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Glass panes
When choosing glazing, it may seem that you have to decide between single, double or triple-pane glass. The truth, however, is somewhat different...
When the time has come to choose the ideal glazing for your home windows, glass pane options are a critical factor. Many may think that you have to choose between single, double, or triple-pane glass when it’s time to decide the type of glass pane that suits your needs, but the truth is somewhat different...
In addition to the type you should also consider the options in features that glass panes have. Let's look at the main options and features to consider:
- Laminated or Tempered Glass Panes:Laminated glass offers increased strength and safety, while tempered glass is resistant to intense pressure and shatters into small, safe pieces.
- Double or Triple Glass Panes:The use of double or triple glass panes offers better sound insulation, blocking surrounding noise.
- Special Gases: The use of special gases, such as argon gas, can enhance the thermal insulation of windows.
- Thickness Selection: Glass thickness affects safety, thermal and sound insulation. Choose the appropriate thickness based on your needs.
TIP: The glass pane is the main part of the total surface of a window and represents on average about 70% - 80% of its surface. Thus, its role on energy efficiency, sound insulation and safety is very important.
The Types of Glass Panes
Single-pane: Simple and Economic
These are the oldest and simplest form of glass panes. Basically, we are talking about a single glass pane in various thicknesses (usually from 3 mm to 12 mm) which has limited thermal insulation, sound insulation and safety capabilities. Due to the lower cost, single glazing windows are ideal for garages, warehouses and other unheated outbuildings. Also, when single-pane glasses break, they are less expensive to repair as you only need one pane of glass. If energy efficiency is something you are concerned about, the double or triple glazing options are a must.
Double-pane: the New Standard
Double-pane glazing consist of two panes of glass which are usually joined by a glazing bar made of aluminium or polyamide and sealed around the perimeter with a special adhesive. They offer significantly higher thermal and sound insulation than single-pane glazing, which use only one pane of glass.
Double-Pane Energy Efficient Glass: To Save Energy and Money
Double-Pane Energy Efficient Glass, also known as low-e glass panes, is a glass composition with a similar structure to conventional double glass panes, but with a special type of glazing for higher thermal insulation with a special insulating gas in between.
Specifically, they also consist of two panes of glass joined together with an aluminium profile, which are sealed around the perimeter with a special adhesive. One pane is a simple conventional clear float glass, while the second pane has been specially treated with a low-emission (low-E) coating, so that it has a high reflectivity to the infrared radiation of the sun, thus significantly limiting its transmission indoors. In addition, as mentioned above, noble gas (argon) is added to the gap between the two panes, which has increased thermal insulation properties.
Thus, through double-pane energy efficient glasses, lower heat losses from the inside to the outside of your home are achieved. In addition, unwanted heat due to the entry of intense solar radiation in summer is reduced, thus ensuring more coolness.
Triple-Pane Glass: For Excellent Energy Efficiency
Triple-Pane Energy Efficient Glasses incorporate three layers of glass to ensure very high thermal insulation and enhance the energy efficiency of a home. With two surfaces available for low-E application, minimal heat is transferred into the house by the sun's rays, providing a cooler environment in summer, especially in areas with high sunshine. In addition to excellent thermal insulation, triple-pane glazing also offers very high sound insulation, contributing significantly to a much better standard of living.
Special Features
Low-emission energy-efficient glass panes (Low-e)
Low-E is a very thin layer applied to the inner surface of the glass, in double or triple-pane glazing. The coating may be invisible to the human eye, but it is certainly there to offer you several advantages.
This layer offers protection from UV rays, which are capable of fading carpets, damaging furniture, but can also have a negative effect on your eyes and skin. It also helps to reflect heat during the summer, filtering out solar radiation and preventing the entry of the sun's infrared radiation. In addition, a special class of passive Low-E coatings helps to keep warm air inside your home in winter, working in a similar way to thermos bottles.
Safety glass panes
Laminated glass panes consist of two or more sheets of glass, which are glued together. One or more special adhesive films (polyvinyl butyral film, PVB) are inserted between the glass sheets, which do not affect the transparency of the glass. The film acts bonds the glass sheets together, creating a "sandwich" of glass and film, composing a single body that is very compact and durable, with increased resistance to breakage, high safety and increased sound insulation.
Laminated glass panes, if broken, do not collapse, thanks to the special film that is inserted between them, keeping the broken pieces of glass attached. This prevents dangerous and sharp broken shards that could cause serious injury in case of breakage, which is why it is called safety glass.
Thermally toughened glass panes (tempered)
Thermally tempered glass panes consist of glass that has been heat treated to achieve a higher degree of mechanical and thermal resistance. The glass is first heated to a temperature of over 600°C and then cooled either abruptly (full thermal toughening) or gradually (thermal strengthening). In both cases the strictly controlled cooling speed is of great importance. The above treatments subject the surface of the glass to a permanent compressive stress, giving the glass unique characteristics, such as
- up to 5 times more resistance to mechanical and thermal shock (thermally tempered glass); or
- up 2 times higher (thermally strengthened glass) than a plain glass.
This treatment protects the glass from breakage caused by very high temperature differences that may affect its surface (e.g. due to frequently changing local shading). This feature is particularly important for glazing exposed to intense solar radiation with high energy absorption on a daily basis. In addition, thermally tempered glass in the event of breakage shatters immediately into small glass grains, without the serious risk of broken sharp shards, as is the case with plain glass.
Reflective glass panes
Reflective glass panes reflect a significant part of solar radiation, reducing to a considerable extent its entry indoors. It is a good choice in areas with high sunshine, as it ensures better temperature conditions in summer by preventing excessive heat due to intense solar radiation. Of course, it is possible that they may cause annoying light reflection effects on the exterior environment and the surrounding buildings.
Fire resistant glass panes
Fire-resistant glass panes stand out for their resistance to fire, i.e. resistance to extremely high temperatures. Depending on their use, they can be either single (without a gap) or double with a gap for better thermal insulation. Fire-resistant glass panes are always laminate, i.e. in "sandwich" form, with special expanding membranes, which above a certain temperature swell and provide increased fire-resistance protection. Depending on the required time of delay of the entry of fire into the room, we choose the most suitable glass pane that can provide protection for 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. Of course, the glass pane alone is not enough to ensure the required fire protection, as the aluminium system used in each case must also be able to withstand the required time. For this reason, fire-resistant frame systems are always tested and certified for a specific protection time, with a fire-resistant glass pane installed.
