New Glass Better Than New Windows?
Thinking about new windows? Great! Read this before you make a decision, it could save you a lot of time and money.
How to decide if you should replace your glass or get all new windows
If you are thinking about replacing the windows in your home, or, you are concerned your old glass is losing heat and driving up your bills. Then there’s a few things you need to know before you make a decision.
First of all. Stopping heat escaping through old inefficient glass is a no-brainer. Whether you decide to just change the glass or get new windows, either way, you are making a smart choice. A more thermally efficient solution for your glass or windows will mean a warmer, cosier and home. Your energy bills will be lower and so will your carbon footprint. Win win.
So next lets look at what we mean by glass or windows. We don’t mean to blind you with science but please bear with us for a moment or two.
The standard double-glazed unit available on the market measures 28mm in depth, and is pretty energy efficient. It has a U-value (note: a lower U-value = better heat retention) of 1.2. All new window frames on the market today can only accommodate a 28mm unit or above. They cannot facilitate a smaller unit, i.e. 24mm.
However, the vast majority of older uPVC windows in Ireland were made to accommodate a 24mm unit. And if your existing frames are in good condition, Energlaze can retrofit new Low-E-Plus2™ heat-retaining glass into them.
Why choose to only replace the glass?
While Low-E-Plus2™ is a mere 24mm in depth, it has a low U-value of 0.9. That means it is actually more thermally efficient than new double-glazed glass units installed into new windows, despite being 4mm thinner.
The fact that it is 4mm thinner means we can optimise the argon gas that goes into the cavity thus making it more efficient than the 28mm unit. (Remember this is standard in all new windows)
Another thing to bear in mind is that if your windows are over five years old, chances are your old glass will have a U-value of around 2.8. If you upgrade your glass to new Low-E-Plus2™ from Energlaze, we can improve the efficiency of your existing windows by up to a staggering 68%.
So if you are thinking of getting new windows or want to keep more heat in your home, it really is worth considering changing the glass. After all, it costs up to 50% less than a full window replacement, installation takes just a day and there is little or no redecorating afterwards.
How do you know if you have inefficient glass? Check if your spacer bar is silver like in the below picture.
Replace the window frames too? No problem
If your uPVC frames are not suitable for Low-E-Plus2™ to be retrofitted, or you would just prefer all new windows with a new style and colour. Energlaze can help you choose the best windows to suit your home. A complete new window upgrade from Energlaze features our Low-E-Plus heat-retaining glass and advanced security features as standard.
The above figures have been calculated using EN Standards 410 + 673/12898.
