Countless studies have concluded that humans have an unrelenting need to expose themselves to ample amounts of natural light on a routine basis. This helps them stay productive, whether at the office or at home. People spend the majority of their time indoors these days, which is why daylight management is accomplished through glass windows. Whether you want to design an ideal workspace or your new home whose interiors reflect your personality, windows with the right type of glass are at the core of any building. A cheery and conducive atmosphere can be achieved through them, but how do you decide on the type of glass these windows should contain? Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you figure out the type of glass better-suited for your home’s windows.
Importance of Selecting the Right Window Glass
Windows will be responsible for thermal comfort inside your home. Inefficient management of heat moving through windows can dramatically reduce your home’s energy-efficiency. As a result, your home’s interiors will be overly hot during summers and freezing cold during winters. This will spike up the usage of heating and cooling devices and, in turn, energy bills. The type of window glass used for your spaces should disallow heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer. Energy-inefficient glass can burden your air-conditioning system, while too much glare can make sitting inside a room uncomfortable. The good news is that with the advent of high-performance window glass solutions, windows have been able to overcome the problems related to thermal discomfiture.
Modern-day homes lay a lot of emphasis on the aesthetic exteriors as well as interiors. This is often achieved through gorgeous, sizable glass windows. While consulting with a window glass dealer, inquire about the basic glass performance indicators namely, the R-values and the U-values. These values are a measurement of heat loss. Windows that have a high R-value or low U-value will provide the best thermal comfort for your home without compromising on the glamour.
Consider These Factors Before Choosing Window Glass
Before zeroing-in on a particular type of glass for your windows, ask the following three questions to gain a deeper understanding of what you want – What is the nature of my safety requirements (especially if there are kids around)?, how noisy is my neighbourhood (is it located in a busy part of town or on the main street)?, what is the climate of my city around the year?
Firstly, if your new home is situated in a very busy part of the city, security concerns should take precedence. You will need to choose a type of window glass that is strong and can withstand any unfortunate incidents, like a break-in. Also, if you have children running and playing around your home, you need windows and doors made of safety glass. Laminated glass or toughened glass would be ideal in both of these scenarios. Both of these glasses are stronger than normal glass and can resist heavy external impact. Moreover, each of these glasses is designed in a manner that on the rare event of breakage, they do not shatter into sharp shards, unlike regular glass. Instead, toughened glass breaks into small, blunt, pebble-like pieces and laminated glass pieces remain stuck to the special PVB interlayer – used to bind the two glass sheets into a single, strong layer.
Secondly, if your home is in an especially noisy neighbourhood with reduced privacy then installing soundproof or frosted window glass will work best for you. These types of glass are a variant of laminated glass so they are very strong. Acoustic insulation can have you living comfortably in one of the busiest neighbourhoods without the menace of traffic noise, whereas, frosted glass can address your privacy concerns. Too much noise can leave you stressed as well as fatigued, whereas, reduced privacy can lead to safety concerns.
Thirdly, if you live in a particularly hot or cold city or near the ocean then window glass that provides thermal comfort is imperative. Low-E and insulated glass panes are strong, energy-efficient and will work best in this situation. Low E-glass has an invisible metallic coating that blocks excessive solar heat transfer and also keeps humidity at bay. This does not only maintain comfortable internal temperatures but also prevents the solar glare from fading your interior furnishings such as carpets, rugs, etc. Low-E window glass absorbs the majority of UV rays from the sun and provides for a better dwelling experience, especially during the warmer months. During winters, this type of window glass allows the sunlight to stream through and naturally keeps your home warmer.
Another thing to keep in mind going forward with your decision is that panes today are available in both double as well as triple-glazing. Singular-paned glass in residential windows is fast becoming a thing of the past. Double-glazed windows made from any of the aforementioned types of window glass are great for thermal comfort, security and sound-resistance. However, if you live in an extremely cold city then going for triple-glazing might work better when it comes to increased thermal comfort.
The Bottom Line
Choosing the right kind of glass may seem like an afterthought while installing windows, but this decision will have major repercussions on the comfort, safety, security and the privacy of your family members. No matter which type of window glass you zero-in on from the list above or otherwise, AIS Glass will provide you end-to-end solutions for all your window glass needs. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today!