Which of these two different options is the better window replacement for you and your Colchester property?
Although they are more expensive, triple glazed upvc windows, residential doors, and French doors are no longer significantly more expensive than double glazed items. Aside from the additional upfront expenditure, correctly installed upvc triple glazing provides unrivalled value for money when considering household energy savings over a twenty-year period.
Spectrum Glazing’s triple glazing is nearly identical to their “A Plus” rated double glazing, with the major change being the interior bead, therefore there is little or no difference aesthetically. The interior bead was designed specifically to allow a wider 36mm unit to be placed into a normal 70mm profile. Spectrum’s triple glazing bead blends in with the overall aesthetics of the window and preserves its concave form by using a 36mm triple glazed sealed unit, as compared to the 44mm sealed units used by other suppliers (sloping in towards the sealed unit). Because their triple and double glazed window frames both measure 70mm front to back, both products can be used on the same home if a client wants one elevation to be triple glazed and the rest double glazed for whatever reason.
When comparing double and triple glazing windows, doors, and conservatories, there are some legitimate advantages and disadvantages to consider. Because triple glazing comprises an extra pane of glass, each triple glazed sealed unit is thicker and heavier than double glazing, exerting more strain on window hinges over time. Not only does the additional glass cost at least 50% more, but each window and/or door also costs more to carry because it is heavier.
Top grade upvc triple glazing should have a combined U-value of roughly 1.0 W/m2k, making it 40% more thermally efficient than conventional “A” rated double glazing and 60% more thermally efficient than ordinary “C” rated double glazing. This is a significant potential beneficial energy savings for home owners, especially given that gas and electricity prices continue to rise year after year.
Here are some disadvantages of choosing A Plus Plus triple glazing windows over A Plus double glazing windows:
- Triple glazing is more expensive at first.
- Triple glazed sealed units likely to fail more frequently than double glazed sealed units.
- Once out of warranty, triple glazed sealed units cost more to replace than double glazed sealed units, which is something to consider.
- Triple glazing is just around two decibels quieter than double glazing, and there is no meaningful difference if trickle vents are necessary in the windows.
- The additional weight of triple glazing strains the frames, hinges, and opening window and door sashes.
- If the central pane of a triple glazed sealed unit is float glass, it can crack owing to temperature changes between the inner and outer panes, hence superior installers will always use toughened safety glass to limit the possibilities of this happening.
