The Wonder of Windows and the Amazing Benefits of Double-Glazing
by Carlisle Homes
Windows do more than just provide light and views – choose well, and they can cut your power costs, boost your home’s thermal performance and more.
Talking about the weather is a Melbourne cliché, but it’s something you have to focus on when building a home. After all, our summers can be scorching, our winters chilling, and you need to make sure that your house will protect you from those extremes.
Windows are a key consideration because, while our walls, roof and insulation keep out most of the weather, according to the Australian Glass & Window Association, in an average home, the windows can account for as much as 40% of the heat lost from interior spaces during winter, and up to 40% of the heat gain in summer. Block-out blinds and shutters can be helpful, but the best solution – the one that limits heat loss and heat gain, while also retaining access to natural light and views – is double glazing.
For years, double-glazed windows were seen as a luxury in Australia, but advances in technology have made them more accessible and affordable, and an increasingly popular option among Carlisle Homes customers. All of our homes achieve a 6-star energy rating and double glazing now makes a significant contribution to this.
How does double glazing work?
You might hear double-glazed windows referred to as Insulated Glazing Units or IGUs, and while their construction is exacting, the concept behind them is quite simple. Instead of having a single pane of glass like a traditional window, an IGU holds two panes in a sealed frame. These are separated by a thin layer of air or gas, which creates a “thermal break” to drastically reduce the transmission of heat.
Carlisle Homes installs aluminium-framed IGUs manufactured by Australian market-leader A&L Windows. A&L’s IGUs use argon, an inert gas, between the panes of glass, for optimal thermal performance, and feature a refined design that limits heat loss through the frame.
4 Reasons you should insist on double glazing for your new home
1. Even temperatures
Thanks to its insulative performance double glazing will make it much easier to maintain your preferred temperature in every room. This will be most noticeable when it’s cold outside as heat will be much more evenly distributed.
2. Energy efficiency and reduced bills
One of the most welcome benefits of double glazing is energy efficiency and the long term savings it will bring you. At any time of year, your air conditioning and heating won’t have to work as hard, so your energy bills, and your home’s carbon footprint, will be much lower, depending on your usage.
3. Improve your homes health
Double glazing can also boost your home’s health. Condensation, which is formed when moist air inside your home is exposed to a cooler surface such as a single-glazed window, is a pesky problem that can lead to more serious issues with damp and mould. With double glazing, the interior pane of your window remains at room temperature, which reduces the risk of condensation forming.
4. Stay safe and secure
Double-glazed windows give you peace of mind, too. They’re durable, hard to break and have a locking system, so they keep intruders out. And with their many benefits, they’re an appealing feature to future buyers that will ultimately boost the value of your home.
It’s possible to calculate the improved energy efficiency and savings on your energy bills, but you can’t place a dollar value on the comfort that double glazing brings. Over its lifetime, you could say it’s priceless!
The Life’s Better When It’s Included promotion
Making it easier to enjoy all of these benefits, double glazing is currently being offered as standard in all Affinity and TRange homes. It’s part of Carlisle Homes’ Life’s Better When It’s Included promotion, which adds a raft of luxury inclusions across the two ranges – Caesarstone benchtops, kitchen upgrades, premium flooring options and much more. In short, everything you need to make your new home your dream home.