Choosing Triple Glazing
Triple glazed windows are becoming an increasingly popular option, particularly in the aluminium space. The difference between double glazing and triple glazing is the number of panes of glass they have. Double glazing has two panes with air or insulating gas, like argon, in between. Triple glazing is exactly the same but consists of three panes instead.
It has been a popular choice in places such as Switzerland and Norway due to their cold climates. It has become increasingly popular in the UK because of its benefits.
FAQ
Triple glazing is widely used in cold climate countries like Sweden and Norway, and the ultra-low energy standard requires triple glazed windows with a U value of no more than 0.8. To get a window with such a low U value, you have to not only switch to triple glazing but also insulate the frame itself, as well as using more expensive manufacturing techniques — the gas krypton tends to be used, instead of argon.
Triple glazing may not make sense in the UK climate. Triple glazing is more costly to produce, produces much heavier sections and has an embodied energy approximately 50% higher than double glazing.
However, the benefits of increased U values and reduced energy bills may soon absorb the initial installation costs . Triple glazing adds an intangible comfort factor to life indoors in the colder months.
The lower U values of triple glazed windows helps towards minimising internal condensation issues as the heat is kept inside the building and typically stops the cold external temperature reacting with internal warm air resulting in condensation.
