Different people have double glazing installed for different reasons. For some, it may be to replace rotten timber window frames or aging corroded metal frames. But for many people, the installation of double glazing is associated with noise reduction, draught proofing, reduced condensation, thermal insulation and as a way to save energy. And as everybody knows, energy has a cost; a cost to the planet in the form of CO2 production and a cost to the homeowners purse.
The majority of homes that are currently single glazed, will be upgradable to double glazed though there may be some planning restrictions in place where listed buildings are concerned, meaning a secondary glazing system may need to be employed. For the more conventional home, double glazed windows can be supplied in a variety of frame types, using timber, aluminium or uPVC. The uPVC option is by far the most popular and cheapest, whilst also offering the best thermal insulation which of course contributes toward the quest to save energy.
As with so many industries, double glazing has benefited from advances in the manufacturing process, so the double glazing installed today is far superior to that of 40, 30 or even 20 years ago. The typical gap between the panes of glass in a modern window will be from 12 to 16 millimetres whereas in the 1990s it could have been as small as 6mm. Although much development has been driven by the need to save energy, this has had the knock on effect of reducing fuel bills for the consumer. So if you don’t already have double glazing, perhaps the time is right to reduce condensation in your home, cut down on intrusive traffic noise, save on fuel costs and save energy.
The initial cost of replacement windows can present itself as a bit of a financial obstacle, but when you consider that the average 3 bedroom home could make an annual saving of £160-£180 just by fitting double glazing, then it becomes less of an obstacle an more of an opportunity. An additional incentive to save energy comes by way of a government backed scheme, the Green Deal. The deal has been launched with the intention of providing householders with a low cost financial package to enable the purchase of double glazing and other energy saving home improvements.
Any fuel saving made by fitting double glazing can be used to offset the cost of having it fitted. This offset or payment is conveniently incorporated into your monthly fuel bill where it will have minimal impact on the household budget. The Green Deal also ensures that you are not committed to a long term agreement, as if it were the case that you moved home, payments would cease as you would no longer be the one benefitting from the double glazing.
There are many resources out there dealing with the green deal, but this one is particularly good. You can find out more about the government backed green deal scheme and double glazing options here from The Green Deal Online