What are the advantages of triple glazing?
Choosing the right glass for your windows and doors can make a big different to how they perform and how your home feels.
Triple glazing is used as standard in colder climates due to its high levels of insulation. It is also used in properties looking to reach passive house standards. But is it the right choice for your home? We take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of triple glazing below.
Advantages of Triple Glazing
✔ Better insulation
Triple glazing can reduce heat loss in your home. Which in turn will lower energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. Triple glazing works best when the walls, doors and loft in the property are also insulated. It is possible to reach u-values as low as 0.6 W/m2K with triple glazing, helping you to reach Passive House standards.
✔ Reduced risk of internal condensation
Compared to double glazing, triple glazing can reduce the risk of internal condensation. If a room was heated to 21 °C, the internal pane of a triple glazed window would have a surface temperature of 18°C, whereas a double glazed window would have a surface temperature of 16 °C. As a result the heat is kept inside, and the cold external temperature doesn’t reach the internal warm air which results in condensation.
✔ Improved security
Triple glazing’s additional pane of glass makes triple glazed windows/doors harder to break. Therefore triple glazing can offer improved security compared to standard double glazing. It is however possible to add an enhancement to double glazing which will improve its security, and make the glass harder to break than standard un-laminated glass.
✔ Noise reduction
Again due to the extra pane of glass, triple glazing is able to block out more external noise compared to standard double glazing. It is possible however to specify acoustic glass with double glazing which has been designed to reduce noise.
Disadvantages of Triple Glazing
✘ Cost
Triple glazing has a higher initial cost compared to double glazing, due to the extra pane of glass within triple glazing. However if your property is properly insulated you could save money on your heating bill in the long run.
✘ Reduced light
Light transmission is reduced, as it is harder for the light to penetrate the extra pane of glass. Therefore less light is allowed into the room.
✘ Increased weight
The extra pane of glass makes the windows very heavy, therefore in older buildings you will need to check that your walls can take the extra weight. Otherwise you can risk damaging the walls/windows.
✘ Frame and installation considerations
The above advantages are only advantages if you have quality frames that have been fitted well. As poor frames and poor fitting will cancel out the advantages.
Summary
Triple glazing certainly has its advantages in the right situations. However for those advantages to really make triple glazing worth while, it will depend on the structure/insulation of the property they are being installed into and your main goals.
At Aspect Windows we offer a range of aluminium windows and doors with triple glazing. Including the Reynaers CP 130 LS & CP 155 LS lift and slide doors, the Reynaers CS 77 casement and tilt and turn windows, and triple glazed flat roof lights. If you are looking for composite windows then Internorm‘s range of tilt and turn windows and sliding doors are also available with triple glazing. Both brands are great options if you are looking to reach passive house standards.
If you are unsure on the right choice for your home book an showroom visit at Aspect Windows. One of the team will talk through your requirements with you and explain the options available. Helping you to decide on the right solution for your home.