DOUBLE GLAZING

Things you need to know before buying double glazing.

Contents Howtousethisdoubleglazingguide 3

10thingsyouneedtoknowbeforeyoubuydoubleglazing 4

So,you’rethinkingaboutreplacementwindows? 5

Benefitsofdoubleglazing 6

ReplacementwindowsBuildingRegulations 8

Theneedforreducedenergyconsumption 10

Maintenance 11

Buyer’sguide 12

Choosingasupplier 14

Choiceofmaterials 15

Designissues 18

Typesofglass 19

GoingdowntheDIYroute 21

Ataglanceguidelines 22

WhyuseTheGlazingPeople? 23

Appendix 24

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Howtousethiszerostressguide Ifyou’replanningtochangeyourwindowsor doorsyouneedtobeawareofyourlegal obligationtomeetcertainstandardsinthe government’sBuildingRegulations.Inparticular, energyefficiencyissomethingthatneedsalotof attentionanddictateswhichinstallationsyou canhaveinyourhome. Withplentyofotherfactorstotakeintoaccounttoo,itisnecessarytobeequippedwiththeinformationyouneed,whichiswhythisguidewillbeausefulreferencepoint.ItnotonlygivesyouthebackgroundtothedemandsoftheBuildingRegulationsbutalsodetailsthebenefitsofdoubleglazingaswellasguidingyouthroughthevariousdesignoptions.Weadviseyouoneverythingfromwhattolookforinasuppliertohowtocareforyourwindows.

Therearewarningsofpitfallstoavoidandbookmarkstowebsitesthatwillprovidemoredetailonaspectsoftheprojectinwhichyouareespeciallyinterested.Inshort,weinviteyoutobenefitfromourexpertiseandmakethewholeexperienceasstraightforwardaspossible.Ofcourse,noprojectis100%stress-freebutifyoufollowouradviceyou’llcomeasclosetoitashumanlypossible.Furthermore,getitrightandyoucanlookforwardtoenjoyingthebenefitsofyourdoubleglazingformanyyearstocome.

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10thingsyouneedtoknowbeforeyoubuydoubleglazing

1. DoubleglazingissubjecttostrictBuildingRegulations–makesureyouadheretothem2. Safety,securityandenergyconservationwillbeenhanced3. Yourchosenstyleshouldcomplementandenhanceyourproperty4. Cheaperpricesoftencomeattheexpenseoffeweropeningwindows5. CheckwhetherPVCuwindowsarefullyweldedorifpartsofitaremechanicallyfixed6. Getuptofourquotesbeforetakingadecisionandchecksuppliers’guarantees7. Secondaryglazingisacheaperandequallyefficientoptionforsoundinsulation8. Doubleglazingwillcutenergybillsbyaround10-12%annually9. Checkwhetherwindowshaveanyspecial‘easyescape’or‘fireescape’features.Specialhinges

canbefittedtohelpwiththisbutarenotusuallystandarditemsandincreasethecost10. DIYisanoption–butonlyforthecompetentandconfident.

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Soyou’rethinkingaboutreplacingwindows? Therearemanyreasonsforchangingyourwindowsand/ordoorsand,unlessyougetitdrasticallywrong–eitherbychoosingastylethatisunsympathetictoyourhomeorbydoingit‘onthecheap’andendingupwithaninferiorproduct–youwillimprovethelookandincreasethevalueofyourproperty. Existingwindowsanddoorsneedrepair Whenold,timber-framedwindowsaresufferingfromrotitisoftenmore-cost-effectiveinthelongruntoreplacethemratherthanpayingoutforregularpatching,fillingandrepainting. Toimprovetheappearanceofyourhomereplacingshabby,old-fashionedwindowsanddoorswithnewstylesandshapeswillsignificantlychangeandimprovethelookofyourhomeandgiveit‘kerbappeal’. Toimprovesecurity Burglaryisontheincreaseanddoorsandwindowsareacommonentrypoint.ManyPVCuwindowsystemsincorporateextrasecurityfeaturesincludingspeciallockstoprotectyourhome.

Forbetterprotectionfromtheelements Ifyourcurtainsflutter inthebreeze,yougetachill fromwindowdraughtsorrain leaks inandaroundyourwindowsitnotonlydetractsfromyourcomfortbutalso leaves the fabricofyourhomeopentoweatherdamage. Toreducenoisepollution Ifyouliveonabusyroadwheretrafficnoiseisanirritation,theinstallationofdouble-glazedwindowswillsignificantlydecreasetheamountofnoisetransmittedthroughyourwindows. Forincreasedenergyefficiency Thelatestdoubleglazedwindowsoffermuchbetterinsulationthanconventionalsingleglazedwindows.Thishelpstoretainheatsoyoucanturndowntheheatingadegreeortwoandsaveonfuelbillswithoutcompromisingyourcomfort.

PVCuisthelowmaintenanceoption

TOPTIP: Lookforextrasecurityfeaturesincludingspeciallocks

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Benefitsofdoubleglazing Whateveryourparticularreasonforwantingtoinstalldoubleglazingyouwillenjoythefollowingbenefits: Safety Traditionalsinglepanewindowsaremadefromasinglesheetofregularglass.Whenthisishititislikelytoshatterintolong,sharp,dangerousshards.Doubleglazing,ontheotherhand,offersagreaterdegreeofsafetyonbreaking–afactthatisespeciallyimportantforfamilieswithyoungchildren. Itispossibletofurtherimprovethesafetyofthedoubleglazingbyusingsecurityglass,toughenedglassorshatterproofglass.Indeed,UKlawonlow-levelglazingapplicationsinso-called‘criticallocations’stipulatesthis.Thelegal

requirements(BS6206)applytoalldomesticglazinginstallationswhethernewbuild,replacementorrefurbishment. Suchcriticallocationsinclude: • Doors–anyglazingorpartofglazingina

door,whichisbetweenthefinishedfloorlevelandaheightof1500mmabovethefloorlevel

• Sidepanelstodoors–andglazingorpartofglazing,whichiswithin300mmofeithersideofadooredgeandwhichisbetweenthefinishedfloorlevelandaheightof1500mmabovethefloorlevel

• Windows,partitionsandwalls–anyglazingorpartofglazing,whichisbetweenthefinishedfloorlevelandaheightof800mmabovethefloorlevel.

IntheabovediagramonlyglazingunitsNos.1,4and8fallwhollyoutsidethe'criticallocation‘andneednotcomplywithBS6206.

Energyconservation Modernhomescanloseasmuchas25%oftheirheatthroughthewindows.Theinstallationoflow-emissivityglass(Low-E)allowsthesun'sheatandlighttopassthroughtheglassintothebuilding,butblocksheatfromleavingtheroom,therebyconsiderablyreducingheatloss.Thisnotonlyleadstosavingsonenergybillsbutalsotomaintainingahighertemperaturewithinthehome.Sittingbyalarge,doubleglazedpicturewindowisagreatdealmorecomfortableonacoldwinternight.

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Benefitsofdoubleglazing Doubleglazingcandrasticallychangetheappearanceofthehomebutitdoesn’thavetospoilit.Ifyouareinvolvedinarestoration,agood,reputablecontractorwillworkwithyoutofindaproductthatwillcomplementandenhancethearchitectureoftheproperty. Security Thewindowframesandlockingsystemsondoubleglazedwindowsmakeitagreatdealharderforintruderstogainentrytoyourhome–animportantconsiderationinthesedaysofincreasedcrimerates. Secondaryglazing Internalsecondarydoubleglazingcanbeacost-effectivesolutionifthemainwindowisessentiallysoundandingoodconditionbutthereisarequirementtoimprovethermaland/ornoiseinsulation. Secondaryglazingismanufacturedfromslim,unobtrusivewhiteenamelledaluminiumprofiles,usuallywithsingleglazing.Doubleglazingisalsoavailableforspecialistapplications.Theseunitsreplicatethedesignof,andareinstalledinsidethemain,orprimary,window.

Theproductrangeincludes: • Verticalslidersforsashwindows,witha

tiltingandremovablesashfacilityforeaseofcleaning

• Horizontalsliderswithremovablesashesfor 'picture'typecasementwindows

• Hingedunitsfornarrowcasements,doorsandFrenchdoorsorwindows.Sashescanbeliftedoff

• Lift-outunitsforusewhenonlyoccasionalaccessisrequiredtothemainwindow

• Fixedunits,usuallyonlyusedtoinsulateglasspanelswithindoors.

Secondarydoubleglazingissuitableforallconservationareasand,subjecttolistingdetail,listedbuildings.

Tripleglazing Tripleglazingintroducesanadditionalpaneofglassintotheunit.Thisgivesevengreatersoundandheatinsulationsoisextremelypracticalforthosewholiveinabuilt-uparea,nearabusyroadorclosetoanythingthatcausessignificantsoundpollution.Therewillalsobegreaterenergysavingsfromtripleglazingalthoughthecostistypically20–40%morethandoubleglazing.GenerallyspeakingtherearenotmanysuppliersoftripleglazingintheUK.

TOPTIP: Doubleglazedwindowshaveframesandlockingsystemsdesignedforultimatesecurity

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ReplacementwindowsBuildingRegulations Thankstoworld-wideagreementstoreduceenergyconsumption,therearenowstrictregulationscoveringreplacementwindows. AllreplacementwindowinstallationsinEngland andWalesaresubjecttoDocumentLofBuilding Regulationswhichaffect,inparticular,the minimumlevelsofinsulationthatreplacement windowsmusthavewhenfittedinthehome. TheselevelsofinsulationaremeasuredasU values.ThelowertheUvalue,thebetterthe insulationlevel.Infuturewhatwasinthepast referredtoas‘normal’double-glazing-i.e.two piecesofglassseparatedbyaspacerbar–isvery unlikelytoconformtobuildingregulations.To gettherequiredlevelofinsulationitisalmost certainsomesortofLowEglass(typically PilkingtonKintheUK–althoughthereareother brands)willhavetobeused.Itmayalsobe necessaryforthesealeddoubleglazedunitsto begas-filled(probablyArgon). FENSAself-certificationscheme Withsomanyreplacementwindowsbeinginstalleditwasagreedthattheindustrycouldadoptaself-assessmentmethodforadministeringthemanythousandsofwindowinstallationsthatarenowsubjecttoBuildingRegulations.WhatthismeansisthatitisnotalwaysnecessaryforabuildingcontrolofficertoinspecteachinstallationorforcompaniestomakeseparateBuildingRegulationsapplications.

AcontractorregisteredwiththeFENSA(FenestrationSelf-Assessment)self-certificationschemeisapprovedtocarryouttheworkinaccordancewithrelevantregulationswithoutinspectionbythecouncilandwillinformFENSAwheninstallationhasbeencompleted. Randominspectionsofcompletedworkarecarriedout IfyouarenotusingaFENSAregisteredcontractororifyouaredoingtheworkyourselfthenyouwillneedtoarrangeforbuildingregulationapproval.Thiswillmeanthatyoumustbeabletoconfirmthatyouhavemetanumberofcriteria.YouwillberesponsibleforpayingfortheBuildingRegulationsapplicationandshouldcheckwithyourlocalcouncilforcosts.Thetimetakentoobtainapprovalwilldependonthelocalauthorityconcerned. InadditiontoBuildingRegulationconsentyoumustascertainwhetherornotplanningpermissionorconservationareaconsentisrequired.Yourlocalcouncilcanadviseyouonthis. Forfurtherdetailssee www.theglazingpeople.co.uk

TOPTIP: ThelowertheUvalue,thebetter theinsulation

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ReplacementwindowsBuildingRegulations Scotland’sBuildingStandardPartJrequiresaneven higher performance level from windowsthanthatspecifiedinEnglandandWales. ReplacementwindowsanddoorsinScottishhomesareexpectedtoachieveUvalues10%lowerthanthoseinEnglandandWales,whichmeansadifferenceof0.2ofaUvalue.SoftcoatLow-eglasswitha16mmcavitycontaininganinertgaswillbenecessaryinmostcases. Thismeansthatinmostexistingdwellings,replacementwindowswillneedtohaveaUvalueofnotmorethan: • 1.8forwindowsmadeofplasticorwood • 2.0forwindowswithmetalframes WindowsalsoneedtocomplywithallotherappropriateaspectsofthetechnicalstandardstotheScottishBuildingRegulations–e.g.emergencyescape,safe-cleaning,safetyglassandventilation.

Sellingyourhome Whenyousellyourproperty,surveyorswillaskforevidencethatanyreplacementglazinginstalledafterApril2002complieswiththenewBuildingRegulations.Therearetwowaysinwhichyoucanprovecompliance: • Acertificateshowingthattheworkhas

beendonebyaninstallerwhoisregistered underaFENSA,CERTASSLimitedortheBritishStandardsInstitutionself-certificationscheme

or • A certificate from the local authority

saying that the installation has approvalundertheBuildingRegulations.

If there is any doubt, a glass analysis gaugecan be used to establishwhether or not thecorrectglasshasbeenused. Notethatthisonlyapplieswhenwindowshavebeenreplaced–originalwindowsarenotsubjecttothisscrutiny.

TOPTIP: Proofofcomplianceisrequired whenyousellyourhome

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Theneedtoreduceenergyrequirements TheKyotoProtocolsignedattheearthsummitinJapanresultedintheBritishGovernment,amongmanyothers,signinguptoreducecarbondioxideemissionstopre-1990levels.TheBritishgovernmentiscommittedtoachievingthisandtocontinuetoreduceemissionswhichcauseglobalwarming.Oneofthewaysinwhichtoachievethesetargetsisbyinsulatinghomestoreducetheirenergyrequirements. Itisestimatedthatdomesticpropertiesuseabout25%oftheenergyconsumedintheUK.InrecentyearstheBuildingRegulationshavehadanewsectioncalledSectionLorDocumentLcoveringtheconservationoffuelandpower.EveryfewyearsDocumentLisreviewedandtheconservationrequirementsareincreased. Theimpactonhousingissignificant.AfewyearsagoBuildingRegulationsrequiredallhousestobebuiltwithdoubleglazingandlimitedthewindowareas.AnyonewantinglargewindowshadtotakeappropriatemeasuressuchasfittingPilkingtonKintothem.AstheDocumentLscrewistightened,awholeseriesofchangesaffectingcavitywallinsulation,loftspaceinsulationandfloorinsulationarebeingintroduced.

TOPTIP: Brokensealedunitscanbereplaced‘likeforlike’

ExceptionstonewDocL • Conservatoriesareexemptprovidedtheyare

separatedfromtherestofthebuilding(forexamplebydoors)ortheyareunheated

• Historicbuildingsaremerelyexpectedto‘achievethebesttheycan’althoughanyimprovementinthermalefficiencyiswelcomed

• Brokensealedunitscanbereplaced‘likeforlike’(theregulationsapplytotheentirewindowreplacement)

EnergySavingRecommendedSchemeCurrently,manufacturers/organisationsvoluntarilysubmittheirwindowsforenergyefficiencyaccreditation.Thisisnowveryimportanttotheorganisationsasconsumersaremoreawareofenergysavingproductsandthisiscontinuouslyincreasingwithmanypeoplesomuchmoreconsciousofthefinancialandenvironmentalbenefits.

TheEnergySavingTrustsupportstheBritishFenestrationRatingCouncil’s(BFRC)domesticwindowenergyratingscheme(WER)byaccreditinganywindowrated

‘band-C’orabove,helpingconsumerstoreadilycomparetheenergyefficiencyofcompetingproductsusingarecognisablemark/gradeforeveryonetounderstand. TheBFRC’sWERschemeisbasedonthewholewindow.ThehighertheBFRCratingindicatesamorethermallyefficientwindow.ThewindowisgivenaratingofA-GBFRCbandsofthewindowenergylabel.Itisthisbandthatprovidesthebasisforenergysavingrecommendedcertification.Soit’sveryimportantfororganisationstoensuretheirproductsareassessedandmanufacturedtothehighestgrade. Alsopleasesee: www.theglazingpeople.co.uk

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Maintenance EverythinglastsbetterifitiswelllookedafterandgiventherightkindofTLC.Doubleglazingisnodifferent–anannual‘springclean’willkeepyourwindowsingoodworkingorder. WhilePVCuandaluminiumframesarevirtuallymaintenance-freetheydoneedalittleattentionasoutlinedbelow: • Conservatoriesareexemptprovidedtheyare

separatedfromtherestofthebuilding(forexamplebydoors)ortheyareunheated

• Hingesandmechanicalpartssuchaslockswillneedanannualcleanandlightlubrication

• Donotuseoiltolubricatesqueakyhinges(oranynylonmovingparts),useafurnitureaerosolwaxsprayinstead,whichcontainssilicon

• Neverusewashing-upliquidinthewaterwhencleaningyourwindowsasitattacksanddegradestheseals.UseaspecialcreamcleansertowipedownwhitePVCu(noabrasivesshouldbeusedonwoodgrain),followingtheinstructionsonthecontainer

• Keepslidingpatiodoortracksbrushedcleanofmud,gritanddustbutdonotlubricatethetrack

• Makesurethereisakeyineachroomforundoingsecurity-lockingwindowsintheeventofanemergency.

Timberframeswillneedre-paintingeverythreetofiveyearsor,ifyouareusinghardwood,oilorvarnishasappropriate. SilveraluminiumcanbecleanedwithSolvolAutosolaluminiumpolish,availablefrommotoraccessoryshops. TouchupdamagedwhitealuminiumwithHumbrolwhitepaint Scratchesondouble-glazedsealedunitsarebadnewsandcanbedealtwithby: • Fillinginthescratchinwitharesin(trythe

kitssoldinmotoraccessoryshopstodealwithwindscreenscratches)thathasthesamerefractiveindexastheglass,sothescratchnolongershows.

• PolishingthescratchoutwithaveryfineabrasivesuchasCeria(ceriumoxide)orjeweller'srouge(ironoxide).NeveruseproductslikeBrassoDuraglitoranykindofabrasivepapers.

• Ifallelsefails,replacethesealedunit. www.theglazingpeople.co.uk/

TOPTIP: Anannual‘springclean’maintains

PVCuframesbutbeware,washing upliquiddegradeswindowseals

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Buyer’sguide Replacingwindowsonyourpropertycanchangeitsvisualappearanceconsiderably.It’simportanttoselectastylethatmatchesyourpropertyandenhancesitslooks,especiallywhenfittingPVCuandaluminiumdesignstoolderproperties.Itoftenhelpstolookatsimilar,neighbouringpropertiestocomparetheeffectofvariousreplacementwindowtypes. Planningpermissionisusuallyonlyrequiredinthecaseof listedbuildingsandconservationareasorif, for example, you are converting a flatwindowintoaboworbaywindow.Ifindoubt,checkwiththeplanningdepartmentofyourlocalauthority. Ensurethatyouwillhaveanadequatenumberofopeningwindows.Somesalesmenofferdesignswithveryfewopenings.Thesimplerthedesignandthefewertheopenings,thecheaperthewindowswillbe.Butthecostmightenduphigherthanyouthinkasinferiorwindowscanturnouttobeabadinvestmentandevenlowerthevalueoftheproperty.Itisnotuncommonforpotentialpropertybuyerstonegotiateareducedpriceonthesegrounds.

WhenbuyingPVCuwindowsyoushouldenquirewhetherthewindowsarefullyweldedorwhethersomeparts(transoms/midrails)aremechanicallyfixed.Mechanicalfixingisgenerallyacheaperwayofmanufacturinganditispossiblewithwearandtear,especiallyondoors,thatthemechanical(screw)fixingwillsplitapart,weakeningtheframesandreducingperformance. Whilemechanicalfixingisnotnecessarilyabadthing–especiallyifdonecorrectly–preferenceshouldbegiventofullyweldedstructures,particularlyifallotherelements,suchaspriceandqualityofsupplier,aresimilar.Theonlyexceptiontothismightbeforwoodgrain-stylePVCuframeswhenamechanicalfixingcanlookneater–especiallywithregardtohowthe‘grain’finishonthePVCuframes‘runs’.Yourpotentialsuppliercangiveyouadetailedexplanationofthis. Whenchoosingyourwindows,lookfortheenergysavingrecommendedlogo.Likeelectricalequipment,windowproductsareassessedonaratingofAtoG,Abeingthemostefficient.Theassessmentisbasedonthewholewindow,notjusttheglassorseals,andthegradesareissuedbytheBritishFenestrationRatingsCouncil.

TOPTIP: Chooseastyletocompliment

yourhomeandalwayscheck energyratings

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Buyer’sguide Fittingdoubleglazinginreplacementwindowswillprovidesomeinsulationfromnoise.Howeverifyourprimarymotivationforfittingdoubleglazingistoreducesoundthensecondaryglazing,inwhichanewsingleglazedframeisfittedinfrontoftheexisting(prime)windowframe,willbemoreeffective.Thegreaterthegapbetweenthetwopanes,thebetterthesoundinsulation. Itisprudenttoenquireaboutthetypeoflocksandsecurityfeaturesbeingfittedtoyourwindowsanddoors.Mostmoderndoubleglazedreplacementwindowsfeaturemulti-point,espagnolette-typelocking,whichwillalsolockpartiallyopenina‘nightvent’position.Itmaybepossibletoupgradetoshoot-boltlockingorSACboltlocksforadditionalsecurity.Optionsfordoorsincludethe‘EntryGuard’,atypeofsecuritychainthatallowsyoutopartiallyopenthedoorandviewvisitors.Alwaysenquirewhatcomesasstandardandwhatupgradesareavailable–itisoftenthecasethatforalittleextracostyoucanhaveasubstantiallybetterlockingsystem.

ThereismuchdebateaboutinternallybeadedwindowsversusexternallybeadedwindowsonPVCuunits.Ifthebeadsholdingintheglassareontheinsideofthewindowitwillbemoredifficultforaburglartoremovetheglassandenteryourhome.However,somesuppliersofexternallybeadedwindowswillfitspecialglazinggasketsanddouble-sidedtapetotheframeandsealedunitinordertoimprovethesecurity–someclaimthiselevatesthesecuritylevelstothoseassociatedwithinternalbeading.Alwaysaskifthewindowshaveanyspecial‘easyescape’or‘fireescape’features.Specialhingescanbefittedtohelpwiththisbutthesearenotusuallystandarditemsandwillincreasethecost.Don’tbetemptedtoskimponthis,though,ascompromisingonsafetyfeaturesisafalseeconomy. Finally,askyoursupplierwhowillberesponsiblefor ‘makinggood’ around thenew frameswhentheyarefitted.Mostsupplierswillincludethisaspartoftheirwork-butyoushouldcheck.

TOPTIP: Makesuretoenquireaboutsecurityupgrades

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Choosingasupplier Thereareplentyofchoiceswhenitcomestofindingasupplier–fromlargenationalcompaniesthatwooyouwithTVadvertisingtosmalllocalcompanieswithalowerprofile.Therearegoodandnot-so-goodcompaniesinbothcategories. Beforeyoumakeadecision,visitshowrooms,researchallofthealternativesintermsofproductandstyleandgetatleastthreeestimates.Asalways,askaroundamongfriendsandrelativestoseekrecommendations.Lookout,too,forinstallationsbeingcarriedoutinyourneighbourhoodandwatchtheprogress–oncetheworkisdoneyoucouldvisitthehouseandasktheownerswhattheirimpressionsofthewindowsandinstallersare.Rememberthatanytypeofbuildingworkcanthrowupunforeseenproblems–ifthiswasthecase,didthesupplierrisetothechallengeandsortitoutquicklyandeffectively? AnotheroptionistolookonawebsitelikeTheGlazingPeoplethatlistssupplierswhohavebeenmonitoredandvetted.Customercommentsareincludedaswellasassessmentofqualitieslikeworkmanship,reliabilityandpunctuality. Alwaysaskyoursupplierhowlongthedeliverywillbeandhavethiswrittenintoyourcontract.Alsorequestanestimateofhowlongtheworkwilltaketocompleteonceinstallationbegins.Mostcompanieswillrequireadepositwhenyouplacetheorder.Trytonegotiateaslowapercentageaspossible–10%isusual.Youshouldavoidpayinglargerdepositsthanthisunlessyourworkisunique/bespoke,suchas‘oneoff’timberwindowdesigns.Itisnotunreasonableinthesecircumstancesforsupplierstorequirehigherholdingdeposits.Also

ensurethatafairpercentageiswithhelduntiltheworkisfinishedtoyourcompletesatisfaction. Checkouttheguaranteeandexactlywhatitcovers.Manycompaniesnowoffer‘insurancebacked’guaranteeswhichareactuallyinsolvencyguaranteesandonlybecomeeffectiveifthecompanygoesoutofbusiness.Mostguaranteeswillgivea10-yearcoverontheframesbutyoumayfindthatthecoverforthedoubleglazedunitisfiveyears.Complicationscanbeavoidedifyouensurethatapotentialsupplierisspecificabouttheseissues–andputsitinwriting. Don’tautomaticallygoforthecheapestpriceandwhencomparing‘likewithlike’takeintoaccounthowlongthecompanyhasbeenestablishedandthequalityofitsguarantees.YoumayfindtwosuppliersusingthesamebrandofPVCuextrusionandthesamePilkingtonglass.Howeverifoneisawindowfitterdoing‘privatework’attheweekendsyoushouldbearinmindthathis10-yearguaranteemaybeworthsignificantlylessthanthatfromamoreestablishedcompanywithasupportinginfrastructure.

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Choiceofmaterials PVCu PVCu,uPVC,PVC-U,andPVCUallessentiallyrefertothesamesubstance.Themostpopularchoice,thisisanexcellentmaterialwhichhastheadvantageofneedinglittleornomaintenance.Theleastexpensiveofalltheavailablematerials,itismostpopularinwhitebutisalsoavailableinmahoganyandoakwood-grainstyles. Problemswithdiscolorationarenegligibleandmostsupplierswillprovidewarrantiesagainstthis.Thedesignofthewindowsvariesfromcompanytocompanybutpointstolookforinclude:Internalorexternally-glazedwindows–anoptionofferedbymostPVCusystems.Internally-beadedwindows,wheretheglassisheldinfromtheinside,aregenerallydeemedmoresecureandburglar-resistant.However,therearealsoperfectlysatisfactoryexternally-beadedPVCusystemsonthemarket.Manyfeatureeitherinternalwedgegasketsoradouble-sidedtapethatfirmlyfixestheexternalbead.

ThicknessofPVCuwall–mostPVCusystemsforwindowanddoorconstructionare‘multi-walled’withinternalreinforcementprovidedbyeitheraluminiumorgalvanisedsteelboxsection.Wallthicknesscanvaryfromsystemtosystem,mostbeingaround3mmor3.5mm.Ingeneralthethickerthewalling,thestrongerthesection.Askyoursuppliertoshowyouasamplesectionandestablishwhethertheframesarefullyreinforced.Beaware,too,thatthegreaterthenumberofinternalwalls,thegreaterthestrengthofthebuilding. Depthorthicknessofframe–thedepthofframeextrusioncanvaryfromaslowas50mmtomorethan70mm,althoughmostareinthe60-65mmrange.This,too,hasaneffectonthestructuralstrengthofthewindowordoor. NotethatPVCuisunacceptabletoplannersforuseonlistedbuildings,norisitpopularwithplannersinconservationareas.

TOPTIP: PVCuisagoodbudgetoption

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Choiceofmaterials Timber Amoreexpensivematerial,hardwoodisthe choiceofthoseseekingatraditionaldesignwithanauthenticlookandisaparticularfavouriteforuseinlistedbuildingsorperiodproperties.Ithasthetwinbenefitsofbeingsuitablefortherecreationofvirtuallyanytraditionaldesignorfeature,whileincorporatingthecontemporaryadvantagesofdoubleglazing. Hardwoodisavailableinavarietyofstainssuchasmahoganyandlightoak,aswellasvariouspaintedfinishesand,whileitdoesrequireperiodicmaintenance,thisisnotanoneroustaskthankstomodernpaintsandstains.AswithPVCu,theframethicknesswillaffectthestructuralstrength.Itisalsoimportanttoascertainwhichjointingmethodisused–mostsuppliersuseatraditionalmorticeandtenonjointbutothersystemsdoexist.

‘Framethicknessdeterminesstructuralstrength’ Aluminium ThissharesmanyofthefeaturesofPVCu,althoughaluminiumismoreexpensiveanddoesnotprovidesuchefficientinsulation. Whendoubleglazedwindowsfirstbecamepopularinthelate1960saluminiumwastheusualchoiceofmaterialduetoitsstrengthanddurability.Itismoreresistanttowarping,twistingorstickingwhensubjectedtotheelements.Itisalsovirtuallyintruder-proofandneitherabsorbswaternorrotsorrusts.

TOPTIP: Aluminiumisthebestchoiceforcommerciallocations

ItspopularitydeclinedwiththearrivalofthecheaperPVCu.However,aluminiumremainsanexcellentchoiceforcommerciallocationsandanycircumstancesinwhichstrengthisanimportantfactor.Itisadvisable,ifchoosingaluminium,tospecifyframeswithathermalbreakasthisimprovestheinsulationproperties. Aluminiumwindowscanbe fittedas 'direct fix' –i.e.directlyagainstthebrickworkor,alternatively(andmoreoften)intoahardwoodsubframe.

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Choiceofmaterials Sashwindows Replacementslidingsashwindowsarealsoavailablebutareusuallymoreexpensivethanthemorecommoncasementstylewindows. TheyaremadeinbothPVCuandtimber.ThemaindifferencebetweenPVCuandthemoretraditionaltimberboxsashwindowisthemethodofholdingthesashesinposition.Insteadofweights,pulleysandacord,apairofsophisticatedspringandspiralbalancersprovidesthesashretentionandcancarryweightsofupto40kg. ThetraditionalglazingbararrangementmayalsobereplicatedonPVCubyconcealingtheglazingbarswithinthedoubleglazedunitorbysurface-mountingthebarsontotheexternalfacesoftheunit.

Oneofthebiggestadvantagesoftimberslidingsashwindowsistheabilitytoreplicateanyperioddesignfeature.

Oneofthebiggestadvantagesoftimberslidingsashwindowsistheabilitytoreplicateanyperioddesignfeature.Althoughthisnecessitatestheuseofaspecialistjoinerycompanywithassociatedcostimplications.

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Designissues Thereareanumberofissuesworthconsideringregardingthedesignofyourreplacementwindows. Sightlines Mostmodernreplacementwindowshavesmallerareasofglasswhereverthereareopenings(sashes)fitted.Wheretheframesarefixedtheglassareawillbelarger.Thiscreatesanunequal‘sightline’whichisquitenormalandacceptabletomostpeople.Howeveronalotofolderpropertiesitwasmorecommontohaveanequalsightlinemakingitimpossibletotellfromtheoutsidewhichwindowsopenedandwhichdidnot.Fitting‘dummysashes’or‘dummyopeners’intotheframescreatedthisequalsightline. Someconsumerspreferanunequalsightlinetoavoidtheoverallbulkierappearancethatisafeatureofanequalsightline–which,incidentally,addstothecost.However,anequalsightlineisrecommendedforpropertieswithGeorgianandleadedlightwindowdesignssothatrectangles/squarescanbematchedinsize. Anotheroptionisverticalequalsightlines,inwhichfixedwindowsarealwayspositionedabovefixedwindowsandopeningwindowsarealwaysaboveopeningwindows.Supplierscangivemoreinformationonthis.

Gaskets Mostcompanieshavetraditionallyfittedblackgasketsas,inthepast,itwasnotalwayspossibletogetamatchingwhitenortoofferacolour-fastguarantee.Advancesintechnologyhavechangedthissituationandincreasingnumbersofcompaniesnowofferbothoptions.Whitegasketscanoftenappeargrubbyandshowupdustanddirtandthismaybeanimportantconsiderationisyouliveclosetoamajorroad. Analternativetowhitegasketsisthe‘lowprofile’blackgasketwhichisveryslimandlessobtrusive.However,itisrecommendedthatyouchoosewhitegasketsonwhitePVCupanelleddoors. Neighbours Unlessyouliveinsplendidisolationinarurallocationanychangesyoumaketoyourhomewillhaveaneffectontheoverallappearanceofyourstreet.Forexample,iftwosemi-detachedhouseshavereplacementwindowsbothwillbeenhancedifthesamestyleisusedoneach.Conversely,adoptingdifferentstylescanspoiltheappearanceofboth–andpossiblydevaluethem,too.

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Typesofglass Thereareanumberofoptionswhenitcomestochoosingtheglassinyourdoubleglazedunit–fromplaintopatterned,coloured,stainedandanumberof‘speciality’glasses.Yourchoicewilldependonyourhousestyle,yourbudget,yourtasteandthepositionofthewindow. LowEGlass Low-eglassstandsforlowemissivityglass.Thisglassvariesfromnormalclearglassinthatonesideoftheglasshasaspecialmetalcoating,technicallyknownasalowemissitivity,orLow-ecoating.Low-eglassisatypeofinsulatingglass,whichincreasestheenergyefficiencyofwindowsbyreducingthetransferofheatorcoldthroughglass.Thatmeansinthewinteryourhousestayswarmer,andinthesummeritstayscooler. TherearetwotypesofLow-e(lowemissivity) glassavailable-Pyrolytic(hardcoat)isconsidered tobeamediumperformer,andsputtered (vacuumdepositionorsoftcoat)isconsideredto bethehighestperformer.

PilkingtonKGlass™(AbrandofLow-eglass)ThemostcommonisPilkingtonKGlass™whichhashighlighttransmissionandappearsvirtuallythesameasclearfloatglass.Itisthemicroscopiccoatingthatmakesthebigdifferencetoitsperformance.Glassinawindowabsorbsheatthenradiatesitagainonthecolder,outside,surface.PilkingtonK’slowemissivitycoatingonthesurfacethatfacesintotheairgapofthedoubleglazingunitprovidesapoorradiator.Theheatabsorbedbythecoatedglassisinhibitedfromradiatingacrosstheairgapandthenfromtheouterpanetothecoldoutsideworld.Insteadtheheatisreflectedbackintotheroombythecoating. Itworksinasimilarwaytoasheetofreflectingfoilplacedbehindacentralheatingradiatorwhichbouncestheheatbackintotheroom.HeatlossesthroughdifferentmaterialscanbecomparedbytheirUvalues.ThehighertheUvalue,thegreatertheheatlossthroughthematerial. TheUvalueofasinglepanewindowis5.6.DoubleglazingwithordinaryglasshasaUvalueof2.8.DoubleglazingwithPilkingtonKGlass™hasaUvalueofonly1.9,considerablybetterthanconventionaldoubleglazing,andasgoodastripleglazing.BecausePilkingtonKGlass™issoneutralinappearance,itisrecommendedthatitspresenceinadoubleglazingunitisconfirmedoninstallation.Thiscanbeachievedbytheuseofacoatingdetectorwhichunitmanufacturersorinstallersshouldhaveavailable.

TOPTIP: Chooseaglassaccordingtothepositionofyourwindowandpickselfcleaningglassforlowmaintenance

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Typesofglass Self-cleaningglass Whattookthemsolong?PilkingtonActiv™istheholygrailofglass.Itsactivecoating,chemicallybondedontoitsoutsidesurface,isdesignedtoabsorbtheultravioletlightgivenoffbythesun.Thisabsorptionprocesscausesareactiononthesurfaceoftheglass,whichbreaksdownandloosensdirt.Then,whenitrains,thecoatingcausesrainwaterto'sheet'offthesurfaceoftheglass,whichnotonlywashesawaytheloosenedparticlesofdirt,butalsopreventstheformulationofdroplets,whichcausestreaksandmakewindowslookdirty. SGGPLANITHERM(ASoftCoatLow-eGlass)Thisisaclearfloatglass,whichhasbeencoatedwithmetallicoxidesbymagneticallyenhancedcathodicsputteringundervacuumconditions. Thissputteredcoatingishighlyreflectivetolong-waveheatradiation,otherwiseknownasa"lowemissivity"orlow-ecoating.ThisgreatlyreducesheatlossandensuresthatdoubleglazedunitsincorporatingSGGPLANITHERMprovideexcellentthermalinsulation.SGGPLANITHERMisneutralinappearanceandhasahighlighttransmittancefactor.

Thereareanumberofoptions

whenitcomestochoosingthe glassinyourdoubleglazedunit

NeutralAppearancehasthesemainbenefits: • Nounsightlytint-UnliketraditionalLow-e

coatingsthatsufferfromanunsightlyyellowtint,SGGPLANITHERMlooksveryclear.ThismeansyourcurtainsorGeorgianBarswillnotlookdirtyordiscoloured

• Morelight-lesstintalsomeansmorelightcanentertheroom,makingitmorecomfortableandluminous

• No'haze'effect-SGGPLANITHERMdoesnotsufferfromtheunsightlytintcommonlyassociatedwithtraditionalLow-eproducts

SGGPLANITHERMisaslightlymoredifficult producttolocatethansaythePilkington Products,soyoumayhavetoaskyoursupplierto speciallysourceitforyou,ifhavinganeutral appearanceisveryimportanttoyou.

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GoingdowntheDIYroute Itispossibletofitdoubleglazingyourselfandtakingthiscourseofactionwillenableyoutosaveaconsiderableamountofmoney.However,unlessyouareproficient,highlycompetentandhavealltherighttools,itcouldbeadisastrousdecision. ThefirstthingyouneedtodoisapplyforBuildingRegulationsapprovalfromyourlocalauthority.Oncethisisgrantedyouneedtofindaspecialistsupplierwhocancarryoutasitesurvey.Thecostshouldbereasonableandcouldprovetobeaverysoundinvestment. Thesurveyorwilladviseyouonwhatisappropriateforyourpropertyandyourneeds,giveyouguidanceonopeningsandventilationandoutlineanyrequirementsforsafetyglass,fixedopentrickleventilationforgasappliancesandfireescapes. Equallyimportantly,allmeasurementsandspecificationswillbethesupplier’sresponsibility.Alltheextras–trims,packersandsealants,etc.–todothejobproperlycanbespecifiedandincludedintheprice.Itismuchcheaperandmoreefficienttogetthesefromthesupplier,whobuysinattradeprices.

TOPTIP: DIYsavesmoneybutit’snotfortheinexperienced.YouwillalsoneedBuildingRegulationsapproval

Thingstoconsiderwhenchoosingasupplier: • Don’tbuysolelyonprice • Securea10-yearproductguarantee • Checkwhetherthesupplierwilldeliverto,

andoffloadatyourhomeaddress • Ensurethereisasoundafter-salesand

advisoryservice • Enquirewhethertelephoneandon-site

supportisavailableifyoucomeupagainstproblems

Otherpointstoconsiderwhendoingityourself: • Boworbaywindowsaretrickyandonlyfor

theextremelyproficient • Startwithaconfidence-boosting

smalldownstairswindow • FittingPVCuiscompletelydifferentto

fittingwoodenframes • Neverrestglasssealedunitsonedgeon

concrete,astheyareverylikelyto'shell'andthencrackasyouhandleorfitthem

• Alwayssecureyourladderfirmlyor,betterstill,getsomeonetoholditforyou

• Thinktwicebeforetacklingthistask!

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Ataglanceguidelines Generaladvice • It’salegalrequirementtoadheretoBuilding

Regulations • Ifindoubt,checkwhetheryou'llneed

planningpermission • Ifpossible,viewsomeinstallationsdone

byyourproposedsupplierandtalktotheircustomers

• Considersecondaryglazingoptions • Checkforenhancedsafetyand

securityfeatures • ThelowertheUvaluethebettertheinsulation • Replacementwindowsmustmeet

minimuminsulationlevels • Youwillneedproofofcompliancewhen

yousellyourhome • Checksupplierguaranteesbeforeyoubuy • DIYisanoption–butnotaneasyone! Designtips • Chooseashapeandstylethatwillenhance

thelookofyourhome • Thinkhowyourchosenstyleblends

withneighbouringproperties • Inferiorwindowscandevalueyourproperty • Checkyourproposedwindowshave

sufficientopenings

• Checkenergyratings • PVCuframesaretheleastexpensiveoption • Considerusingaspecialistglass. DIYconstructiontips • Don’tforgettoapplyforBuilding

Regulationsapproval • Chooseaspecialistsupplier • Haveasitesurveycarriedoutbyaprofessional

–andtakehisadvice • Avoidbowandbaywindows • Startonasmallwindowtogainconfidence • Thinkaboutwhetheryoureallyhavethe

necessaryskillstotacklethisproject. Maintenancetips • Useafurnitureaerosolwaxratherthanoil

tolubricatesqueakyhinges • Neveruseabrasivecleanerson

PVCuconservatories • Neverusewashing-upliquidonPVCuframes • Aluminiumpolishboughtatmotorshopscan

beusedasacleanerforsilverframes.

TOPTIP: Choose a shape and stylethatwillenhancethelookofyourhome

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Why use www.theglazingpeople.co.uk? Theserviceis100%FREEtopeoplelookingforatradeprofessional. Youcanuseustomatchyourjobneeds withourqualifiedtradeprofessionalswhetherit’sathomeorwork.Wedon’tchargeyouapenny,Wechargeourregisteredtrade professionalsasmallfeeformatchingyourrequirementstotheirskills. Allourreferencescomefrompeoplelikeyou.Tobecomearegisteredcontractor,tradeprofessionalsmustallowustovetthemandtakethenamesof3refereestheyhavedoneworkfor.Wethenchecktheseindependently.Theirperformanceisregularlyappraisedbytheirnewclients,whothenreportbacktous.TheonlyexceptiontothisiswhenacontractorisamemberofatradeassociationorcompetentpersonschemesuchasFensa,PartP&Corgi Wedoourbesttorecruitnew,vettedtradeprofessionalsifwecan’tprovideanimmediatematchtoyourrequirements. Itispossiblethatsomerequestsinsomeareaswillbedifficulttomatchatfirst.Whenthishappens,wewilldoourbesttorecruitnew,vettedtradeprofessionalstomeetyourneedsasquicklyaspossible. We only give your contact details to amaximumof5tradesprofessionals. Wegiveyournameandtelephonenumbertonomorethanfivetradeprofessionals,andgivetheirdetails toyou.Youcanthencall themtoarrangeanappointment.Theymayalsocallyou.

Weconstantlymonitorourtradeprofessionalsstandardsandperformance. Wemonitorourregisteredtradeprofessionalsperformanceregularlyandiftheirstandardsfall-wecanceltheirregistration.Wedon’twantyoutosufferatthehandsofamateurs.It’sassimpleasthat. Wehaveplentyofprofessionallyregisteredtradespeople. MostofourregisteredcontractorsaremembersofreputabletradeassociationsorcompetentpersonschemessuchasFensa,PartP&Corgi.Ifyouhaveanyissueswiththetradeprofessionalduringthejobwecangiveyouthedetailsofthemembershipbodytowhichtheybelong.Ifanissueisdiscoveredaftertheworkhasbeencompletedandpaidfor,wewillhelpyoutogettheoriginaltradeprofessionaltoputitright. Wetakethehassleanduncertaintyoutofgettingtherightprofessionalthefirsttime. Pickingsomeonefromthephonebookcanbeverytimeconsumingandfruitlessifnoneofyourchosencontractorsareavailable.Itmayevenresultinyouinadvertentlyusinga'rogue'contractorwithalltheassociatedissues.Withusyouknowthateachtrade professionalwhocontactsyouhasbeenvetted,ismonitoredbyhappycustomers,andisavailableandqualifiedtodoyourjob.

We’llgetyouthebest

quotesfirsttimeeverytime.

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