Double glazing is something that’s a step in the right direction when it comes to how we design and construct glazing installations of all kinds, from sliding doors to windows, but it still has somewhat of a tarnished reputation.
To be fair, this largely comes down to the habits of the so-called ‘double-glazing salesmen’ that move from door to door, opening the wings of their metaphorical trench coats to reveal shady home ‘improvements’ of various kinds.
Besides the hard-sell, fear-inducing marketing ploys about how your home is currently, the antics of such persons and companies are ones primarily responsible for the undeservedly poor reputation of double glazing.
Still, double glazing has become industry-standard technology in spite of all the unfair bad press it has received, and it does offer numerous benefits, but it can equally be somewhat confusing. If you are thinking about extending your property or upgrading your windows or other glass installations, it helps to know more about what double glazing is all about.
Fortunately, you are reading this guide, which contains plenty of information, that’s guaranteed to help you understand double glazing better, including what it actually does, and why it is now such an important aspect of home design. Here is all that you should know about double glazing:
What Is Double Glazing?
It is obviously important to understand what double glazing actually is before you can understand what it does and why it is so important. Double glazing is actually a phrase that’s so ubiquitous when it comes to home improvement and construction that you might assume that it does not need any introduction. However, to have a good grasp of its benefits, it is first important to understand what it actually is.
Simply put, double glazing is used in glass installation of all kinds, especially windows, and involves two glass panes set in the same frame, which are then separated by a thin air layer (vacuum) or sometimes an inert gas such as argon. The magic ingredient in double glazing is this layer between the two glass panels.
Double glazing helps to keep the cold out while keeping the warmth in. It helps reduce drafts, and it is a vast set-up from single glazing that involves just one pane of glass acting as a barrier between the inside and outside worlds. As anybody with single glazed windows likely understands, these single panes often act like chilling units inside a home during the cold months. If you are looking for a company that can do your double glazing for you I would recommend Bill Butters Windows.
The Origins of Double Glazing
The earliest accounts of using double glass window panes to act as a more effective shield to the cold are somewhat hazy, but some have traced back the origins to as early as 1870 in Scotland. If you have ever made the trip up to the highlands you probably understand just how cold it can be in Scotland, especially during the winter. Victorian houses that have multiple rooms to heat and just a feeble kitchen fire usually being the only source of warmth resembles something more akin to today’s giant refrigerators than family homes.
Inhabitants of such chilly abodes realised that by bonding an additional sheet or pane of glass onto their sub-par windows using putty, their houses became a bit warmer. The bolstered windows essentially thickened the barrier between the harsh winter chill and the shivering families within. Drafts were dramatically reduced and the temperatures improved from levels similar to living in an ice age to much warmer temperatures that increased their chances of making it through the winter.