Wondering what glass to use? Here’s a quick run-down of what is available.
Double Glazed [insulate glass units] – Two panes of glass with an air gap between them, forming a hermetically sealed unit. This is a very efficient noise insulator, and has an enormous impact o interior comfort, keeping rooms cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Double-glazing reduces heat loss while still allowing the passage of solar radiation and natural light. To reduce summer heat gain, use a tones outer panel.
Gas Filled – Some double-glazed units are filled with gasses such as argon and krypton, which improves their insulating performance by about 10 per cent.
Laminated – Panes are assembled from two sheets of glass, sandwiching a plastic filling. Heavy impact can break laminated glass, but it won’t splinter. It also eliminates 99 per cent of harmful UV rays.
Low-E Glass [low emissivity glass] – Low-E glass has a coating that reflects radiant heat. It is generally used in double glazed windows and can improve the thermal performance by up to 35 per cent compared with standard double-glazing. Most products come with toned glass and this significantly reduces solar gain. The lower the emissivity of the glass the better it will perform.
Self - cleaning – A coating on the glass absorbs UV light to break down dirt on the surface. When water hits the glass it cannot bead so it spreads across the glass and takes the dirt particles with it.
Solar reflective – has a mirror-like chemical coating fired onto its surface. Used to control interior temperatures, it will reflect up to 70 per cent of solar heat.
Toughened – Five times as strong as laminate glass, toughened glass is heat-treated. It is very popular as a safety glass because if broken into small relatively harmless particles.
Toned and tinted – Can shade internal areas and reduce the amount of heat entering through the window. This will keep the building cooler and reduce glare and UV rays. |
GLAZED AND CONFUSED? CHOOSING GLASS FOR YOUR HOME