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Double Glazing Advice

Installing double glazing in your home can seem like a daunting project. However if using a reputable installer, the process is fairly simple, and unintrusive, and should not effect the existing decor. Knowing what the entire process involves and understanding the various positive attributes of double glazing means that you make an informed decision and ultimately add style, value and comfort to your home.

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The Pros of Double Glazing

Double glazing has many positive features, depending on what type of glass is used. It is therefore important that thorough research is carried out before installation. This ensures that your new double glazing will indeed meet your needs and turn out to be a cost-effective option in the long term.
Double glazing sports many benefits that have helped to boost its popularity, especially in cooler climates such as that of the United Kingdom. Double glazing essentially consists of two panes of glass that are sealed together with a layer of air or gas between them to act as an insulator. This insulating glass unit allows the sun’s heat and light to enter your home, but prevents heat from being lost. This insulation will help save you money as you need to spend less on moderating the temperature in a room, helping to reduce heating and cooling bills. Double glazing will also help to reduce the carbon footprint of your home helping the environment with the least amount of effort from you.

The thickness of this insulating glass unit can also help to reduce noise pollution from the outside. Ideal if you live on a busy road or near a school for example, double glazing can work for you and become more than just a window. The thickness of this glass adds to the safety of your home as it is harder for intruders to penetrate, keeping you and your family safer and contributing to your peace of mind.

The Types of Glass to Use in Double Glazing

Once a little research has been done, it becomes obvious that the benefits of double glazing are considerable. This is especially true if you choose the right type of glass.

On a basic level, float glass is usually used in the outer pane of double glazing, with a thermal glass, such as Pilkington K Glass on the inner pane. However today you have endless options available to you. Toughened safety glass can be used to enhance the safety of windows if you are particularly concerned. In fact, in the UK, it is required that any critical area (doors, windows or walls made of glass and located at floor level) use safety glass. The approved glass comes in the forms of toughened, tempered or laminated glass. Tempered glass is designed to disintegrate into tiny, harmless pieces when broken, making it the ideal choice for homeowners with small children. Laminated glass uses two sheets of glass connected by a plastic interlayer that holds the glass shards in place should the window break.

Besides the safety aspects, your double glazing glass can be further enhanced to suit your needs. For those south-facing rooms that get hot in summer, solar control properties can be added to your choice of glass. This type of glass controls the amount of heat and UV rays that are transmitted into a room. This keeps the room cooler naturally, while still allowing in the maximum amount of light.

Keeping Double Glazing Glass Clean

Properly installed double glazed windows are easy to keep clean. They simply require the same treatment as any other windows in your home. But while you are replacing your windows with double glazing, it is worth considering installing self-cleaning glass at the same time. This type of glass is specially coated with a layer that reacts with sunlight to loosen and breakdown organic dirt. This dirt is then washed away by the rain and the window is left cleaner and clearer. This drastically reduces the amount of cleaning needed to be done by you, making your double glazing really work for you.

Houses in the UK are now given an energy rating to help judge their value and their effect on the environment. Thermal controlled double glazing not only adds to the aesthetics of your home, with new stylish windows and doors, but also can better your home’s energy rating. This means that it is not only better for the environment, but may help to achieve a higher selling price should you ever decide to move.

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By: Kelly Wheeler

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Pilkington has been in the glass industry for many years and is behind innovations like float glass and self-cleaning glass. Pilkington offers a range of glass products to be used in your new double glazing unit from self-cleaning glass, to safety glass and solar control glass.

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Glass Types

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Safety Glass Information

With the glazing of windows and glass becoming very popular, it is a good time to take a look at the safety of the glass and the minimum legal requirements that must be met.

Glass glazing types is a rather common topic when discussing window replacements or home improvement but what I am going to talk about now is the safety of the glass and updated legal minimums that must be met.

The British Standard "BS 6262: Part 4: 1994 Code of Practice for Glazing for Buildings", has put into effect new requirements that must be met regarding glass glazing in any building to insure safety.

The main purpose of this standard is to insure that glazed glass used in "critical conditions" is safe. This means that in these critical conditions, glass must "break safely" and this can be achieved by using small panes of ordinary glass combined with thicker glass layers and protective screening.

Along with these "critical conditions," we also have "critical locations." So, what exactly is a "critical location"? Critical locations are defined as areas that are "at risk from accidental human impact" as defined by the Approved Document N of the Building Regulations 1991.

Specific examples of critical locations include glazed glass used in doors between the floor and 1500mm up from the floor as well as any glass that is within 300mm of the sides of the doors, most often referred to as side panels, along with any glass windows that are between the floor and 800mm off the floor level, and others.

So, what can you do to insure that this glass is "safe" as per government regulations? Well, the glass needs to be able to pass a series of tests and there are only a few types of glass that have withstood these tests and thus can be used in the "critical locations." Toughened glass that may seem like ordinary glass but has actually gone through a special heating process to toughen it can be used in these critical locations. This glass is much stronger than traditional glass and as a result, it is much harder to break. Laminated glass is also another option that many may want to consider. Laminated glass is made up of multiple layers of glass with plastic in between and are again stronger than ordinary glass. However, laminated glass is not as strong or expensive as toughened glass. A last option is wired glass that is made up of glass with a network of wires that run through it to add strength and stability.

Double glazing the glass or window is another popular choice, as while the emphasis is on the insulation properties, the fact that a double glazed window is made up of two panes of glass and not one means that it is roughly twice as strong as an ordinary one. This naturally means that it is more difficult to break, helping with safety around small children.

Glass strength is very important in these situations, both for safety and so that you follow the law so be sure to take the above regulation into consideration when considering glass for a new building or replacing glass.

About the author:
David A. Howarth has been working in the home restoration and improvement business in the UK for over 20 years now, and enjoys writing about home improvement features such as replacement windows and conservatories.

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By David Howarth Published: 11/29/2006

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Why replace your single-glazed windows with double glazing ? For most, the precipitating factor for looking into double glazing is a need for new construction (or renovation) to conform to modern energy standards. Others decide to replace their windows as an energy saving measure. The main advantage that double glazing offers over traditional windows is insulation. Because nearly 25% of your heat is lost through your windows, well-made and well-fitted double glazing can reduce your heating costs by as much as half depending on the amount of glass in your home.

Some of the things to consider when shopping for double glazing for your home are safety, energy conservation, style, type of frame, type of glass, cost and installation. Each of these are important in your choice. Most will affect the price that you pay - and all will affect your pleasure and comfort in your home for years to come.

Safety

Single pane windows are most often made of a single sheet of regular glass which shatters into long, sharp shards when hit. When shopping for double glazing, you have a choice of several different kinds of glass, each of which are safer on breaking than traditional window panes. If nothing else, the double thickness reduces the chances that both panes will be broken. Whether you use security glass, toughened glass or shatterproof glass, double glazing offers some measure of safety over single glazing.

Security

There’s no doubt that double glazing makes it more difficult for a thief or intruder to break into your home by the simple expedient of breaking a window pane and reaching through the hole - but real security has more to do with the window frames and locking systems than with the glass itself. Be sure to choose windows with frames that can be securely locked from the inside.

Energy Conservation

Double glazing can reduce heat lost through windows by as much as 50%, thereby reducing your heating bills, keeping your house warmer and helping you do your bit in the conservation of natural resources. Especially in rooms with large windows, the difference in temperature in the room is easily noticeable. Sitting by a large, double-glazed picture window is far, far more comfortable on a chill winter night.

Style and Design

Double glazing is available in many different styles and types, and most people attempt to match the style of their old windows with the new if at all possible, especially when doing restoration work. A good, reputable contractor will work with you to find double glazing windows that suit your architecture and enhance your home’s beauty.

Frames

The three main frame types are PVCu, aluminum and wood, and each has its unique advantages and disadvantages. In a nutshell - PVCu frames are best at energy conservation, aluminum frames are the sturdiest, and wooden frames are the most attractive - at least in the view of some. For more detailed information about the advantages of each, see the related articles.

Type of Glass

Safety glass, tempered glass, low-e glass, Pilkington K glass - there are many types of glass that are used in double glazing. Glass with energy coatings - the low-e and Pilkington K among them - add further insulating properties to your windows, and can certainly be worth that additional expense.

Installation

Shop for a contractor and supplier as carefully as you do for glass. Shoddily done work can negate all the advantages gained in choosing to replace your current windows with double glazing. Look into the company’s history and check for any complaints against them, even ask for references from others for whom they have done work. Installing double glazing throughout your house is an expensive proposition - it only makes sense to know the people who will be doing the work.

Author: Matthew Anthony

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Matthew Anthony is a regular contributor to sites such as double glazing and window blinds.

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