coating of metal oxide on one side of the glass. The sides which are coated face each other and are in the gap between the two panes for protection. The purpose of the coating is to allow light in but to stop heat from getting out.
- The gap: For maximum efficiency, the gap should be filled with an inert gas such as argon or xenon.
- The pane spacers: These are set on the inside edge and are used to maintain the gap between the two panes of glass. The best contain little or no metal, which can transmit cold; these are called “warm edge” spacers.
The window frame can be produced from uPVC, wood, aluminium or a composite frame which uses timer covered with plastic. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and at times the choice is made based on the existing architecture of the house.
Double glazed windows in Farnham are rated using a ranking of A to G. The entire assembly is rated for its overall efficiency, and the best are those rated B and above.
