Double glazing: a clear market leader.
Double glazing is taken for granted as the glazing of choice for contemporary UK homes. According to The UK Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, almost 93% of the UK’s housing stock has some form of double glazing with an almost 12-fold increase in numbers since the 1970s. The proportion of properties with every window being double glazed currently stands at over 83%, such has been its success.
But what exactly are the benefits of double glazing for your home? In this article we explore the top 5 benefits of double glazing for homeowners.
Key advantages of double glazing every homeowner should know.
- Double glazing is a net contributor of heat energy to your home. Windows are typically a point of significant energy exchange in your home. Heat is conducted from within your home to the outside environment, and solar energy is gained through your glazing to add heat to your home. This is exploited by double glazing which uses an insulating layer of inert gas between the two glass panes to reduce thermal loss and allows them to be exceeded by beneficial solar heat gain.
- Feel more comfortable with warmer walls. Plate glass windows have a cold-zone effect, due to their greater energy losses through the glass. This is experienced as a cold or draughty sensation when you stand by the walls nearby the window. The reduced thermal losses of high-quality double glazing actually leads to increased wall temperatures meaning that you can stand close to your windows without feeling a chill.
- Reduce condensation. Condensation in your home can be difficult to control and if neglected can lead to damp and other problems. Cool or cold single glazing is a magnet for water vapour in the air leading to tell-tale condensation and pooling on sills. The glazed surface of a double glazed window is warmer and so minimises the generation of condensation.
- Double glazing insulates your household from outside noise. If you live near a busy road, train lines or within an urban area, noise pollution can really affect the comfort of your home. Your choice of glazing contributes significantly to the penetration of noise into your home. Installing double glazing provides sound insulation with modern windows engineered with laminated acoustic glass that reduces the transmission of noise through your glass to home.
- Add value to your home. According to This Is Money, installation of double glazing is one of the most effective ways of increasing the value of your property. Double glazing attracts buyers, with up to a 10% increase in the price of properties where it is installed. It is also a profitable improvement which will cost you far less than the value gained on your property.
Rounding up.
Double glazing is well recognised as one of the best home improvements you can make, with outstanding savings in energy and the cost of heating your home. It is no surprise that there is a demand for fully double-glazed homes on the market as this type of glazing makes a significant contribution to the comfort of a property.
If you would like to learn more about how double glazing can benefit your property, contact our helpful team today.
