How to choose glass for window

When choosing windows for your home, it's important to consider both the quality of the frame and the properties of the glass.

How to Choose Window Frame Glass

Window panes must have excellent insulating properties to protect your home from cold, heat, wind and rain. They allow light to pass through, determine the brightness of the room, and must also be shielded from sunlight and outside noise. Considering that they make up about 80% of the surface area of a window or door, they are of great value when choosing the right window or door for your home.

Are the windows triple glazed or double glazed?

Without proper glazing, rooms can overheat in summer and feel cold in winter. This can add to your heating and cooling costs year-round and make your home a less than comfortable place to be.

If you've ever stood in front of an inefficient window in winter (or high summer) and felt cold (or hot) wind blowing through the glass, you know the importance of high-efficiency windows. The right glazing can help you make your windows work for you—between multi-pane options and energy-efficient paint, a professional can help you decide which windows will perform at optimal efficiency year-round.

Double Glazed vs Triple Glazed: Which Glass Is Best for Windows?

Using single-pane windows is almost a thing of the past. Since energy efficiency is a major concern for most homeowners today, almost all modern windows are at least double glazed. This means that each window has two panes of glass, separated by a thin gasket. This space can also be filled with insulating gas. These are known as insulating glass units (IGUs).

IGUs can also be triple glazed – in other words, a third pane of glass is added to the window unit. Triple-glazed windows are more expensive than double-glazed windows. Unless you live in an area with extreme temperatures, you won't see a significant return on investment in terms of energy savings or the sale price of your home.

The design of the gasket connecting the two or three panes is also important to the overall performance of the IGU. In the past, metal was the main material used to make gaskets. However, the conductivity of metals can pose problems, and these types of gaskets can lead to condensation and ice crystals.

To reduce the possibility of moisture trapped between the glass, we now make gaskets using treated metal or structural foam combined with a desiccant to remove any moisture trapped in the space during manufacturing.

What's the Best Window Fill - Air or Inert Gas?

The IGU was once filled with air. But heat and cold can easily pass through the windows, reducing the effectiveness of the double glazing. Replacing air with a less thermally conductive gas reduces heat transfer, improves the performance of the glass and reduces the U-factor, or heat transfer rate, of the device.

Most IGUs manufactured today are filled with argon or krypton gas. Both gases are non-toxic, non-reactive, clear and odorless.

Argon is more widely used because it is more cost-effective than krypton. If you opt for argon-filled double-paned windows, the space between the two panes is about half an inch.

Krypton takes up less space than argon, so it's especially useful in preventing triple-glazed windows from becoming too dark to fit in standard window frames. The optimum gap width for krypton is three-eighths of an inch, so if triple-glazed windows prove to be the best choice for your climate, your new windows may be insulated with krypton.

Low-E and tempered glass

A low-emissivity (Low-E) coating is a thin layer of metal applied to one side of the glass. Also known as low-e glass, the coating is nearly invisible and slows the transfer of heat through the glass pane. The coating is on the inner surface of the glass pane to protect it from the elements and physical damage.

Different types of Low-E coatings are designed to allow high, medium or low solar heat gain. This innovation helps control the overall heat transfer through the pane. It also allows builders to tailor windows to a home's needs by taking into account the overall climate and annual weather patterns.

· Higher solar absorbing coatings allow more of the sun's heat to enter the home or building, so they are most commonly used in parts of the country where winters are long and harsh.

·Low solar gain coatings block approximately 75% of the sun's heat, so they are popular in warmer climates.

Tempered glass 

Tempered glass, also known as safety glass, is the smartest choice for windows and other glass structures in your home. It is heated during manufacture and then cooled very quickly. This rapid change in temperature makes it four times stronger than untreated glass.

When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into small, blunt-edged shards. In contrast, untreated glass shatters and shatters into dangerous fragments with relatively little force.

Features of window glass

The best glass panels for windows must have the following properties to ensure optimum performance.

solar factor

The solar factor (FS or G) measures the amount of heat passing through the window pane from the outside. This measurement is of course influenced by several variables; you should rely on a professional to determine the right solar factors for your home with the goal of creating a balanced microclimate in all seasons. 

Transmittance

Light transmission (TL) is a physical quantity that measures the amount of visible light that passes through a piece of glass. This factor is also influenced by several variables, such as the type of glass or the number and thickness of panes. It is a good idea to buy windows with glazed windows, which have a good TL, to get very bright rooms and thus lower consumption of artificial light. 

sound insulation

Sound Reduction Value (Rw) measures the perception of noise, evaluated in decibels, transmitted through a window from the outside to the inside. It is necessary to install windows and doors so that the home has good sound insulation In Italy we say at least 40 decibels. The higher the Rw value, the quieter and more comfortable the house will be.

Safety rate

Ideal home window glass must also be able to prevent the risk of injury in the event of an accident or if the glass breaks. It is best to have a window fitter install laminated glass on the inside to increase the degree of safety provided.

break-in resistance

Windows must also make the occupants of the apartment feel safe. The anti-theft characteristics of the glass are at least P1A and highest at P8B. The latter value is ideal for environments that require extreme security, such as banks or police stations. In average families, courses around P4A or P5A are usually recommended.