23 March 2024

Is Double Glazing Worth the Cost?

Reportedly 40% of heat loss in winters and 80% solar gains during summers occur through your windows. Even with a good cooling and heating system, this heat flow is not ideal.

How does double glazing work?

Double glazing your window frames creates a vacuum between the two panes of glass. This vacuum acts as an insulator and prevents heat from escaping in the winters. During summers, it keeps the hot air out and this simple feature will reduce your energy consumption by leaps and bounds. Double glazing offers you multiple benefits.

Improves energy management and is eco-friendly

Double glazing your windows can improve your home’s insulation by up to 73%. If avoidable heat loss and gain can be prevented, you won’t have to depend so heavily on your fire, heater or heatpump. This not only reduces the amount of money you spend on your electricity bill but also diminishes the size of your carbon footprint.

Eco-conscious homes are the future and having double glazed windows in your home will certainly have a positive impact on your property value. Sleek and versatile, they also add to the street appeal of your building.

Reduces condensation and preserves indoor air quality

With double glazed window frames, you can reduce condensation formation on your windows. When your window pane is cooler than the temperature inside your home, moisture collects on the pane. This moisture turns into droplets of water which can result in the formation of mildew or mould.

Since this is all happening inside your home, the spores from the mould have every opportunity to contaminate the air that you and your family breathe indoors. These spores can cause allergies or even infections and those with existing respiratory conditions will be more affected. But when you double glaze your window frame, the glass pane (that faces indoors) will never be cooler than room temperature and there will be no opportunity for condensation to occur. So the risk is completely removed.

Triple Glazed Aluminium Joinery 300x200

Offers privacy and security

Besides reducing heat loss, the vacuum created between the two window panes can reduce noise pollution. The vacuum acts as a soundproofing measure so all you have to do to cut down on noise coming in from the outside is to just close the window. You will notice that significantly more noise is kept out when compared to a single glazed window. This offers you more peace from a noisy street and more privacy if you want to crank up the volume on your tunes without disturbing your neighbours. You can also explore the possibility of secondary glazed windows if you want to maximise this benefit.

In terms of security, it is harder to get through two panes of glass than one. Intruders will think twice about breaking in through double paned glass as it will take longer and increase the risk of discovery.

Reduces the effects of sunlight

Sunlight has a notorious reputation for causing colours to fade and having strong sunshine streaming in through your windows does take a toll on your furniture fabrics and carpet. You may notice uneven patches and discolouration. With double glazing, this effect is reduced. To further protect against this, you can have UV film added to your windows.

No extra maintenance measures

Just as you would with regular windows, you need to clean your windows regularly. Remove any grit or dirt accumulated on the tracks, around locks and on the glass itself. Cleaning your windows keeps them in good working condition, ensuring that the required parts move freely.

Is double glazing worth the cost?

Double glazing provides multiple benefits to your home and the health of your family. It improves the energy efficiency of your home, reduces condensation and helps maintain the quality of air indoors, offers reduced noise and harmful UV rays, increased security, and reduces maintenance costs. Double glazed windows and doors are becoming standard in modern homes in New Zealand and are definitely worth considering.

Should I consider retrofitting?

Retrofitting is a method of installing double glazed windows within the frames of existing windows and doors to retain the feel of your home’s aesthetics. The single pane of glass is removed and it is replaced with Low-E (Low-emissivity) glass. However, it must be kept in mind that while retrofit double glazing offers high performance, it is a little different from that of conventionally installed double glazed units. We can explain this in detail during a consult.

Retrofitting your existing windows with just the insulated glass unit will cost you only about 60% of the expense it would cost to get the entire frame installed. You can retrofit existing wooden window frames as well as aluminium frames with double glazed window panes.

How much does double glazing cost compared to single glazing?

It is a common misconception that you need to double your budget if you choose high quality double glazed windows. In reality, it is only 20% more the original cost. Since double glazing offers so many advantages including energy efficiency, you definitely see a lot of returns including reduced heating bills and significant noise reduction just by changing budget by a bit initially.