I live in an apartment, built in 2006. It is a ground-floor, north-facing apartment that fronts on to a main inner-city artery, and it has a D3 Ber. I have upgraded from storage heating to electric heating, which has worked well while the heating is on, but when it’s off the radiator on the outside wall of the livingroom measures the temperature at as low as 11.5 degrees on cold days. And with current prices, it’s not viable to keep the heating on all day, every day.
I have been thinking about upgrading the windows too, because noise from the road can be an issue. I hoped upgrading them would improve the level of heat as well as reducing noise from outside. I have looked into both triple glazing and also Fineo glass [ultra-thin double-glazing], which would have been ideal as the frames must remain consistent.
However, I have been advised that the glass I currently have – which is double glazing with gas in it – is as good as I can get. While I’m grateful not to have been pushed into unhelpful expenditure, I’m a bit flabbergasted that 20-year-old windows can’t be improved. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Windows, like most products, come in many different types and qualities. I note that you have been advised that the glass that you have “is as good as you can get” but you did not say what type of glass it is and, most importantly, who has given you the advice.
It is fair to say that there have been significant improvements in the quality and performance of glazing over the years and I would be surprised if the 20-year-old glass is as good as what is available today. However, if the quality of your original product was at the higher end of the scale, then it is possible, but unlikely, that any potential improvement will only be marginal.
I also note that you are in an apartment and thus it is highly likely that there will be restrictions on all of the apartment owners when it comes to replacing the windows. You may well be obliged to obtain the windows from one single supplier in order to ensure consistency in the overall appearance of the development, which must be considered in the interests of the development as a whole.
The net effect is that this will create restrictions for you, however, I would expect that the owner’s management company (OMC) or the managing agents would have ensured that a reputable supplier was picked who is in a position to supply an appropriate quality product. I also note your reference to it being “ideal” to use the double-glazing because the frames must remain consistent.
As you have correctly identified, the two main issues to consider when replacing the windows are the thermal efficiency and sound insulation standards. It is a simple matter of fact that the thermal insulation standard from triple glazing is better than double glazing (extra layer of glass and extra cavity). However, the extra cost of triple-glazing when compared with double-glazing is significant and yet the uplift in the standard of thermal insulation provided by the triple glazing is marginal, and it is for this reason that most people would choose to install double glazing.
There is also a further issue with triple-glazed windows in that they tend to fog up on the external surface on cold mornings and thus you cannot see out through them, and this can be a source of nuisance. Furthermore, replacement parts can be relatively expensive.
[ Why are we getting condensation on our new triple-glazed windows?Opens in new window ]
But there is also the issue of sound insulation and in this respect, I note that your apartment is at ground floor level and in proximity to a busy road. It is generally recognised that triple glazing will offer a significantly higher standard of sound insulation than double glazing. Accordingly, from a practical perspective more often than not it is for this reason that people will choose triple-glazed windows.
Like most things in life, selecting windows should be tailored to the specific needs and requirements of the homeowner, as there will inevitably be many different factors affecting the decision as to which is the most appropriate solution in a particular set of circumstances. While it is good to be informed on the merits of particular issues, one really needs to consider the solution holistically so that full consideration is given to not only the thermal and sound insulation qualities but also the cost, the maintenance requirements, the availability of replacement parts as well as their overall appearance.
In addition, as you are living in an apartment complex, the windows you choose will have to be similar in appearance to the other apartments. Given the multiplicity of factors I think it would be best to seek specialist advice. In this regard your local chartered building surveyor should be well placed to help you make an informed decision.
Val O’Brien is a chartered building surveyor and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland
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