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  • May 6, 2013 at 4:54 pm #1266
    Scott Willis
    Participant

    Hello everyone,

    Double Glazing is one of those big costs for those interested in increasing thermal efficiency in homes. There are a plethora of providers, but how can consumers evaluate claims before making a significant investment?

    I have a personal interest in this, as last year I spent a great deal getting what I believed was top quality (very expensive ) double glazing to replace 100 year old sash windows – only to find out that the provider was incompetent and impossible to discuss issues with. We now have a pending legal fight. I’m also looking at other providers and don’t want to go through a similar situation.

    But the bigger point is: what exists to help people make objective decisions on double glazing? I know this is a gap in our energy knowledge at BRCT. We know general principles but would like more robust information.

    Can anyone steer us towards objective TECHNICAL papers on:

    Glazing values : thickness of glass, gap, glass – what is optimal); argon benefit; Low-E benefit
    Hinging systemss : casement, etc, vs. tilt and turn hinging; acceptable weights of windows for different hinges.
    Thermal efficiency of different frame materials (wood [thickness]; UPVC; Aluminium.
    Standards as they exist in NZ (and OPINION on standards) ??

    Best,

    Scott

    May 7, 2013 at 10:11 am #1273
    Eion Scott
    Participant

    Hi Scott, have a look at Factsheet 2: Windows and Curtains on our website http://www.ecodesignadvisor.org.nz/advice-and-info/

    There’s debate over whether double glazing is even warranted in the Auckland climate, but the paybacks for Dunedin are such that I would think  you would want at least thermally broken aluminium and preferably wood/uPVC.

    May 7, 2013 at 7:10 pm #1277
    Fred Braxton
    Participant

    Hi Scott, in Build magazine John Burgess of BRANZ wrote a series of articles on parts of this subject in issues 123, 124, 125, 126 (2011) searchable on the BRANZ website at http://www.branz.co.nz/shop&series=19.

    The incredibly useful Design Navigator website has an outline of the WERS rating system (click from the home page), which is the nearest we have to a standard in NZ and answers many of your questions above.

    This is a very tricky topic because windows do lots of things!

     

     

    May 9, 2013 at 3:47 pm #1280
    Scott Willis
    Participant

    Hi Eion and Fred,

    Thank you both – excellent links with a ton of information (now they’re on my ‘bookmarks’). That said, I haven’t found the BRANZ website easy to navigate at all, but with a little persistence I’ll get there, while finding much more along the way. I take it that BRANZ covers the technical details? The Eco Design Fact Sheets are great simple documents with lots of distilled info.

    At the very least, this has helped in my own decision pathway – though I haven’t yet confirmed the order.

    Working as we are the process of simplifying a whole lot of documents ourselves at BRCT, I appreciate the cost and value of summarising technical documents. I’ve got to take my hat off to the Eco Advisor Service and more power here!

    Scott

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