Three pane double glazed windows have been proven to be structurally sound and energy efficient, providing years of comfort for the majority of homeowners. The lowered energy bills are priceless in themselves, but the increased market value of your home, and the definitely improved appearance make you feel self-confident and proud of your investment. Double glazed windows are also cost efficient, and you’ll find that out for yourself once you begin looking into purchasing them.
Clearly, purchasing and installing double glazed windows prove to offer a good level of resilience in many weather conditions, from gusts of wind to straight lined rain and hail storms. The main reason that most homeowners enjoy the installation of double glazed windows within their home is for the affordability and protection that they offer.
These aren’t the type of windows, which are purchased just for impressions. No, these show a smart investor who understands what it takes to provide maintenance and upkeep for the most important piece of property in one’s life: your home!
You can ensure that your own carbon footprint is smaller with these windows; and you can be rest assured that with the most advanced glazing techniques the energy efficiency will be there, but there is far more to double glazed windows than this. Regardless of whether your property is more modern, older, or even contemporary, insulated glass can definitely improve your living environment. Some homeowners actually just have repairs carried out on their exiting double glazed windows, but then some do upgrade to a triple glaze quality.
Now, when it comes to placing double glazed windows in the structures of an older property, you’ll find that the glaze itself can improve the framework and structure, not just the windows themselves. You’ll also be glad to find that these will be able to go with just about every property imaginable. Not only do they help to retain the traditional aesthetic workmanship, but also they provide that double insulation to keep the heat outside in the summer, and keep the warmth inside in the winter. This is remarkable considering that there is over 25% energy loss through poor window maintenance alone.
There are a few different glazing systems on externally glazed windows. The most common one is the internal gasket or back wedge system. The rubber gasket on the inside of the window needs to be taken out to enable the external beads to be removed. To do this, take a stiff putty knife and press it into the rubber on the inside of the window and flick it out. Then follow the instructions for removing the beads above. Take note of which way the gasket comes out.
The next most common external glazing system is double sided security tape. The tape is put on to the window frame during manufacture and the double glazed unit is then pressed onto it, allowing the external beads to be clipped into place. Use a Stanley knife / Box cutter to cut the tape. Hold the knife flat to the glass to avoid slicing into the frame. Cut all round the taped area and you should be able to get the putty knife in and slowly lever the glass unit out. Once the glass has been taken out you can then get a scraper and remove all the old tape from the window frame, taking care not to damage the frame. Then follow the instructions for removing the beads above.
The third and least common type of glazing system is the sort that has no gasket or tape on the inside of the window. The beads on this type of frame can be removed from the outside with a putty knife. One word of caution With this type of frame, and some of the others. Some Externally glazed frames have Glass Locks fitted to them. Glass Locks are right angle pieces of metal that are inserted into special holder clips attached to the frame. If you remove the beads and see these metal clips, call a glazier as these clips can be very difficult to remove without the proper tools.