Good Window Design & The Importance of Double Glazing
Is Double Glazing Worth The Money?
Simone Schenkel of Gruen Eco Design
IS double glazing worth the money you invest? The answer is YES, but ONLY if it is installed correctly, without a cold bridge (thermal bridge). A window or a door is essentially a hole in the wall and responsible for most of the unwanted heat loss or gain.
Windows are essential for a house and the comfort and well-being of its inhabitants, as they let natural light and fresh air into the building and enable views. Appropriate window design, size, location and glazing treatment, combined with shading and internal covers, can significantly reduce the energy required for heating and cooling. Maximum solar access for north-facing windows can reduce winter heating bills up to 25%. External shading can block up to 80% of summer heat gain through windows. Double glazing and internal coverings can reduce heat loss in winter up to 40%.
Glass is the potential weak point of a building in terms of energy efficiency. A single glazed window can gain or lose up to ten times more heat than an insulated wall.
Available across Europe and America for the past 60 years, uPVC window profiles are the most popular choice to deliver superior and proven performance worldwide.
More than half of all new and replacement residential windows worldwide are uPVC. That’s almost 290 million window units a year.
Chosen for their durability, low-maintenance, high energy efficiency, performance and style, the US and Europe have long focused on energy-efficient windows.
However, in Australia, we’ve traditionally used either timber frames which are good insulators but high maintenance, or aluminium window frames which need less maintenance than timber, but have poor insulation .
Thermal performance is one of the most important characteristics of a window. Double glazed uPVC windows can be as much as four and-a-half times more energy efficient than standard single glazed aluminium. The energy efficiency of a window system is commonly defined by two measures.
First, the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), a measure of the solar radiation going through the glazing into a building, and secondly by the rate of heat flow through a window system (uValue). For both measures, the lower the number, the higher the performance.
A common misconception in Australia is that double glazing is only for cold climates, to keep the cold outside. But double glazing is also just as effective in keeping the heat of an Australian summer OUT. In fact, standard glazed windows contribute to eighty-seven percent of the summer heat gain in a typical Australian insulated home. Choosing double glazed units with low solar heat gain and lower uValues reduces or eliminates the need for expensive artificial cooling. By replacing your windows with high-efficiency upvc ones, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from household heating and cooling by more than one ton a year.
uPVC windows are considered durable, with expected life spans of 35 years, and leading brands have been tested specifically for resistance to australia’s high UV radiation levels. These windows will look good for years without the need for sanding or repainting, and being resistant to salt, are ideal for coastal locations.
uPVC window profiles have been carefully engineered to incorporate multi-point locking systems, providing a high level of security. They can be used in a wide range of styles for old and new heritage or contemporary homes, and they come in a variety of colors. Choose with confidence from a range of quality suppliers in Australia.
Why Double Glazing? 2016 Was The Hottest Year On Record!
Using double glazing to help cool your home is becoming more valuable by the year.
2016 is now officially the world’s hottest year on record. Just ask NASA and NOAA. It beat the previous record, which was set in 2015. Which beat the previous record, set in 2014. See a pattern here?
It’s a sobering thought, but anyone under the age of forty has never lived in a year that was not above the average temperature experienced over the whole of the 20th. Century.
As our summer temperatures get progressively hotter, it has a direct effect on our homes.
Hotter temperatures make us more uncomfortable.
Hotter temperatures mean that we use our air conditioning more, driving up our electricity bills- at a time when our tariffs are at a record high level, too.
The extra hours that your aircon runs, and extra on/off cycling, cuts down the life of your system, and increases the need for maintenance/servicing.
Fitting double glazed windows and doors to your home helps cut down the amount of heat entering in summer. If you also specify uPVC frames, you’ll get the very best combination of high thermal insulation, high acoustic insulation, and a long, maintenance-free lifetime.
Available across Europe in America for the past 60 years, uPVC window profiles are the most popular choice to deliver superior and proven performance.
Worldwide, more than half of all new and replacement residential windows are uPVC. That’s almost 290 million window units a year, chosen for their durability, low-maintenance, high energy efficiency, performance and style. The US and Europe have long focused on energy efficient windows.
However, in Australia, we’ve traditionally used either timber frames which are good insulators but high maintenance, or aluminium window frames which need less maintenance than timber, but have poor insulation. Thermal performance is one of the most important characteristics of a window.
Watch the video, or read the text!
They Have High Energy Efficiency
Double glazed PVC windows can be as much as four and-a-half times more energy efficient than a standard single glazed aluminium one.
The energy efficiency of a window system is commonly defined by two measures.
First, the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) is a measure of the solar radiation going through the glazing into a building, and secondly by the u-value- the rate of heat flow through a window system.
For both measures the lower the number, the higher the performance.
They’re Cooler In Summer, Warmer In Winter.
A common misconception in Australia, is that double glazing is only for cold climates, to keep the cold outside, but double glazing is also just as effective in keeping the heat of an Australian summer out.
In fact, standard glazed windows contribute up to eighty-seven percent of the summer heat gain in a typical Australian insulated home. Choosing double glazed units with low solar heat gain and low u-values, reduces or eliminates the need for expensive artificial cooling.
By replacing your windows with high-efficiency uPVC ones, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from household heating and cooling by more than one tonne a year.
They’re Durable & Low Maintenance
uPVC windows are considered durable, with expected life spans of 35 years, and leading brands have been tested specifically for resistance to Australia’s high UV. These windows will look good for years, without the need for sanding or repainting, and being resistant to salt, are ideal for coastal locations.
uPVC window profiles have been carefully engineered to incorporate multi-locking systems, providing a high level of security. They can be used in a wide range of styles for older, new, heritage or contemporary homes. And they come in a variety of colors.
Choose with confidence from a range of quality suppliers in Australia. The uPVC Window Alliance is supported by globally leading brands committed to delivering uPVC windows you can rely on in Australia.
uPVC windows- the wise choice for windows in Australia.
Leading Melbourne Architect Recommends Double Glazing
Best of Houzz award-winning Architect, Rebecca Naughtin, runs Rebecca Naughtin Architect– a small boutique practice that specialises in residential projects in Melbourne.
What struck me was that, even though she was talking about working to a budget, she believed that double glazing was the best choice. In the article, Rebecca advises…
Don’t dismiss double glazing as an option Most of the cold and heat enters through windows so double glazing has been installed in these aluminium-framed windows. They look smart, contemporary and the double glazing does not compromise the frame structure which is lighter than a timber frame. Double glazing should be considered for all projects; you may be shocked by how economical it can be and it provides a very comfortable environment.
In the article, she went on to discuss her preference in framing material…
Consider long-term maintenance costs uPVC windows are relatively new in Australia, however they are incredibly durable, low maintenance and can resist wind, rain, corrosion, peeling and chipping. Something to consider for ongoing costs of your renovation.
More and more architects are recommending double glazing to their clients, with many good reasons!
