Arch, square, round; windows are a source of natural light and fresh air for your home and, if youโre lucky, a scenic view. But no matter how good your window, itโs basically a hole in your wall. CW Home editor Allison Turnbull went to the experts to get the lowdown on all things windows.
Where to start?
The best approach to window glazing is to have less of it and to think very hard about where you put it.
According to Jenny Edwards, Director at Light House Architecture & Science, point most of it north to soak up free heat in winter and make sure your windows are shaded in summer to prevent your home from overheating.
โItโs sad to see new homes in Canberra constructed with single-glazed aluminium windows,โ Jenny says. โThese are terrible in summer and winter. A single pane of glass is a meagre barrier against the winter cold and the summer heat. And the aluminium frame conducts heat, letting it escape in winter and letting it in during summer.
โIn Canberraโs climate, it makes sense to install double-glazed windows in new homes. For some existing homes, it might not be worth the expense, depending on how well or poorly the home performs in other ways, like air leakage, insulation and orientation.โ
She says itโs also important to remember not all windows are equal.
โThere are big differences in cost between suppliers, but there are also big differences in quality, so donโt assume that a cheaper product will automatically save you money. Do your homework on your product as well as your supplier.โ
Double glazing
There are three major options when it comes to double glazing for your home: include it as part of your new build, replacement, or retrofit.
Karen Porter, CEO of Solace Creations, says replacement will get a better outcome than retrofitting because with the latter โyou are working with your current windowsโ โ but it still has its place.
โItโs probably good for people in a body corporate who canโt change the look of their windows or if they are on a budget,โ she says. โIt will provide some benefit but itโs not a complete solution.โ
Replacement involves removing existing windows and putting in new windows and sealing it up. While replacement is a more costly option, Karen says it can be done in zones as your budget allows. In a small home, she recommends living areas first as โthatโs where we spend most of our timeโ, then bedrooms.
โYou donโt have to do all or nothing,โ she says. โThe benefit of doing it all at once is that you have the building sealed. The idea is to seal the building envelope. What people donโt understand is your windows and doors are a missing link to the insulation of your house.โ
If youโre involved with a new build, Karen recommends installing double glazing from the start, allocating 10% of your build cost to windows.
โItโs a no brainer to put it in when building.โ
She says the benefits of double glazing include creating a quieter, more comfortable environment, reducing energy usage and increasing your homeโs EER (Energy Efficiency Rating).
And if youโre thinking of triple glazing, think again. Karen says double glazing is more than enough for the Canberra climate, a view shared by Jenny Edwards.
โThe benefit you get from triple glazing over double glazing is modest at best, but the cost difference is huge, so the bang for buck usually isnโt there,โ Jenny says.
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