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Helping You Make Your Home Your Castle |
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About Double Glazed Windows
Single Glazed and Double Glazed Windows
Introduction:
Windows have progressed a
long way in the last fifty years. Originally
windows were just holes in a wall to let in light
and fresh air. During inclement weather windows
were covered with animal hide, cloth or wood. The
shutters that could be opened and closed came next.
They functioned a lot better than holes covered
with animal shides.
Glass windows came into being during the time of
the Romans. They were made with a single pane of
glass, primarily decorative, to let in light and
keep out inclement weather. Double glazed windows
came into being in the early 20th
century. They were constructed with two panes of
glass separated by a gap or airspace. The air space
is usually filled with air or some other non-toxic
gas such as argon to improve insulation.
In most homes the largest heat loss is through the
windows. With single pane windows there is a huge
amount of heat lost as compared to double glazed
windows. Single pane windows are now in low demand
because of their inefficiency. But there are many
older houses that still have these single pane
windows.
Replacing all of the single pane windows in a house
with double glazing is one of the more cost
efficient ways of improving home insulation and a
great way of saving money on your energy bills in
the long term.
If you live in an older home with single pane
windows you should consider replacement double
glazed windows. You will immediately see a
reduction in your annual heating costs because you
will be using less fuel to warm your home and it
will stay warmer for longer.
In
addition, double glass windows reduced the noise
transfer from the outside to the inside of your
house and increase security. They have a laminated
film which toughens the glass by a large amount.
As an
alternative to replacing your single glass windows
there is another option. A second window made with
a single pane of glass can be installed over the
existing window. The secondary windows were
commonly called storm windows. In the early days
storm windows were put on for the winter and
removed in the spring. Today modern storm windows
are permanently installed. The advantage of
installing storm windows is that you get the
benefit of a double pane window at a much lower
price than replacing your windows. Related articles:
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