01/16/2012
Dual glaze windows / double pane windows!
Most folks looking to replace their windows are opting for something more efficient and they usually decide on dual glaze windows, often times referred to as double pane windows. This type of window has several benefits over its counterpart, single glaze/single pane windows. These windows keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer as well as providing sound reduction. Some of the terminologies associated with these windows are shading co-effiency, sound reduction, ultra violet light, visual light transmission valves, spacers, polysulfide, and so on. Yikes! Let’s scare the stuffing out of your Teddy Bear!
We should start with what makes these windows work, things like glass thickness, glass color, and what keeps them together. Dual glazed units are available in a variety of thicknesses; thicker units tend to have better air and sound insulation properties. Because dual glaze units consist of two pieces of glass, you have more options available to choose from, such as colored glass, obscure glass, or low-e coatings. Units are held together with a little bit of glue, a metal spacer and a desiccant.
Desiccant is similar to the little bags of silica beads you find in retail packaging. I personally think this is the most important part of the dual glaze. These beads absorb moisture; which is important because once moisture gets between the panes of glass it causes milky white streaks that are asscociated with a “fogged” dual glaze / double pane window. So these beads are actually pretty important stuff. To my knowledge there is no regulation of the usage or storage of these beads, so the question I have is, does this affect its quality and/or, “Does it lose its flavor on the bedpost over night?”
While attending a glass conference in Las Vegas, I learned there are different grades of desiccant and most often window manufacturers use “C” grade according to this source, out of a grading scale of “A” through “D”; as a result, this presents the downside of these dual glaze windows. Overtime, the beads become saturated, which results in moisture forming between the two panes of glass, referred to as a “fogged” unit. Unfortunately there is no way to extract the excess moisture; therefore, you must have the unit(s) replaced by a master glazier.
Another option to the dual glaze windows are windows manufactured with laminated glass. Laminated glass is the same type as your windshield in your car, which has two pieces of glass with a plastic interlayer laminated together.
For more information about double pane windows feel free to call or write us at:
619-670-3000
[email protected]
See our next ask the pro for more details about laminated glass.
Master Glazier
