Secondary Glazing – A cost effective way to energy efficiency

With the introduction of secondary glazing, home owners got a chance to give new definitions to their home décor. The secondary glazing windows not only make your home look stunning but also make it more secure and energy efficient. Before understand the benefits of glazing, we must need to know what it is and how it works. The primary purpose of this technique is to bring down your cooling and heating bills. Secondary windows are meant to cut down on CO2 emissions by up to 740kg a year. Secondary glazing typically involves the installation of a second window in the interior next to the existing window. This in turn helps to approximate double glazing in principle and helps cut your CO2 emissions by up to half a tonne per year.

When the second window panel gets attached to an existing window panel, there remains an air space between itself and the existing window which considerably reduces the transfer of heat from outside to inside during summers, and inside to outside during winters. The second window is generally made to match the appearance of the existing window while the original window remains untouched. One can choose the supplementary window to be either fixes or open able depending on the needs.

There are several ways to attain secondary glazing. In most of the cases, a glass panel is attached in a frame and attached to the inside of the window unit or a frame added to the window reveal. Sometimes an acrylic panel is employed in place of glass to make it lighter. There is also a different way of using heat shrink plastic or cellophane attached using double-sided tape. This method cannot be removed for cleaning without destroying the components, and does not usually last more than one season.

The best advantage of secondary glazing is that it provides the most cost effective way to bring down your energy bills which you incur related to heating and cooling of your home. It is the ideal solution for Listed Buildings, in conservatories where replacing existing windows is not a feasible option, or in high rises with strict body corporate control. Internal secondary glazing can be a cost effective solution if the main window is primarily sound and in good condition and there is a need to improve thermal and/or noise insulation.

Before going for secondary glazing, it is advised to do a thorough research on different providers in your city.