How to double glaze windows

These vents allow warm air that has built up in the window recess, to flow out rather than hitting the cold glass or frame and condensing. See our condensation project for more information on this.

Sealed units the glass are two panes of glass kept apart by a coloured spacer bar mostly silver or brown. This is filled with silica crystals. These crystals soak up the moisture to keep the air gap between the panes clear. You should be given a year guarantee on these units. The glass will be cut to fit the frame you order so you only have to worry about getting the right size frame.

The glass will also be cut to allow room for the heads of the frame fixing screws at the side of it. When you insert the glass you will need to space it out so the borders are equidistant in the frame. In the case of a "barred" unit, which is a sealed unit with inbuilt glazing bars to make it look as if it is lots of small sections, you will need to make sure the glazing bars look absolutely horizontal and vertical.

This can also be done using the spacers. The beads, if installed when you take delivery of the frame, can be removed using a sharp scraper or chisel, this will give you a clear view of the rebates that will receive the glass. The frame will come separately to the sill and the sill will probably have to be cut to length on site as normally you get a little extra to play with. The sill in most cases will also come with some end caps which need to be glued on to each end of the sill with a special PVC superglue.

Occationally the sill and window will come with the glue but in most instances you will have to purchase this seperatley. The glue can be purchased from most window and glazing suppliers.

The sill sits on the top of the outside skin of the wall, on a mastic, or sand and cement bed. A bead of silicone is applied to the top of the sill and the frame then sits on that. The back edge of the sill will have a little upstand against which the window will butt and this is where you put the silicone. Do not seal the gap which will be between the bottom front edge of the window frame and the top of the sill. There are drainage holes in the bottom of the frame and any water that does get into the frame can run out of these holes and run off the sill.

The fixing holes are drilled once the beads are out and the screw heads are covered by the sealed unit when it is placed in the frame. Put the frame in and square it up within the opening using the plastic spacers. You can ask to have a variety of spacers sent with the windows you order. Choose a solid area of wall and drill through the frame and wall. Feel free to message me about this if you want more info! I'm not looking to take anything away from this 'ible, as you did a fine job.

However dual paned units are made with an airtight barrier between the glass. In addition the glass is heated prior to being sealed so that the air inside expands. Once heated and sealed the air inside contracts as it cools, and actually forms a pseudo vacuum as it as not as dense as the ambient air.

It's actually the lack of air, or not as dense air that helps make dual pane glass a good insulator. I only mention this because I think it would be a disservice to others looking to replicate this and expecting the same performance as a dual pane insulated window. Reply 12 years ago on Introduction. I agree with you completely, there is no intention to replicate a real double glazed window, but to add a layer of air in between the glass and perspex. Reply 11 years ago on Introduction.

As you said, these are not meant to replicate an actual double pane window, but just to add a bit to trailleadr's comment regarding actual ones, we used Argon gas when I worked at a window factory to fill the space between the panes.

I didn't learn why argon specifically, except it is inert. Either way, I def would like to try this at my apt. By shanitan Follow. More by the author:. Did you make this project? Share it with us! I Made It! Tea-light Lantern by ruths in 3D Printing. Reply Upvote. Dashd Question 1 year ago on Step 4. Answer Upvote. GregoryS89 Question 3 years ago. ShaniT1 GregoryS89 Answer 3 years ago.

Digmen1 5 years ago. Looks like a great idea! Max P 7 years ago on Introduction. Wille B 10 years ago on Introduction. XxZombiexX shanitan Reply 11 years ago on Introduction. I think they use argon gas because you then don't get any condensation in between the glass. Even traditional double glazing solutions cannot solve the problem of direct summer sun striking the glass.

However, if there is direct summer sun striking the glass, then external shading is the appropriate solution. Brand new double glazed windows are much more expensive than secondary glazing. There is also a considerable amount of effort involved in selecting, arranging, installing, plaster repair, painting and cleaning up afterward. With replacement windows, the old heavy windows also need to be removed and properly disposed of.

Tradesmen need to install the new windows carefully and the architraves and plaster around each window replaced or repaired. It can be challenging to co-ordinate multiple tradespeople in a timely manner when trying to get your home back to normal. Also, we often we hear that people are disappointed to find that their brand new double glazing does not allow the adequate still air space to deliver the comfort they paid for.

No other structural changes or managing tradespeople is required. Your home is left clean and tidy with seamless secondary glazing that provides perfect still air space. There are a number of glazing companies that provide this service. Please be mindful that your original window frames were designed for a single pane of glass and are weighted to allow them to open and close normally.

So there are two issues with replacing the glass:. Its design provides the best possible still-air space to maximise thermal performance. Argon filled double glazing is one of the most expensive types of double glazing available. Believe it or not, no glazing is vacuum sealed because it would put the two panes of glass under pressure and eventually the two panes would touch.

Factory fitted double glazing is hermetically sealed, meaning that no air can enter or escape. The level of conduction of heat is measured by a number called a U-value. The lower the U-Value, the better the performance of the glazing.

The U-value of a 3mm single glazed window with aluminium frame is 6. Compare this to a double glazed unit, with 6mm spacing and aluminium frames, with a U-value of 3. Secondary glazing retrofit double glazing works the same way as factory made double glazing by providing a layer of still air that improves the insulation value of otherwise highly conductive glass. In factory made units you have the opportunity to select many glass treatment options and also a gas fill.

These units are hermetically sealed and have desiccant in them to absorb any water vapour that may impregnate the seals. It relies on the water vapour in the air not being so high as to create condensation in the air space. This means that of all of the Melbourne-based installations we have carried out, there have been no reports of a moisture problem. There have been two homes at altitude above metres , that have a minor problem with misting. The misting is insufficient to condense and it dissipates during the day.

Secondary Glazing vs. Double Glazing…. No mess. No landfill. The appearance, character and function of the window or door is not compromised. How does secondary glazing work? The benefits of secondary glazing…. How do I get started?