Having double glazed windows has many advantages; it keeps the heat in to reduce your bills and your carbon footprint, and it reduces outside noises to ensure your home is as relaxing and as quiet as possible. As fortune would have it, double glazing is not accessible to all and can be an unfeasible option for a number of reasons. It can be very costly and to install it throughout an entire house can be an extravagance that a lot of people simply cannot afford. Other factors include if you live in a listed building, if you’re renting a property, if you live in an apartment building, or in some cases you may even need to get planning permission. Essentially there are a number of obstacles that need to, but cannot always, be overcome when it comes to this method of saving energy.
Secondary glazing is a solution to the issues that are raised by the prospect of double glazing. Double glazing requires the window currently in place to be removed and replaced with a pre-made frame and window that have to be measured and prepared beforehand. This process can take around six weeks and depending on the amount you are having put in may take several days to install. Secondary glazing on the other hand has a far simpler installation process, and better still doesn’t take nearly as much time. Secondary glazing comes in kits, and while you can hire someone to install it for you, the DIY version can be done with relative ease and on the same day.
Noise is reduced:
Using secondary double glazing is one of the best methods to reduce noise and to make your windows sound proof through a method that is cost effective. There are various types of glasses and few of these glasses are better when compared with the other types to reduce noise effectively. The normal glass which is used for noise reduction is 4mm while where there is a high pollution of noise then the glass with 6.5mm thickness can be used. These heavy glasses are capable to reduce the noise up to 75 to 80% and these glasses have the performance of thermal in the long run. By using the heavy duty glass which is double glazed then you can reduce the noise level up to 90%.
Draught proofing:
Some of the windows which is single glazed offers you with an insulation that is insufficient, ineffective seals and they may also be poor sometimes, due to this the windows may not even close in a way that is appropriate. The bills for heating and the draughts which is caused due to cold may occur due to the failure which is caused by the old windows. Even the kits which are designed for draught proofing may not be helpful for these windows in few circumstances.
Save amount on the bill:
The loss of heat can be avoided easily with the windows and lofts insulation. Through the method of secondary glazing for the windows you can save up to 50% of the heat loss.
Cost:
It is much cheaper to insulate the windows with the secondary glazing rather than replacing it with another window.
Rattles and dust:
The secondary glazing is sealed completely thus it avoids accumulation of dust. The dust does not get accumulated because the movement of air in between the cavity is very less. Thus it prevents ratting in the window that is primary.
Maintenance of these windows:
The maintenance which is to be done on the secondary windows is to its minimum.
There is very little air movement within the cavity between the two window panes, thereby, virtually eliminating the ingress of dust and cutting out any rattling of the primary window as well as draughts. Maintenance for secondary glazing is also minimal.
If double glazing is out of the question for one reason or another, then secondary glazing is the next best approach. You will still enjoy the true benefits of secondary glazing and although it may not be as effective as double glazing, it certainly is a lot cheaper and a hundred times better than using plastic bags.