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Double Glazed Windows: Twice as Efficient and Still Improving

Double glazed windows are, quite simply, windows with two panes of glass acting as one barrier between the elements outside and inside your home. Having two panes of glass works to keep out noise, moisture, and pollution and, most importantly, to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of today's windows.

Glass itself does not do a tremendous job of keeping out either heat or cold, as you may well notice when you hold a glass of iced or hot tea in your hand. Two panes of glass insulate partially because of the double glass, but also because of the area between the two panes. This space, which varies with window manufacturer, can be filled with air or another, denser gas, which provides additional insulation and impressive efficiency. Argon is the most popular filler gas used today.

The size of the space between the glass panes matters, too. Quality windows usually have about a half inch of space between panes today. Beyond one inch, the advantage of additional space is lost to scientific properties understood, appropriately enough, only by scientists.

Double glazed windows are readily available in many styles and all sizes, with all different framing materials. They are also touted as being harder to break, hence more burglar-proof than single pane glass. Still, even a hairline crack will suffice to let the insulating gas layer escape, so once you have your windows installed, tell the neighborhood kids to play baseball in the schoolyard!

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