Is It Worth Triple Glazed Window?

A step up from the extremely beneficial double glazing, triple glazed window consist of three panels of glass rather than two. Each of the glass units are filled with an extremely energy efficient argon gas to help insulated the home and provide maximum thermal efficiency. Combine triple glazing with an aluminium or uPVC frame and your home will instantly improve in security, thermal efficiency and weather resistance. Many homeowners are happy with the satisfactory results of double glazing, which is why we ask, is the extra cost of triple glazed windows worth it? Will the increased benefits over double glazing, positively affect your heating bills, energy efficiency and home security?

Are Triple Glazed Windows Better Than Double Glazing?

The only way to measure the difference in energy performance between double glazed windows and triple glazed windows is by measuring the U value, just as we do with walls, floors and roofs. The U Value measures the transfer of heat through a structure, the higher-insulated a doors or window is, the lower the U Value will be. The triple glazing has a drastically reduced U Value, providing extreme thermal and energy efficiency. Double glazing should now have a U value no worse than 1.6. Triple glaze windows should have a U Value of no more than 0.8, however some suppliers are able to achieve 0.5. Just by seeing these U value figures, it is easy to recognise how much more effective triple glazed windows when it comes to maximising heat retention and reducing heat loss. There have been many manufacturing improvements in glazing; these are used to the maximum when manufacturing triple glazing.

Wider spaces between the glass panels allowing for more argon gas to be inserted
Glass with extra coatings such as low emissivity to stop the heat from escaping
Designed out cold bridges to prevents draughts

How Much Do Triple Glazed Windows Cost?

Triple glazed windows are known to be more expensive than double glazing, due to the extra layer of glass. Due to the difference between U value measurements, research illustrates that you can expect to improve your homes energy efficiency by 5%, meaning that you will most likely save money on your heating bills and reduce your carbon emissions. Translate these measurements into money and you can expect to save £20 and £40 a year depending on the size of your house. It won’t matter how much your triple glazed windows cost because the increase in energy performance is so noticeable that you can expect to make back triple glazed windows cost through your reduced energy bills.

Benefits Of Triple Glazed Windows

There are many benefits of triple glazed windows. They are mostly in relation to how comfortable your home is. One of the key benefits are increased thermal comfort levels, this is due to the extra panel of glass added which will heat your home that little bit better. For example, in a room which is heated to 21°, a double glazing window will be at 16° whereas a triple glaze windows would be 18°. This demonstrates the increased difference of thermal values.

Noise Reduction

Another major benefit is noise reduction. Let’s look at the comparison between double and triple glazed windows. Double glazing can achieve can achieve a performance of Rw32, whereas triple glazing can bring this into the low 40’s. This simply means that triple glaze windows and doors will drown out the exterior noise, creating the difference between an interrupted or a good night sleep.

Less Condensation

Triple glaze windows will drastically reduce the risk of condensation. The lower the U values are, the more thermally efficient your windows will be, and this will ultimately help reducing internal condensation. This is simply because the warm air is kept inside and the cold air is kept outside, meaning they are less likely to combines and cause unwanted condensation to occur. Despite this, it’s important to note that the key cause of condensation is humidity inside rooms with no ventilation. For example, this could be a room with a tumble dryer and no windows.

Some of the disadvantages are that triple glaze windows can be slightly more expensive than double glazing. Also, due to the heavily frames they must be installed correctly to ensure maximum performance.