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Advice

If your property does not already have double-glazing then it is seriously worth considering for all its advantages. From a purely cost saving perspective, the savings made from installing double-glazing will take a very long time to payback the investment.

There are plenty of firms that will install double-glazing windows into your property. This competition should allow you to find a good deal, though you still need to watch out for the cowboys. Their sub-standard windows will only cost you more in the long run.

If you decide to go ahead with replacing your current windows with double-glazing then it is worth asking friends, family and colleagues for recommendations. Don't always go with the cheapest price as there could be pitfalls attached.

With double glazed units there are a number of points that should be considered:

1. Low-e 'soft' coating. A hard coating does not perform as good as a soft coating

2. Air gap being between 12-16mm. The reason for this is that if the gap is below 12mm the air doesn't create enough of an insulating barrier to be effective. If the gap is over 16mm then the air in the gap finds it easy to circulate creating convection, which means greater heat loss.

 

Other Sustainable considerations

Using timber frames with aluminium cladding for extended life span. The timber can be from certified sustainable source such as FSC or PEFC, and makes use of the more natural materials, whilst the aluminium protects the frame from needing maintenance. At the end of the windows life the glass and aluminium can be recycled. The timber can either be downgraded or burnt to recover the embodied energy.

Having triple glazing further improves the same advantages of having double-glazing, though not to the same extent. The cost of triple glazing increases significantly and you will need to consider if the extra benefits are worth the extra cost.

If you are getting serious about reducing the energy needed to heat your dwelling then you can purchase glazing with insulating gases between the panes of glazing. Whilst air itself is an effective insulating gas there are better performing inert gases mainly argon or even krypton. However the use of insulating gases comes at an increased cost