Choosing to retrofit double glazing into your home is as much a financial decision as it is a comfort decision.  You’ve worked hard to build up your savings and you want to feel confident that this decision will be money well spent.

Many older homes in New Zealand do not reach New Zealand’s Ministry of Social Development recommendations for temperatures and humidity inside the home (which are based on the World Health Organisations recommendations) and resort to consistently using heat pumps and dehumidifiers to regulate temperatures and reduce condensation, increasing power usage and power bills.

When compared with your existing single glazing, retroGLAZE^® double glazing can reduce heat loss through the glass by as much as 83%, helping to keep your home warmer and reduce those energy costs.

Let’s say we have a home where up to 50% of the home’s heat loss is occurring through the windows and doors (what is expected in a home that has ceiling, wall, and floor insulation).

By replacing your single glazing with standard double glazing, you’ll reduce the amount of heat lost by 52%.

By replacing your single glazing with SuperTherm™ Warm double glazing, you’ll reduce the amount of heat lost by a whopping 81%.

There are several things to consider when choosing to retrofit your windows:

For most homes, a ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t work.  Where one side of your home sits in shade all day and the rooms inside are cold and damp, the other side may bake in the afternoon sun and those inside are fading from the heat faster than the furniture colour is fading.

Choosing the right glass specific to the needs of the room is vital in ensuring you get the home comfort you desire.

Not all double glazing is genuine double glazing and not all genuine double glazing produces the same comfort levels in your home.  retroGLAZE^® solutions have a range of products that provide superior thermal insulation.

Selecting the right glass type, spacer type and size, and gas fill all play a crucial part in reducing the amount of heat lost through your windows and doors. (learn more about heat loss here…)

How well do they close? In order to achieve effective window insulation, the windows must provide a good seal when they are closed. Addressing this (part of the retroGLAZE^® solution), may require the replacement of hinges/ window stays, window catches, and gasket seals.

Knowing whether to retrofit or replace your existing joinery to get the best thermal performance in your home is important.  Though getting rid of the timber windows may seem like the best thing to do, you may actually be downgrading in performance.

By installing double glazing, the rate at which heat energy is lost through the glass is substantially reduced.  The less heat energy lost through your windows and doors, the less you need to replace that heat with heat pumps and heaters, and the lower the energy costs for you long term.

Having the inside pane of your double glazing warmer than a single pane of glass would be, thanks to the thermal blanket of air or argon gas between the two panes, means condensation is greatly reduced, if not eliminated.  Having to run the dehumidifier all the time to prevent mould from building up on your windows is no longer a problem.