uPVC Windows Guide

It is an unfortunate fact that the window glass we put in does not have the same ability to conserve energy as the walls of our home.  This is the reason that windows and doors in our homes are one of the main causes of heat loss.  While glass windows and doors are great at allowing natural light to enter into a residence, the price we pay for this light can be very high in terms of poor insulation and loss of heat from our homes.

The best way to ensure that windows are energy efficient is to install quality glazing, or window glass.  More importantly, it is better to have two if not more sheets of glass  (as in double or triple glazing), because the air or argon gas between the sheets creates an insulated layer, which in turn slows down the rate of heat transfer between the inside and the outside of the home in the winter.  Single paned glass windows are not efficient on any level and will cost homeowner money.

In terms of the u-factor of the windows, a window with a single pane of glass could have a u-factor of around 1.1 in comparison to a double glazed window which may have a U-factor of 0.4 or lower. The U-factor is a measurement of the value of the insulation of a window and the lower the U-factor of the glazing the better the window.

‘Low E-coating’ glazing is a specialised glazing that comprises a very thin film being applied to one of the glass panes.  The advantage of this coat is that it allows light to enter through the glass but it blocks harmful UV rays from entering and also locks heat from leaving the residence in the wintertime and from entering in the summer months.  The benefit of blocking UV rays is that they can be harmful to humans and also can result in fading and damage to furniture and furnishings.

In especially hot climatic conditions a glazing specialist may well recommend ‘low E2 glass’ which will efficiently stop solar gain in the home.  In colder locations the problem homeowners face is trying to keep heat in but conversely, in warmer climates the problem of solar gain in a home will mean that air conditioning has to be left running for longer periods to counteract the heat gain in the room and low E2 glass is designed to stop this happening.

There are many other types of specialised replacement glass available from good stockists or perhaps online.  Other examples include toughened glass which provides extra security in the home and impact resistant glasses, which may be more suitable in a location where flying particles are possibly going to hit and shatter a window.  Tinted glass will offer privacy and also protection from the glare of the sun if required.

While many homeowners, who may already have quality window units such as uPVC windows installed, are not easily going to engage in window glass replacement in their homes without very good reason, if the occasion arises that window glass repair has to be carried out on a window unit in the home, this may be an opportunity for a property owner to consider his or her options and perhaps compare the double glazing cost with the price of triple glazing or some pother specialist type of glass.  Depending on the location of a specific window, some of the above suggested glazing choices might just provide an excellent glazing solution.

If you have decided to install double glazing in your home, then congratulations.  You have made a good decision and will most likely reap the benefits over the coming years.  However in order to make the most of your decision you have to first select quality window units and proper replacement glass for your home.  Then you have to find a window or glazing installer from the many double glazing installers that are out there looking for your business.

This is not necessarily the most difficult thing to do, once you take your time at the process and carry out plenty of research.  When it comes to selecting an installer that you would be happy to install your windows, it will certainly help if you have some basic knowledge of what double glazing windows are about and of the installation process also.

The reason that double glazing is so popular worldwide is that it helps a home to become energy efficient if double glazed windows are used in conjunction with other actions, such as attic insulating, etc.  double glazed uPVC windows are especially popular, as they allow you to improve the thermal capacity of the home at a fairly reasonable price.  A PVC window also helps to improve the security of a property and is reasonably maintenance free.  The fact that they are available in a very large selection of styles and colours makes them attractive to homeowners also.

When it comes to window glazing one of the most important things to understand when talking to installers is the ‘U-Factor’ of the window units.  This is a measure of the ability of the window to prevent heat loss and it is a measure of the entire window unit and not just the glazing.  Other terms to be aware of are the ‘Solar Heat Gain Coefficient’ which judges how well the window is able to prevent the suns heat from entering the home, ‘Air Leakage’, which tells you how much air can leak through particular windows and ‘Design Pressure’ which is a measurement of the ability of the windows to stand up to wind pressure.

These are all pretty technical terms and are explained very basically here.  However, even by knowing this amount of information, you will be able to make comparisons between the different window units and glazing that are on offer and also between the different double glazing installation services on offer.  If a double glazing installer is unwilling or unable to discuss the above measurements with you as they pertain to the windows he is selling, he either does not know his windows very well, or the windows are not very good.

It is probably wisest to purchase from a company that is in business for a lengthy period of time.  This may cut down your list quite a bit, as double glazing fitting companies go out of business quite regularly after only a few years, but this is precisely the reason you want an established company.  There is not much point in getting excellent guarantees with regard to maintenance and service if the company is not around to honour its commitments to you.

Getting quotations does not cost you anything and will help you to further narrow your list of potential double glazing fitters.  When you have narrowed down your list in this way you can go into more detail with the remaining companies on the list, visit their websites If they have one, look at the testimonials they have received and even contact homeowners in your area that have had work carried out by these companies.

Good double glazing installers may be difficult to find at first sight.  However the more enquiries that you make and research that you carry out, one or two names will keep cropping up as being honourable, trustworthy companies that are in business for the long haul and that homeowners have been satisfied to use.

Given the high price of fuel and the expectations that this mean-price is going to climb even higher over the coming months and years, it is important that we consider any and all ways to cut down fuel consumption in our homes.  By installing uPVC windows, a homeowner has the opportunity to obtain an energy efficient uPVC double glazing window unit that will improve the thermal capacity of the home and cut down on fuel consumption.  There is undoubtedly a double glazing cost that has to be taken into account and as there are many different types of these windows on the market, it is important to purchase a quality product as cheap uPVC windows do not neccessarily make the best windows for your home.  In order to do that and t0 be able to decide which uPVC windows to purchase, it helps to understand what is meant by window insulation, what units are used to measure window efficiency and what symbols to look out for on quality windows.

uPVC windows

With regard to materials in general, the resistance of that material to heat loss is called its R-value and this unit is suitable for measuring the insulation capacity of materials that make up walls and roofs for example.  However because windows have to allow light through them, they interact very differently with the exterior environment than solid objects such as walls do.  For this reason a better measurement of the energy efficiency of windows is what is called the U-factor, which measures the rate that heat is transferred through the window unit.  A simple guide to help you remember the difference between the R-value of a material and the U-factor, is that the higher the R-value the better the energy efficiency of the material and the lower the U-factor, the better its insulation properties.

There are other terms that may be quoted when you are researching for a suitable type of PVC window for your home.  These include:
•    Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: This is the term used to describe the measurement of how capable a product is at blocking the sun’s heat.  This value will be lower in a product that is good at blocking heat.
•    Air Leakage:  Most products allow a certain amount of air to be transmitted through them and with regard to windows and other objects that contain openings that need to be sealed when they are closed, this is certainly the case.  The lower the air leakage value, the better the window is at blocking air from getting through.  Presently there is no official requirement on manufacturers to display this measurement.
•    Visible Transmittance:  This calculates the ability of the product to let light through.  The higher this value is, the better the window is at letting light in.
•    Condensation Resistance:  This value calculates how good the product is at deterring the production of condensation and the greater the value the better the product is in this field.

When you are considering any or all of the above terms and their values, you should remember that the value should be relevant to the entire uPVC window unit and not simply the glazing.  Having uPVC or vinyl windows with excellent glazing is of little comfort if the frames and seals and other components are not up to the task.