Browse Forums Windows & Doors Re: Double Glazing worth the cost? 6Oct 29, 2012 12:03 pm ed @ ecoclassic BTW... the orientation has no relevance to double glazing - if you want to control solar heat gain, then you will need to add low-E glass to the double glazing. Ed, I'm sure you've commented on this a billion times before ... but am I right in saying that a lot of the time you get better performance from a properly-designed frame (dare I mention your thermally-broken uPVC ones as an example for fear of looking like a fanboi or something? ) than from the glass itself, at least with respect to insulative properties? To give a for-example, the builder we've been looking at using has a policy of only using their existing suppliers; their window supplier is one of the big names everyone's heard-of. Their aluminium double-glazed windows have worse WERS ratings (both hot & cold) than their timber-framed windows with single-glazing; the difference not being in the glass, but in the fact that their aluminium frames aren't thermally-broken (and their wooden ones sort-of are ... I guess due to being made out of the quite non-conductive medium of wood). So to answer the original question but attaching an "according to what I've been told rather than in my experience" clause ... double-glazing works well, but IMHO if you're getting wooden frames you're not going to get a massive increase in insulation with double-glazing. We've been told by more than one architect that unless we're getting really fancy with our house, having laminated glass is generally going to offer enough insulation for us in Sydney as well as offering some security downstairs; of course it's going to be different if you're further south or further inland, and "enough" is a very objective term too! Re: Double Glazing worth the cost? 7Oct 30, 2012 7:48 am Forg ed @ ecoclassic BTW... the orientation has no relevance to double glazing - if you want to control solar heat gain, then you will need to add low-E glass to the double glazing. Ed, I'm sure you've commented on this a billion times before ... but am I right in saying that a lot of the time you get better performance from a properly-designed frame (dare I mention your thermally-broken uPVC ones as an example for fear of looking like a fanboi or something? ) than from the glass itself, at least with respect to insulative properties? To give a for-example, the builder we've been looking at using has a policy of only using their existing suppliers; their window supplier is one of the big names everyone's heard-of. Their aluminium double-glazed windows have worse WERS ratings (both hot & cold) than their timber-framed windows with single-glazing; the difference not being in the glass, but in the fact that their aluminium frames aren't thermally-broken (and their wooden ones sort-of are ... I guess due to being made out of the quite non-conductive medium of wood). So to answer the original question but attaching an "according to what I've been told rather than in my experience" clause ... double-glazing works well, but IMHO if you're getting wooden frames you're not going to get a massive increase in insulation with double-glazing. We've been told by more than one architect that unless we're getting really fancy with our house, having laminated glass is generally going to offer enough insulation for us in Sydney as well as offering some security downstairs; of course it's going to be different if you're further south or further inland, and "enough" is a very objective term too! The glass is a leveler as long as the different systems have the same gap (12mm being optimum) and same glass type - many systems were designed for single glazed and cannot fit a 12mm gap with 4mm or 5mm glass, so they don't perform anywhere near as well. After glazing, the frame design is the only differentiator, EcoClassic's non-broken frame (EcoTech) beats a market leader for energy efficiency, and theirs is thermally broken. (We also have a thermally broken window). Timber is great, until it warps or needs painting. PVC is good until you want very large windows, or large sashes, or you are in a bushfire area. Double glazing, with a 12mm airgap, with well sealed windows, will always deliver the same marked benefit over single glazed windows, in timber, aluminium, PVC or thermally broken aluminium. And finally, laminated glass will make no difference to energy efficiency. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Double Glazing worth the cost? 8Nov 03, 2012 6:39 am Re double glazing (DG). We had a problem with noise and looked at DG. The cost put us off - BUT we went to a large hardware place and got this special "rubber" tape that goes around the frame of a window. You then close the window - tight. The "tape" is in a few sizes so you can close the window properly. I guess its similar to that stuff you put around a door jamb to stop a draft - but its rubber and sits up a bit - max maybe a 5mm or so ? It stopped almost 70-80% of the noise I'd say. You could still hear the noise - but as if from far away. This was a bedroom too. Cost under $20 (from memory) vis a vis $1,000's for DG. Re: Double Glazing worth the cost? 9Nov 03, 2012 8:37 am Saint Mike Re double glazing (DG). We had a problem with noise and looked at DG. The cost put us off - BUT we went to a large hardware place and got this special "rubber" tape that goes around the frame of a window. You then close the window - tight. The "tape" is in a few sizes so you can close the window properly. I guess its similar to that stuff you put around a door jamb to stop a draft - but its rubber and sits up a bit - max maybe a 5mm or so ? It stopped almost 70-80% of the noise I'd say. You could still hear the noise - but as if from far away. This was a bedroom too. Cost under $20 (from memory) vis a vis $1,000's for DG. That will work if your problem is air leakage... when it's 3mm glass it won't help. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Double Glazing worth the cost? 10Nov 03, 2012 12:17 pm ed @ ecoclassic Saint Mike Re double glazing (DG). We had a problem with noise and looked at DG. The cost put us off - BUT we went to a large hardware place and got this special "rubber" tape that goes around the frame of a window. You then close the window - tight. The "tape" is in a few sizes so you can close the window properly. I guess its similar to that stuff you put around a door jamb to stop a draft - but its rubber and sits up a bit - max maybe a 5mm or so ? It stopped almost 70-80% of the noise I'd say. You could still hear the noise - but as if from far away. This was a bedroom too. Cost under $20 (from memory) vis a vis $1,000's for DG. That will work if your problem is air leakage... when it's 3mm glass it won't help. Ed I think it was just the gap - so yes - but it worked a treat. This is one of the reasons I decided to go overseas for my double glazed windows. As the builder indicated, he's worked on many upmarket builds, these were the most well… 13 19373 For your reference Performance Labels: Window assemblies in housing, except timber windows, must be labelled so the label can be seen when it is in situ. For timber… 6 8934 In fairness nobody gave a crap about the ACCC and the gag clauses continued in the pro forma templates of a few other builders after the ACCC took on Wisdom, and more… 19 73785 |