When ordering a plastic window, people often do not know what a double-glazed window is and confuse it with a common window. When choosing a window profile, not everyone pays attention to what will be inserted into it. It is not right. A double-glazed window occupies a large area of the window structure and consists of glasses and an air gap between them, thus forming a closed chamber. It can be filled not only with air, but also with other gases. Knowing the configuration and differences in designs will help you make the right choice. What is the difference between single and double glazing? The difference is significant.
Single chamber design
There is a misconception that the word "single chamber" means one glass. As mentioned above, the camera is already two glasses. Between them there is a layer of a special substance that absorbs moisture and prevents condensation from forming. Another name for this design is single. Mastersoften use the expression "standard single-pane double-glazed window" in their business.
This system includes two 4mm panes and a 16mm air gap between them. The total is 24 mm. There are designs with a deviation from this standard - 18 or 36 mm. The difference between single and double glazing is the weight. The first is much smaller in mass than the second. But how does this affect performance? The lighter the weight of the window, the more securely it is fixed in the opening, and more sunlight passes through two panes.
Double chamber
A double-glazed window, consisting of three glasses and two air chambers between them, is called a two-chamber, or double. This is the most popular type of window glazing. It is used in any residential premises - apartments, cottages, offices. A popular option for double glazing remains a thickness of 38 mm. It contains 3 glasses of 4 mm and two cameras of 14 and 16 mm.
What else is the difference between single-chamber and double-glazed windows? The difference between them is the transmission of light rays, but this is difficult for the average person to notice. It should also be taken into account that a two-chamber double-glazed window weighs more than a single one, so during installation you need to know whether the opening or balcony can withstand such a load.
Three-chamber mechanism
This type of double-glazed window is used in the northern regions, since at low temperatures it shows the greatest heat preservation. This design already consists of 4 glasses and three chambers between them. The thickness of the entire glass pane is58-60 mm.
Triple glass protects against heat loss by 50 percent more than double glass. But there is a caveat that at temperatures below 40 degrees this indicator is noticeable, but at warmer temperatures there is almost no difference in heat. There are three-chamber designs and disadvantages. With a large thickness of glass, weight increases, while the reliability of fastening decreases. Therefore, it is recommended to divide wide openings into several sections in order to install as reliably as possible. If there is no busy highway or airport outside the window, and the temperature in winter is within the normal range, then installing a triple-glazed window will not justify itself.
Price difference
What is the difference between single and double glazing? First of all, consumers are wondering about the price. When choosing a two-chamber or single-chamber double-glazed window, the difference in cost will not be a factor that will play a big role. A double costs about 25 percent more than a single. But if we talk about a three-chamber double-glazed window, then its cost is 50 percent higher than a two-chamber one. At the same time, the difference in the price of glass is not as significant as in the thickness of the profile. After all, it must be strong and securely hold the design of the double-glazed window.
Energy Saving
There is a variant of double-glazed window, in which there is only one chamber, but not air is pumped into it, but a special gas - argon. Glasses are coated with silver coating on one side. They are energy-saving in such a package and a little more expensive than usual.
There are also more expensive options. The silver coating acts as a mirror, reflecting the sun's rays on a hot day. In cold weather, it does not allow heat to leave the room. This option is ideal for those who need a light but warm double-glazed window. It is 30% lighter, and keeps heat much better than single-chamber and double-glazed windows. The difference, pluses and minuses are obvious. But this design has a drawback - the service life, which is only 10-15 years. After this time, the gas escapes and the silver coating dissipates. In this case, the window becomes normal, single-chamber.
Use of single chamber windows
Such double-glazed windows do not have great heat retention, but sometimes their installation is expedient and profitable:
- Loggia or balcony. When there is no need to make the loggia warm, that is, to take out additional batteries and conduct insulation, then it can be equipped with a single-glazed window. In this case, between the main window and the loggia window there will be directly its space, which will be an additional camera. Thus, regardless of whether the balcony / loggia is glazed in one or two glasses, the temperature will be the same.
- Summer house. Here they use single-chamber and double-glazed windows. The difference when installing in a country house will be obvious. Plastic windows at a price no higher than wooden frames, and they can be purchased according to the specified sizes. Therefore, for summer cottages such windows(single-chamber) - the best option. In autumn, when the heating device is turned on, they will retain heat no worse than their wooden counterparts.
- Terrace. Often such a room, even in a capital house, is not insulated and does not have heating, so a multilayer double-glazed window will come in handy. At the same time, plastic structures fit perfectly into the image of any room.
- Windows with one double-glazed window should be installed in the southern regions, where the most severe winters are accompanied by a frost of at least 10 degrees.
Glass thickness
Not the last role is played by the thickness of the glasses, while the standard is 5 mm, but it is better to choose a thickness of at least 6 mm. Then a single-chamber double-glazed window will become much more efficient than a double-glazed one. At the same time, you can save a lot, because the last option will always cost more, regardless of which glass to install. Single-chamber and double-glazed windows, the difference between which is not only in price, but also in energy saving, have different thicknesses.
When choosing a design to suppress external noise, the thickness will not play a big role, but this indicator is significant for keeping warm. The best option for the city is considered a two-chamber mechanism.
Pros and cons of a single chamber window
Let's look at single-chamber and double-glazed windows. The difference, pros and cons of such structurescalculated on the basis of the main characteristics. The advantage of the first design can be considered light weight. It is used in the arrangement of loggias, balconies and terraces, while not weighing them down. Financially, this is also a big plus. The disadvantages include low noise reduction than that of two-chamber ones, as well as lower resistance to heat transfer, which is insufficient in the climate over a large area of the country. The use of single-chamber double-glazed windows could be very limited. But the implemented energy-saving technologies have changed everything.
Advantages and disadvantages of double glazing
A variant of this design is much stronger than a single-chamber counterpart. The main indicators of noise and heat insulation of a two-chamber window are much higher, so its use is most widely developed.
It has three glasses and two air chambers, and the thickness of the profile is not much more than a two-glass design. Due to this, good noise reduction and heat retention are formed. The cost of a double-glazed window does not exceed an additional 20-30 percent to the price of a single-chamber one. Therefore, it has gained popularity among consumers. When installing single-chamber and double-glazed windows (the difference and disadvantages of the designs are presented in our article) requires a lot of attention and accuracy. Therefore, it is better to resort to the services of professionals.
Selection Tips
- The distance between the glasses in the package should not exceed 20 mm. Otherwise, it will not meet good performance in terms ofsound and heat insulation.
- The dimensions of the double-glazed window cannot exceed 3.23 m. A larger value will lead to the fact that during operation a single-chamber and double-chamber double-glazed window can be deformed or completely destroyed. The price difference won't matter here.
- Colored glass is installed only on the outside, while it is carefully strengthened.
- Installation of a double-glazed unit is carried out only at an outside air temperature of at least -15 degrees, and an internal temperature of at least +5 degrees.
You need to carefully approach the purchase of double-glazed windows. When choosing a manufacturer, as well as buying a profile and accessories, you should not save money, because the service life of high-quality windows is several decades.
