DOUBLE GLAZING & GLASS

What are double glazed units?

A double glazed unit means that there are two glass panes in the window, rather than one. Typically, double glazed units comprise a 4mm pane of glass, a 12mm or 16mm gap and then another 4mm pane. These units are all assembled and then inserted into the window by hand. The presence of Argon gas within the unit slows the movement of warm air within the glass unit. At Sash Window Shop we offer a wide range of glass to incorporate into the double glazing.

Standard double glazing

Standard double glazing refers to a thermal standard set out by the unit thickness  often being 24mm. Our standard double glazing which is used in our casement windows, sliding sash windows, and doors is 24mm. Standard double glazing is suitable for period properties in conservation areas along with new builds or new extensions. Standard 24mm double glazing are our most popular units, they are made of 4mm glass on the outside, 16mm space filled with Argon gas to prevent heat transfer and 4mm glass on the inside (4/16Ar/4), offering excellent U-Values with soft coat low emissivity (low-e) Argon filled units and a centre pane U-Value of 1.1 W/m²K.

Conservation glazing

Our conservation double glazed units are suitable for sliding sash windows in period homes where the use of double glazing should be more discreet. Our conservation glazing is 18mm, which suits all period homes. Our 18mm soft coat (low-e) conservation glazing consists of 4mm glass on the outside, 10mm space filled with Argon gas and 4mm glass on the inside (4/10Ar/4). This gives a centre pane U-Value of 1.4 W/m²K.

Toughened glass

Building Regulations require Safety Glass to be provided, by law, in areas where human impact is seen as a reasonable hazard. This includes windows where the glass panes are at a height of 800mm of the floor or lower, glazed areas of a door within 1500mm of the floor, or in a product within 300mm of a door. Many customers, however, also choose to upgrade to Safety Glass even where there is no legal requirement, purely for the peace-of-mind and security that the increased strength brings.

Laminated glass

Laminated glass has two 3mm panes of float glass are sandwiched together using a thin sheet of PVB (polyvinyl butyral), resulting in a ‘composite pane’ roughly 6.5mm thick. One of these ‘composite panes’ is then used to replace one or both of the two 4mm panes in a standard double glazed Unit.

This PVB layer ensures that the glass panes stay ‘glued’ together, even if exposed to extreme force, which not only makes Laminated Glass a great alternative to Toughened Glass, but also means that it is incredibly difficult for a burglar to ‘break through’ a Laminated Double Glazed Unit. The increased pane thickness also provides an extra level of sound insulation, in addition to the already increased sound reduction that comes naturally from Double Glazing, making it perfect for helping to block out the constant drone of traffic.

Acoustic Glass

With today’s increase in sound pollution, we can offer a standard solution or made-to-order depending on your requirements.

Different thicknesses of glass are more effective at reducing certain frequencies of sound. This is due to sound having different wavelengths, and thus, different distances that the wave must travel in order to complete a full ‘wave’. So, by including different panes of different thicknesses (1x 8.5mm composite pane & 1x 4mm pane) within the DGU, you are increasing the range of frequencies at which the unit can effectively reduce sound.

Frosted and patterned obscure glass

Frosted glass is an important design element, known for offering superior privacy and is remarkably versatile. It is a popular choice in bathrooms due to its ability to distort or blur items. This helps increase privacy while not blocking out the light coming into the room. You can get different degrees of privacy levels depending on the style of frosted glass you choose. The lowest level will only slightly blur the object or person the other side of the glass, whereas the highest level of privacy will make the object or person unrecognisable.