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AUGUST 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO PRODUCTS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
The
Triple
Glazing
Debate
As triple glazing continues to grow in popularity,
Neil Ginger, CEO at Origin, discusses the
implications to the glazing industry.
Over the last five
years, Origin has seen
a steady rise in the
demand for triple
glazing as building
regulations become
more stringent and
homeowners become
increasingly conscious of the thermal
efficiency of their
homes. But while the
thermal and acoustic
benefits are widely
reported, triple glazed
units are not without
issues.
The first issue, faced by
manufacturers, is production. Origin has been offering the choice of triple
glazing in its bespoke aluminium bi-fold doors for
the last three years, so understands the main issues
faced by manufacturers of
doors and windows.
Whether a window unit
or a bi-folding door, the
product must be designed
to accommodate triple
glazing. This can be done
by changing the gasket or
the bead size. The manufacturer will also have to
review the tolerances of
each component to make
sure they are capable of
bearing the extra weight,
which will involve product testing. This may also
lead to product development and alterations for
stronger components.
As a British manufacturer that has complete
control over the design,
manufacture and fabrication of all its bi-folding
doors and windows,
we are able to meet the
requirements of customers on a bespoke product
with a zero lead time service. However, for system
companies that outsource
fabrication, this will not
be as simple. A larger
This can also affect the
number of journeys an
installer must make to
site with the units. A glass
lifter may also be required
if large expanses of glass
have been specified,
which may again increase
the cost of installation.
Bi-folding doors create a
view of the garden and let
in the maximum amount
of natural daylight. However, due to the additional
‘each project is different and
it is clear that triple glazed
units can be beneficial to the
thermal efficiency of homes’
amount of space and
stock, such as different
beads and gaskets, will be
required to produce the
triple glazed units, while
operations and processes
will have to be seamless
if errors are to be avoided
as the order moves along
each process.
For installers, consideration must be given to
the weight implications of
triple glazed units as the
extra glass will mean the
sets will be significantly
heavier. This will mean
fewer units can be delivered at any one time due
to the maximum weight
loads for vans or lorries.
weight of triple glazing,
the maximum panel size
available for a bi-folding
door is smaller than a
double glazed alternative.
This is because larger
triple glazed doors would
be too heavy to operate
and would not be fit for
the end user. By reducing
the maximum panel size,
an additional door is also
required, which increases
the amount of aluminium
door frame interrupting
the view.
In some cases, the
efficiency of high performance double glazed
doors is almost as good
as, if not better than, that
of a triple glazed unit.
Origin’s double glazed
bi-folding doors can
achieve 1.67 W/(m2K)
using 24mm units which
is superior to some manufacturers’ triple glazed
products. In essence
installers need to ensure
consumers understand
that the U Value can vary
greatly across folding sliding doors and that simply
asking for triple glazing
isn’t always going to be
the answer, the manufacturer matters too. For
instance Origin’s aluminium triple-glazed bi-folding doors have a certified
U Value of 1.3W/(m2K),
surpassing the British
Building Regulations by
an industry leading 27 per
cent.
Triple glazed bi-folding doors and windows
can cost up to double
the amount of a double
glazed alternative. As it
will be the homeowners
who benefit fro m the
energy savings made from
triple glazing, it will have
to be assessed whether
the value added to the
property will outweigh
the high initial cost of
triple glazed units.
Despite the issues currently in debate regarding triple glazing, each
project is different and it
is clear that triple glazed
units can be beneficial to
the thermal efficiency of
homes. The versatility and
strength of aluminium
bi-folds means complex
layouts, such as moving
corner posts and bay set
ups, can incorporate triple
glazing without being too
heavy.
By weighing up the
pros and cons of triple
glazing, it is clear that
more consideration must
be given to the issues if
people are to be offered
triple glazing as a viable
alternative to double
glazing.