Single, double, secondary, triple… there are so many options out there with regards to the type of glazing you can have installed that the majority of times we tend to see people sticking to what they know. Good old double glazing. Now don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely no problem with professionally manufactured and expertly fitted double glazed units. However, with the growing awareness of energy efficiency and sustainability, an upgrade to triple glazing could go a long way towards reducing environmental impact as well as helping you to save money and keep your house warm.
We only ever use Pilkington Glass in our double and triple glazed units, and Pilkington energiKare™ Triple is one of the best performing products available on the market. Therefore we will use this product as our point of reference for this post.
Do I need to upgrade to triple glazing?
In short, the answer is no. You don’t HAVE to upgrade to triple glazing if you are in an existing residential building. For new build homes, government regulations do demand more stringent levels of energy performance. In this case, ultra-efficient triple glazing can play a major role in achieving excellent energy efficiency performance as part of the overall building. As energy performance requirements become stricter, which will inevitably happen in coming years, only windows with triple glazing will achieve the necessary levels of performance.
What are the benefits of triple glazing?
- Triple glazing provides the highest window energy efficiency possible. Meaning it’s the perfect choice for anyone working towards achieving a low or zero carbon home
- Pilkington energiKare™ Triple is designed to allow larger glazed areas without compromising energy efficiency
- Triple glazing could help to reduce condensation on your windows as it reduces the difference in U-value between walls and windows, minimising the ‘cold spots’ that we often find created by windows
- All Pilkington energiKare™ Triple glazed units can be supplied with warm edge spacers, which will increase even further the energy efficiency and reduce the risk of internal condensation
- Triple glazed units can dramatically reduce noise levels. Simple variations in the glass panes used can easily reduce the noise from outside by an extra 5-10 decibels. Perfect for homes near busy roads, major flight paths, rail tracks etc.
Do I have to replace the whole window or can I just upgrade the glass units and keep the frames I have?
It is possible that you may be able to simply replace the glass units within your existing frames with new triple glazed units. It is not always possible, but we are more than happy to asses the existing frames and if they are suitable, we will of course be more than happy to quote for simply replacing the units.
On the whole, we would suggest that if you have double glazed windows then there is no particular pressing need to upgrade to triple glazing. However, if you are considering changing your windows anyway, or are building a new home, then triple glazing would absolutely be worth considering.
We hope the above has been informative, and enabled you to make a more informed choice on your next window instalment. And don’t forget, if there is anything in particular you would like us to focus on for any of our future ‘FAQ’ posts, please do get in touch or comment below and we’ll be more than happy to offer our expert opinion.
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