Which will be your hero? Double or triple glazing windows
When it’s time to order replacement windows, it’s worth investing in the best quality you can afford. Nobody wants a poor result that won’t insulate or secure the house effectively. We’re often asked whether the increased cost of triple glazing is worth the investment, or whether double glazing is adequate for most properties.
There’s no right or wrong answer, because every home is different, but we’ll cover some of the pros and cons of both.
Increased cost
Double glazing is usually the cheaper option for British homeowners. While enhanced glazing technology, like self-cleaning coatings, can make double glazing expensive, an A-rated window is generally an affordable upgrade that provides good energy efficiency and security.
Triple glazing offers a boost in energy efficiency for a bigger spend upfront. When comparing typical energy bills, we’ve found that double glazing usually pays for itself in 10 years when the homeowner is upgrading from single glazed windows. Triple glazing, generally, does not pay for itself in that time.
If you have the means to go straight from single glazing to triple glazing, we recommend you do so. If your budget is limited, read on.
The influence of the weather
The craze for triple glazing is partly an import from Scandinavian countries, where winters are long and harsh. Sweden and Norway are well known for high quality double glazing products, and in those conditions, the extra pane is well worth the investment.
In the UK, we get very different weather to practically all other European countries. Our summers are rarely extremely hot, and our winters, while cold, are not so cold that we have snow on the ground for weeks at a time. We benefit from the influence of the Gulf Stream, which produces milder and wetter weather for the majority of the UK.
This is where triple glazing can be a slight disadvantage, because it can prevent heat from the sun entering the home. In a changeable climate, it’s a good idea to capitalise on natural sunlight, and double glazing is much better at doing that.
There are some exceptions to the rule, such as the Scottish Highlands where the weather is much colder in winter, and sunlight is far less abundant. But in the south east of England, we are fortunate enough to get warmer and drier weather, meaning triple glazing is less necessary, and could even be less desirable.
Why choose triple glazing?
Some homeowners choose triple glazing to keep the home extra warm, and there is definitely an energy efficiency benefit in this respect. Others choose triple glazing to reduce noise pollution, which is probably the best reason to have it installed; many of our clients in urban areas choose it for this reason alone.
A-rated double glazing, with a good quality frame, is adequate if that’s what you can afford. Providing a professional company properly installs your windows, you’ll enjoy a good balance of cost versus benefits, and a good quality double glazed window is better than a cheap, imported triple glazed window.
If you’re confused about the difference between double and triple glazing, let us explain the benefits and draw up a quote for both. Armed with the facts, you’ll be in a better position to make the right choice. Our team has been fitting glazing in the Surrey area for 40 years, and we have all the information you need to decide whether triple glazing is the right option for your circumstances.
