Comparing Double Glazing with Curtains
When it comes to keeping your home warm and reducing energy bills, good home insulation is key. Single glazed windows and doors are an obvious weak point due to their high thermal conductivity. Insulation can be added to your joinery by installing double glazing, or by installing new curtains, but which one is better? In this blog post, we will compare both options and explain why the preferred solution for most homeowners is double glazing.
Double Glazing
Retrofitting double glazing into an existing home involves replacing all single glazing with new double glazing units. Double glazing, also known as insulating glazing units (IGU), consists of two separate panes of glass with a hermetically sealed cavity between them. This cavity is filled with either dehydrated air or argon gas, both of which are good insulators. Essentially, when double glazing is installed, insulation has been introduced into your joinery, creating a barrier between inside and outside.
Energy Efficiency:
Double glazing helps to reduce heat loss, resulting in a more comfortable home environment and lower energy bills. The insulating properties of double glazing make it an excellent option for homeowners looking to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. When compared to standard 3mm single glazing, SureTemp double glazing can reduce heat loss by 50%, while our high-performance Low E option, SureTemp LE, can reduce heat loss by up to 80%!
Noise Reduction:
Double glazing can also help to reduce noise pollution. Options within our Safe+Sound range can reduce noise transmission by up to 50% when compared to single glazing!
Security:
Double glazing is much stronger and more secure than single pane glass, making it a far safer option for your home. Additional security can be achieved by adding specialised hardware to opening windows to create restricted openings, and by installing secure Grade A safety glass. Obscured or tinted glass can also be installed where added privacy is necessary.
Damage Control:
Eversure has options within our Safe+Sound range that can reduce fading by up to 70% compared to single glazing. These solutions will help protect carpet, furniture, paintings and even curtains!
Curtains
Curtains are a popular and common window treatment found in most homes. The main purpose of curtains is to provide privacy in the evenings when you don’t want anyone to see into your home, however they are also used for decorative purposes and occasionally, insulation.
Energy Efficiency:
While curtains will generally provide some level of insulation, they are not as thermally efficient as double glazing and have some significant drawbacks. There are two important things to consider.
Curtains will only provide insulation when they are drawn, meaning you will be compromising on sunlight if you want the insulation properties during the daytime.
In order to get the best thermal benefit from curtains, they need to be fitted snugly over your windows/doors. Unfortunately, if the curtains are covering single glazed glass, it is probable that condensation will form on the glass, which can cause the curtains to become damp and possibly mouldy over time.
Noise reduction and damage control:
As with energy efficiency, curtains do have the ability to reduce some noise and they will help cut down fading, but again, this will only be achieved when the curtains have been drawn. There will be no benefit in these areas during the daytime.
Security:
When drawn, curtains will restrict view being able to see into a home but provide virtually no security otherwise.
Conclusion
When a decision needs to be made about whether to double glaze or put new curtains in, it’s important to consider the following. While curtains certainly have their place in a home for privacy and decoration, they will not add much in the way of insulation when they are drawn, and won’t provide any insulation during the day when they are open. if you are looking for a solution that will enable you to increase energy efficiency, reduce condensation, slow down fading, reduce noise or improve security for 24 hours a day, double glazing is the option that will best help you achieve these things. Double glazing can also help protect and prolong the life of curtains by reducing damage from condensation and sunlight.
Why Eversure?
With over 11 years of experience and thousands of double glazing units installed, we are the leading experts in double glazing existing homes. Our experience and customer focussed ethos enables us to provide tailored solutions suitable for the unique conditions we experience. We have helped thousands of customers throughout the lower North Island in not just transforming their homes to make it more comfortable but adding real value to their homes and improving their quality of life.
Our approach starts with a consultation at your home. This enables us to fully understand your needs as well as assess your joinery and determine what the best services/solutions are for you. From there we will develop a comprehensive bespoke quote for you.
To get started, get in touch with us today by clicking here.
