Insulating glazing

Choosing the right glazing is very important, as glazing accounts for about 70% to 80% of a window’s surface area. Our technical and sales advisors will always offer you the best solution, taking into account:

  • thermal protection (LowE glass, Warm Edge spacer, argon);

  • noise protection (glass with special resins – Sound Control; glass with different thicknesses);

  • sun protection (ClimaGuard Solar, reflective glazing);

  • safety (multilayer bottles with PVB film, bottles with special resins);

  • wind stress or bottles with large surfaces (larger glass thicknesses);

  • design (decorative glazing).

It is low emissivity glass designed to reflect heat back into the building to improve the heat transfer coefficient Uf. Low-E glass is neutral in appearance so it can be used for both residential and commercial buildings. It is obtained by applying metal powders to the surface to be heat-treated and positioned inside the room.

Solar control glass has the properties of low-emissivity glass on one side and the properties of low-e glass on the other side. The exterior has the property of reflecting the sun’s rays in both summer and winter. The choice of glass type should be made taking into account the area where the building is located and the climatic conditions of each period of the year.

Two panes of glass are used for double glazing and three panes for triple glazing.

However, the distance between two panes of glass and the gas introduced are very important when aiming for superior thermal insulation.

The distance of 16 mm between two panes of glass provides the best thermal insulation performance, which is why most of the time a double glazed window has a total thickness of 24 mm.

Very often the wrong choice is made for triple-glazed glass, thinking that more glass panes insulate better, which is surprisingly not true.

The advantage of triple glazing is on the one hand that more low-emissivity panes can be fitted to compensate for the heat loss due to the smaller space between the panes, but on the other hand that superior sound insulation is achieved.

Before making a decision, it is recommended to seek the advice of a specialist. We can highlight differences in glass in terms of appearance, thermal and sound insulation, shading coefficient, degree of light reflection or absorption, etc. There are now various types of glass that in optimal combinations can successfully meet many requirements in terms of the specifications required in the construction of a building.

The Uf value is the amount of heat (energy) that is lost through a 1 m2 surface every second under certain temperature conditions (indoor and outdoor) and is measured in Wm2K.

The lower this value, the lower the energy loss through the joinery.

Uf refers to the heat loss of the whole window or door, and is different from the heat transfer coefficient U of the glazing or profile.

The following components are included in the calculation of the Uf coefficient: U glazing, U profile, and the spacer strip (usually aluminium) in our case the warm-edge strip between the glazing sheets.

To improve this coefficient, given that double glazing has an average of 80% of the surface area of the window, choose a double or triple glazing with superior thermal properties.

The property of glass to reflect solar radiation. The lower this coefficient, the less solar energy is transmitted through the glass into the building.

Argon is considered a noble gas. Its name comes from the Greek language and means “inactive”. Its use reduces the value of the heat transfer coefficient for windows. Argon helps to minimise heat loss especially in the winter season.