Heat loss: Double glazed vs single glazed

Heat loss expenses - double glazed vs single glazed

Heat loss is a common issue that many Perth homeowners face during winter. Traditionally, homeowners would upgrade their insulation, install carpets or even improve their heating systems to get through the cold winter months. Today, double glazing is locally available and affordable so the question is: Should I choose single glazed or double glazed windows when building my family home?

Having an energy efficient home provides increased comfort while saving money on power bills. High-end materials and insulation will help improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Deciding which window profile is suitable for your home is an essential step in your home design with some options being more expensive than others.

What is the difference between single and double glazing?

Single glazed windows are made using one pane of glass. The only thing that stands between the outside environment and your home is that one piece of glass. Typically, glass thickness ranges between 3 and 12 mm, providing minimal insulation. A single glazed window is considered to be 20 times less efficient than an insulated wall when it comes to heat preservation.

Double glazed windows comprise of two separate pieces of glass each separated by a spacer. This spacer acts as an insulator. Some modifications such as UV tinting can be added to the glass. When double glazing is introduced into existing homes, their heat preservation efficiency can be improved by up to 79%.

Advantages of double glazing

The main benefit of double-glazed windows is the improved thermal insulation in one’s home. For instance, a home that is using a split type heat pump/air conditioner during the winter experiences heat loss because the indoor unit is forced to do more work to maintain the comfortable temperature.

When double glazing is installed, there can be a reduction in heat loss by almost 50%. Combining this with insulated curtains for the windows will further decrease heat loss.

Double glazed windows pay for themselves over time as you will require less heating in your home, therefore, spending less on power bills.