Double glazing offers excellent energy efficiency and sound insulation. But while double glazing might be good, triple glazing is even better. If you’re thinking about replacing the windows in your home, you might be tempted by the prospect of triple glazing to help make your home as warm and efficient as possible. In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits and disadvantages of triple glazing so you can decide if it is the right choice for your home.
Is triple glazing worth it?
Triple glazing is more expensive to install than double glazing, so the first thing you need to consider is the potential savings on offer if you opt for triple glazing. Standard double glazing offers an A rating on the WER scale, while triple glazing offers an A++ rating. By upgrading from double glazing to triple glazing, you can expect your home to be 60% more energy efficient. This could mean a more comfortable home and lower energy bills, which is a key consideration for many homeowners at the moment.
What are the advantages of triple glazing?
There are a few key advantages to triple glazing, the most obvious being that it is more energy efficient. Triple glazing works by having two Low E glass panes and one Low Iron pane. Each Low E pane has an invisible metal coating which helps to reflect heat back into your home, making it cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
The triple panes also trap two layers of air, which makes it more efficient than double glazing which only has one layer of air. This additional layer of glass also offers additional protection against noise pollution, which makes it ideal for homes in busy areas.
What are the disadvantages of triple glazing?
This biggest disadvantage to triple glazing is the cost of installation. There is also the added risk that if a window gets broken, the cost to replace it will be much higher than a standard double glazed window.
With three panes of glass to support, the frames need to be much more durable and heavy. The frame will need to be much stronger and also require stronger hinges. A triple glazed window can also be heavier to open and close.
Another unexpected disadvantage of triple glazing is the light lost due to the thicker glass. If you have very large windows, this might not be as much of an issue, but homes with smaller windows might notice the loss of light a lot more.
Is it worth the upgrade?
You will need to consider the potential savings from lower energy bills versus the cost of installation and maintenance. You might also need to consider changing the lighting in your home if the triple glazing reduces the amount of natural light by too much.
Maintenance will also be a consideration, as repairs to triple glazing are likely to be more expensive than standard repairs to double glazing. And finally, if you have to deal with a smashed window, there is the added expense of replacing a more expensive pane.
If you live in an area with very cold winters, such as Scotland, the North of England or in the hills and mountains, you could see greater benefits to triple glazing. Likewise, those living in inner city areas can benefit from triple glazing as it will help to keep noise levels down.
Closing thoughts
Triple glazing is likely to become the standard for homes in the coming years, but at the moment, it is a luxury upgrade. If you can afford the additional price tag, triple glazing is certainly worth the investment.
