If you’ve recently bought a new house that needs some work, or if you’re living in a house that’s getting older, then refitting the windows will be high on your list of priorities. Single-glazed windows, or poor-quality double-glazed windows, are unsatisfactory for keeping your house insulated.

You’ll feel this quickly when the temperatures start to drop in the fall, and you find that even though you have the central heating on, the house never seems to get any warmer.

You may even find that you can feel a draft coming in through the windows if they are old enough or if they were installed very cheaply. New windows should be your first port of call if you find that your house doesn’t keep the temperature in through the winter.

In addition, old windows can seriously impact the aesthetic of your home. It may be that your windows are old and that the wood is starting to come away in the worst scenario.

This can lead to your house looking run down no matter what you do to the interior. It may simply be that you dislike the style of the windows, and you want something that’s more in keeping with your own preferences.

If you wish to get new bay windows or even faceted glass windows, it will be one of the more expensive purchases you make. For this reason, it’s worth doing your research to make sure you’re buying the best windows for you that will last a long time, and keep your home well-insulated and lit up with natural light.

Why should you choose to buy double-glazed windows?

There are many different types of windows available if you’re on the market, but one of the key things that you should consider is spending the extra to get the double-glazed.

If budget is a significant issue for you, it may be tempting to choose a single-glazed option and save the difference. Regardless of what windows you choose, there will be a considerable investment to be made.

As well as purchasing the windows themselves, you’ll need to pay for the labor to install them. This will include removing your old windows and putting in the new ones, which isn’t a small task.

Because of this, you’ll be making a substantial investment regardless of the windows you choose, so spending a little extra to get a high-quality double-glazed window is recommended.

Here are a few of the benefits of choosing a double-glazed window:
More energy efficient
Your energy bills will be the fastest way that you’ll start to feel the benefit of opting for double- glazed windows.

Double-glazed windows are designed to keep the warmth in during the colder months, and also to keep your house cooler in the summer by blocking some of the heat from the sun.

This means you’ll be saving in both the winter in heating bills, and then the summer in how much air conditioning you need to use. With these combined, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars every year, depending on the size of your house and the extremity of the weather.
Added security
As well as being more insulating, double-glazed windows also provide more security than the single- glazed. Single-glazed windows are easier to break by any would-be burglar, and an opportunist may see something expensive and notice the poor quality of your windows.

A double-glazed window is twice as difficult to break, which may discourage someone from trying to break it, or even physically stop them.
Better soundproofing

If you live in a noisy neighborhood, the sounds of people that live near you or nearby traffic can severely impact your quality of life. It may be the dog next door barking, or children crying and keeping you up at night.

Single-glazed windows offer limited protection from the sounds coming from outside, which may be an essential factor when you’re deciding what type of window to buy.

Double-glazed windows, on the other hand, are thicker and with an additional sheet of glass, are far more effective at keeping the sounds of people and traffic out.

Reduce fading from the sun
There’s nothing worse than seeing your furniture slowly fade in color after months of being hit by the sun through the window. When furniture like armchairs, rugs, and carpets are exposed to the sun, they will begin to fade, meaning that you may have to replace them more often.

Double-glazed windows with UV protection can stop these rays from hitting your furniture and prevent them from fading. Increase how much your property is worth If you’re trying to increase the value of your house or a property you own, double-glazed windows
are a great way to do this.

Double-glazing is highly sought after when looking to buy a house for all the reasons that have been stated above. If someone was to purchase a house with single-glazed windows, they would most likely want to replace them, which may impact if they are willing to go
ahead with the purchase.

Also, if you’re selling, then double-glazed windows can add as much as 5- 10% onto the total value of the property.
How do double-glazed windows work?

With the advantages of double-glazed windows apparent, you may be asking how they can achieve all of these benefits. There’s a certain type of science at work that means that double-glazed windows are better at insulating your home.

First, this happens through conduction. Conduction is the process of heat transferring through a type of material. When heat tries to leave your home through the window, it takes a certain amount of energy to get through the glass.

By having two panes of glass, it’s twice as hard for the heat to escape, making your house retain heat more effectively. Between these panes of glass is air, which also helps to keep the heat in your house through convection. Convection is the process of heat moving through liquids and gasses.

As mentioned, in between the two panes of solid glass is air, which is a gas. Air doesn’t conduct heat well, which prevents the heat from convecting. Through both conduction and convection then, double-glazed windows can far better insulate your home.

What types of double-glazed windows are available?

When looking to purchase a new window, there are two key considerations – what style of window you want, and then the type of glass that the window will be made from.

When installing a window, there’s no real difference between a single or double-glazed window. The old window will be removed, and then the new window will be fitted.

The main thing that will be different is what the window is made from. The frame is the first thing to think about, as this can have an impact on the price of the window that you’re having installed.

Most window frames are made of UPVC or Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride. This is a material that’s well-suited for windows as it’s somewhat cheap to make, but is also easy to shape into a different size.

In addition, it’s a durable material and can be recycled when you’re finished with it. This is a good choice for many people, especially if you’re trying to keep costs down, but if you have an older house, they may not quite fit the aesthetic.

In this case, you may want to invest in wood window frames.

This is more traditional, but historically, it isn’t as useful as a material for insulation and for ease of making different shapes and styles quickly. To counteract this, you can add an insulating coating onto the wood to increase its performance.

Regardless of the style of window you want, though, window manufacturing processes have now advanced. Irrespective of the size and shape of the window you want, you’ll most likely be able to get a double-glazed option. There are a few different styles you may be considering.
Single-hung
Single-hung windows have one sash that’s fixed in place, and then another that can be moved to let fresh air into the room. This may be through a sliding or hinge mechanism. These are ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms.
Double-hung
Double-hung windows can be opened from both the top and bottom sashes, again either by sliding or opening with a hinge. This means that more ventilation can be provided, making them perfect for a kitchen that gets hot when cooking.
Awning and sliding windows
As mentioned, some windows open with a hinge either at the top or the side. This style is called an awning window and is great for small spaces. Other windows slide up and down, which works well for wider window panes.
Awning windows
Awning windows have a hinge at the top of the frame and open outwards from the bottom. They are great for letting lots of natural light in and work well in confined spaces.
Bay windows
A bay window has three sides, and is often found in the front room of the house designed to let lots of natural light in. They have three faces to create an alcove in the room, with one longer side and two shorter sides on each side.