Insulated Glass Pros
- Temperature Control
- Energy Efficiency
- Sound Insulation
- Reduces UV Rays
- Safety and Security
- Versatility
Insulated Glass Cons
- Higher Initial Cost
- Must Be Replaced if Damaged
What is Insulated Glass?
Insulated glass is a broad term to describe a few different types of glass, including low e glass, gas-filled glass, and heat-retention glass. However, insulated glass units (IGU) specifically refer to windows or door glass with two or more glass panes divided by an air space, such as double glazing windows (also known as double pane windows).How is insulated glass made?
During the manufacturing process, gas is inserted between the glass panes via a small hole along the window spacer. The gas used in the window or door glass is typically krypton, argon, or a mixture of both. The type of gas used depends on the manufacturer.Pros of Insulated Glass
1. Temperature Control
The main function of insulating glass is its thermal performance, which describes how well it retains internal temperatures and how much it reduces heat transfer. A single pane window, for example, only contains one pane of glass. Thus, it does not contain an air space or gas-filled chamber. Because of this, it readily allows heat transfer through the glass, resulting in solar heat gain or heat loss. In other words, the home becomes heated from the warm sun shining through the windows, or internal heat is lost through the glass.2. Energy Efficiency
By maintaining steady internal temperatures, you ultimately increase your home’s energy efficiency. A home’s energy efficiency is dependent on how much energy or power is used to maintain the functionality of the home. The more energy used, the less energy efficient a home becomes.3. Sound Insulation
Another benefit of insulated glass units is a surprisingly lesser-known advantage: sound insulation. Insulated glass units significantly reduce noise because the sound waves have to pass through two or more layers of glass and the air/gas space between them. It’s estimated that double pane glass reduces noise by up to 60% compared to single glazing, and even more so with triple glazing.4. Reduces UV Rays
As with sound waves, insulated glass units can also reduce light waves—specifically UV rays and direct sunlight. UV stands for ultraviolet radiation, which naturally comes from the sun. UV rays can easily penetrate single paned windows, which can be a problem if you like to sit in the sun in your favorite chair next to the window. UV rays can also damage home furnishings, such as wooden furniture, decorations, photographs, colorful carpets, and couches, causing them to fade over time.5. Safety and Security
Another lesser-known benefit of insulated glass units is their safety and security. If someone is trying to break into a home, they have to break both panes of glass, which can be difficult and time-consuming.6. Versatility
As you may have discovered by now, insulated glass is highly versatile. This is because an insulated glass unit simply describes a window or door glass with two or more panes of glass and an air or gas space between them.With an insulated glass unit, you can choose how many glass panes you want, the type of gas between them, glass thickness, space thickness, and glass type. You can also choose special coatings, such as low e glass. Furthermore, an insulated glass unit can be in any type of window, such as casement windows, double hung windows, and more. In this way, IG units are incredibly customizable, making them a versatile choice for your new windows or doors.