24 hour glazing

Here for when you need us

24 hour glazing

Here for when you need us

24 hour glazing

Here for when you need us

24 hour glazing

Here for when you need us

What Kind of Areas Are Best Suited to Double Glazing?

windowIt’s generally a well-known fact that double glazing is a great idea to have fitted in your home. Windows with two panes of glass, separated by a gap of a couple of centimetres, are so commonplace that most houses in the UK are now fitted with the system.

Here, we’re going to go through what all of the great reasons are to have double glazing fitting into your windows, and point out the environments that would get the most benefit from double glazing. Read on for more details about the places that can benefit most from having double glazing.

Why Double Glazing is Great

The gap that is present between the two different panes of glass in your double glazing unit is a wonder. It may not seem like anything special, but it means that your windows will be

  • Better at keeping your house warm in the winter
  • More efficient at keeping your home cool in summer
  • Safer if there was an attempt to break in
  • Easier to maintain

That’s a lot of positives to having double glazed units, and there are very few downsides. There is, indeed, costs associated with having double glazing fitted, but having to maintain wooden, single glazed windows can definitely be a costly business too, Making the change may save you money in the long-run

Make A Home Warmer

Living in the UK, we all know how cold it can get and how expensive it can be to heat a home over the winter months. By having double glazed windows, you can reduce your monthly spending on fuel for heating.

cold window

Keep the cold out

They keep your house warmer because it is harder for the heat being produced to escape. A window with just one pane of glass isn’t going to put up much resistance when heat is trying to escape. The two panes have a vacuum between them, meaning it’s nearly impossible to heat to travel through that space.

If heat isn’t able to travel through the space between the two pieces of glass, then it is going to stay in your home. This means that your central heating doesn’t have to work anywhere near as hard in winter months.

Because of this great feature of double glazing, it’s really well suited to cold areas. If you live in an exposed place, such as on a hill or near the coast, you’ll be familiar with how chilly the winter months can get. By adding double glazing to your property, you are able to protect your home from the area around you.

Keep Your Home Cool

It seems that summers in the UK are getting warmer and warmer as the years go by. It’s no surprise that more and more people are searching for ways to keep their home warm in the winter but still cool in the summer months.

For the exact same reason the warmth doesn’t escape from your house in the winter, the heat struggles to get in during the summer. The gap between the two panes of glass in your double glazed unit means that the heat that hits it cannot penetrate so cannot warm up the house.

sun window

Sunshine but not too hot

This can be especially useful for homes that get a lot of sunlight. The south facing side of your home will stay cool and comfortable to live in when you have your windows double glazed. Similarly, homes that aren’t in shadows due to trees or other buildings can get warmer, quicker. Houses in such areas are ideal candidates for double glazing.

Staying Safe

The glass that is used in double glazing tends to be tougher than glass used in single paned units. If someone were to try and break the glass in one of your double glazing units they would find it more difficult. The fact that there are two panes of glass makes it even tougher again to be break them.

The frames for double glazing also tend to be more durable. Most single glazing is likely to be in wooden or aluminium frames. The plastic used in double glazing frames makes them much sturdier and less likely to be broken.

If you’re in area that has experienced an increase in crimes such as theft and robbery, double glazing can help. Things will be more difficult for a thief, they will think twice before trying to break into your home at all, and you will even feel more secure, knowing that you’ve done your best to make your home safe.

When is a Good Time to Reglaze?

Sometimes it can be much cheaper to reglaze your windows rather than getting a whole new unit. By only replacing the actual glass that is in the frame, rather than the whole frame itself, you could save time, money, and mess in your home.

There are a few reasons that you might want to change the glass in your home

broken window

You will want to replace broken windows

  • Cracked or broken glass
  • Tired or dirty putty around the glass
  • Change the look of the glass

Reglazing can be simple and since there are less materials involved, and it will take less time to complete, it will usually cost less money to complete. There are times when reglazing won’t work, we’ll cover this a bit further down.

Reglazing single glazed windows

If you live in an older house you might only have single glazed windows, meaning there is only one single pane of glass in your frames. Although it is advisable to have double glazing, due to financial constraints or issues with planning permission for certain buildings and conservation areas, it simply isn’t possible.

When considering reglazing, rather than a full frame replacement, there are some things you need to check about your existing frame. It is:

  • Moving well at the hinges or sash?
  • Still study and strong?
  • Airtight?
  • Watertight?

If the answer to all of these is ‘yes’, then you’re ready to have the windows reglazed. Although some people may attempt to reglaze their own windows, there is nothing like professional skills and service, you can contact us to arrange reglazing of your home.

To change the aesthetic of your glazing is a common reason to change it. Maybe you have stained glass that looks tired and dated and want to change it to clear glass. Or maybe you want to inject some colour or pattern into your room and add stained glass or leaded glass.

Reglazing double glazed windows

double glazing

A modern double glazing unit

It’s much more common for homes in the UK to have double glazed windows. In fact, it has been part of building regulations since 2002 for new houses to have double glazing. It’s less common to want to reglaze double glazed units.

If you feel that changing the glass on your double glazed units, think about the following questions so that you understand your needs:

  • Are they in good working order?
  • Can you see any cracks in the uPVC?
  • Are both panes of glass in need of replacement?

Changing the glass due to a broken or cracked pane is the most common reason to reglaze a double glazed unit. The work involved is a bit more complicated than changing a single glazed pane of glass, so get in touch to bring the professionals in.

When not to reglaze

Single glazed units

Although the pricing is attractive when reglazing single glazed units, a lot of the time it many not actually match your requirements. For example, if you have rotten wood in your frames, changing the glass won’t have any effect.

You may think that new glass in your windows will improve their energy efficiency. However, it’s probably not going to change much and there is still the issue of the material that the frame is made out of not being especially energy efficient. When considering the energy efficiency of your home, double glazing is definitely going to make the biggest difference.

Double glazed units

condensation

Reglazing won’t fix a condensation problem

It’s not uncommon for older double glazing to have an issue with internal condensation. This would be when you can see a thin layer of water droplets between the two pieces of glass. It usually will gather in the corners and it’s something you should check all of your windows for periodically.

You may think that a simple change in glass is going to be a quick solution to the problem of condensation in double glazing. However, this is actually a sign of a bigger problem. New glass in the existing frames is not going to help.

To solve the problem of condensation in your double glazing you will actually need to get a whole new unit – a new frame with new glass. This is because the problem stems from a break in the seal of the frame that maintains the vacuum between the two panes. Because the seal is cracked, water can get in and therefore cause condensation.

5 Reasons to Double Glaze Your Home

Double glazing is very common in UK homes now. Due to building regulations, most new homes since 2002 will have already been fitted with double glazing. If your home isn’t yet double glazed, there are myriad benefits to changing over.

Already thinking of renovating or extending your home? When you’re already looking to do work to your property you should investigate changing the windows to be double glazed at the same time. Even if there are no other pressing improvements you want to make to your home; the disruption is minimal, as long as you are changing ‘like for like’ when it comes to sizes.

Here, we’ll go through some of the great benefits of having double glazed windows fitted at your home. Once you have seen how beneficial the decision is, don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote.

1. Reduce heat loss

By its very design, double glazing is going to be able to help keep the warmth in your home. As temperatures get colder, it’s a habit to crank up the central heating to keep things cosy. There are lots of ways to make sure that the heat that is being generated by your boiler doesn’t escape.

Warm Light on a Cold Night
Houses are warm and cosy with double glazing

Glass, by itself, isn’t a great insulator. It leaks heat out really easily. But, when you put two panes of glass together, with a little gap of air between, it becomes very efficient at stopping heat from leaking.

The key here is the vacuum that is created between the two pieces of glass. When that air gap exists the heat that is being made in your house cannot get out very easily. If the heat can stay in your home for longer, you might not need to have your heating on for as long, or at as high as temperature as normal.

2. Your home will look nicer

If your house doesn’t have double glazing already, it’s most likely because it is more than 17 years old (since building regulations made it mandatory for most homes from 2002 onwards). This means, your windows and frames are probably quite old. No matter how well you can maintain the exterior and interior frames, there will be a time when they start to look worn and tired.

You can get uPVC frames, aluminium, or wooden ones, and can choose from a range of colours and finishes. Although you might think that the standard is white, plastic frames, this is no longer the case. There is also stained glass and panes that have the look of being leaded, if you want to maintain your current aesthetic.

old and new windows
Old building and new windows still look great

3. Less noise pollution

In the same way that heat is less likely to get out of your house due to the vacuum between the glass, the same goes for noise getting in. The sound waves from the local school, main road, or emergency services vehicles, cannot travel through the gap between the panes where there is not air. Because of this, you are easily able to reduce the amount of external noise coming into your house and disturbing you.

4. Reduction in UV radiation

That vacuum gap between the two panes of glass used in double glazing has great benefits. Along with the others mentioned, damaging UV rays from the sun have a harder time passing through. This means that things in your home are less likely to fade.

If a part of your sofa or carpet is in the sun all day, you might notice that part has faded faster than the parts that are never in direct sunlight. The fading is caused by UV rays from the sun and they are greatly reduced when you get double glazing installed.

5. Increased property value

cottage
Double glazing makes your home more valuable

You may not be considering selling your home just yet, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on the value of it. Since double glazing is nearly standard in the UK, most home buyers are expecting it to be already fitted. By having single glazed, old windows and frame you are potentially losing a couple of thousand pounds as the buyers calculate into their offer how much it will cost to get them replaced as soon as they move it.

How to Frost Glass

Would you like to learn how to create frosted glass in your own home? Of course, it is not substitute for the privacy glass that we can offer you. Our privacy glass is high quality and professionally fitted. Maybe you want to see how your home would look with privacy glass, or just want to add some decoration.

We will talk you through how to frost your glass with store bought frosting spray. Maybe you want to frost glass in an art project. Maybe you have a dark hallway and you want to allow light to come through the door, but still keep the room private. If you have kitchen cabinets, frosted glass can look really nice, and you don’t have to worry about keeping the cupboard too tidy!

Recycled doors

A frosted glass window

Today we’re going to talk you through a project where a door was reclaimed and upcycled. You can find unused door everywhere. Maybe your neighbour has one kicking around. If there is renovation work going on near your house you might be able to find door that has been removed. You can even pick them up in local junk yards.

Depending on the size of the door that you find, you may need to use your carpentry skills to trim it down.

Preparing to frost

The first thing that you are going to need to do is to remove the glass out of the door frame so that you can frost it. You need to consider which side of the glass you are going to spray. If you catch the frosting spray with your fingernail, or with something a little bit sharp, you are going to scratch it.

Think about which side of the door is going to be seen the most. For example, a bathroom door is likely to stay closed most of the time so you would spray the side that faces into the room. On the other hand, may be you want to put the frosted glass on a bedroom door, you will probably want to frost the side of the glass that faces out into the hallway.

Getting started

Once you have the glass removed and you have chosen which side of the glass that you want to spray, you need to clean the glass. Use a normal glass cleaner that you can buy from the shops. Make sure that you clean it really well, and on both sides. If it is not perfectly clean then the frosting spray is going to pick up on every imperfection.

If you are spraying old glass you might have things stuck to it, like old paint or varnish, especially if it is glass that is from a door. To remove things like this, you will need to use something to scrape the window, such as a razor blade.

Spraying

When you start spraying, you will need to begin from the bottom. Use a good quality paint tape to mark off any areas that you don’t want to spray. For example, if you are only wanting to spray the bottom of the glass, then tape where you want it to finish.

Shake the can of the spray on frosting really well. This should help the stuff spray on nice and evenly rather than splurting out and causing a mess. Remember that you can alway add more frosting on to the glass, but it will be really difficult to remove it all properly and start again. Go slowly.

A light coat

Textured frosted glass

When you move the spray can, move at a slow and steady pace. You want to give the glass a light coating. The effect will be better if you build up layers.

Hold the can around 15 centimetres away from your glass. The glass frosting spray can have a very strong smell. Make sure that you do your glass spraying project in a well ventilated area. It might also be a good idea that you wear a mask as you are doing this.

Full effect

After you have sprayed the first coat on to the glass, it is likely that you might say, ‘but it’s done nothing!’ But don’t worry, it is normal. When you have waited for your first layer you dry you will be able to see the full effect of the coat you have applied.

To dry, you should leave the glass for around ten minutes. You are going to be able to build up the layers of the frosting, but make sure you wait so you know what you are dealing with.

After the frosting spray has dried on the glass, you can apply another coat of the spray. Follow the same process, make sure that your tape is holding in place, give the can a really good shake, and spray slow and steady across the glass surface.

Safety

As we have said, make sure that you are using a well ventilated space for your frosting project. If the weather is good, it would be best to do this work outside. A good mask is going to help stop you from getting a headache from any fumes that you might inhale from the spray too.

Be careful of your clothes. You might want to wear gloves in case you get any on your hands. An apron to protect your clothes, or even just some old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty would be ok too.

Light and privacy

Alternatives

As well as having the option of using a frosting spray to get a frosted, privacy coating on to your piece of glass, you can get frosted film. Although the film may be a lot more hard wearing, applying it is a lot more difficult. Spray on frosted glass can easily get scratched or damaged, but it is easy to fix.

When you apply frosting film you need to have perfectly clean glass before you can start the process of applying to film. It also takes a lot of patience to make the film adhere without it getting creases or air bubbles.

Of course, if you want a hassle-free, high quality option for frosted glass, you can get the real thing. It won’t scratch, because the frosting is actually a part of the glass. There is not hard work for you to put in, we will come to you and fit it. You can contact us with your requirements and we will match your expectations.

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