Monday, June 4, 2012

Why Double Glazed Units Can Make A House A Home

Double glazed units are fitted to reduce energy loss and to also to help increase the insulation of a house or business premises, they can also reduce condensation. Two layers of glass are hermetically sealed in a unit, this would be sized, sealed and used to replace the standard single pane commonly used in the manufacture of a window or door.

When Were Double Glazed Units First Introduced?

They were first introduced in the 1930's and were commonly available throughout the USA by the 1950's. Looking more closely at what goes to make up a unit let's first look at the spacer. These are made up of four different types

1) Regular Metal Spacers

2) Combination Sealant Type Spacers

3) Non Metal Synthetic Spacers

4) Hybrids

The regular metal spacers are generally made up of aluminium glazing bars, electro galvanised steel, or even stainless steel. The spacers themselves can have a dramatic effect on the cost of the double glazed units depending on the material they are made from.

The spacers are filled with a desiccant component especially designed to reduce the condensation that may form between the panes of glass in the sealed unit, this desiccant soaks up the moisture and helps keeps the unit clear from misting and fogging.

Misting or Fogging of Your Double Glazed Units

So what happens when the units break down?. Misting or fogging of a unit is a common problem, and as luck would have it, this often occurs just after the guarantee runs out. Misty or foggy units can make a room look terrible and as the seals around the windows age & break can be expected in the lifetime of the unit.

But the cost of repairing units is no longer a major problem as this process can be done fairly cheaply and quickly using local tradesmen who can be found via your local directory or from the Internet.

Overall the benefits of double glazing far outweigh the cons. With the advent of more competition in the market place, the prices of double glazed units has come down dramatically. In the 80's and early 90's people could expect to pay a lot of money to replace the windows of a typical house, often half of the total value of the property could be expected in payment, bay window replacement being the most expensive.

Today, however with modern manufacturing processes, costs have come down dramatically, coupled with the fact that their is a lot of local competition, your double glazed units no longer need cost you an arm and a leg

Keith Everett is an Author from Broxbourne, Herts, England, For more practical ideas regarding double glazed units - go here


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