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Julie Whitehead , Oaklands Sales Manager and the team at Oakland Glass , are advising their customers – from the glass manufacturer ’ s point of view – why triple glazed isn ’ t always the best option , however . Understanding the application and limitation of triple glazing is essential for glass customers , installers and consumers , as it may not always be the best option .
Julie comments : “ We have noticed increasing demand for triple glazed units , in particular 28mm overall glazed units . Whilst we would always try to accommodate our customers ’ requirements , there are some points we wish to make clear to our customers , so that they in turn can better inform their customers .
“ It ’ s generally assumed that three pieces of glass perform better than two , which does seem like common sense , but this isn ’ t always the case especially with the low emissivity and climate control products that are available on the market .
“ Reducing the cavities in triple glazed units to 8mm and below affects both the thermal and acoustic properties causing the unit to underperform in most cases .
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“ We have put together a list of reasons why not to go down the route of a 28mm triple glazed unit ; covering the below points .”
Increased Cost : Why pay for three pieces of glass , argon , warm edge when a double glazed unit can achieve the same , or in some instances a better performance .
Weight : The increased weight has an impact on window , door frame and hardware . Quite often hardware has to be stronger and larger to accommodate the extra weight of a triple glazed unit , which
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usually means higher costs .
Thermal Efficiency : Reduced cavities affect the thermal properties achievable by future generation low emissivity glass . Increasing the centre pane u-value instead of reducing it .
Production : Triple glazed units also mean potentially longer lead times . Depending on the cavity and glass sizes requested . Quality : Over the last several years with ever increasing demand for larger bi-folding doors and sliding patios , sizes of the average unit is increasing . To
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ensure continuity of quality to the standards , end user expectations and industry standards , it becomes increasingly difficult when a triple glazed unit is manufactured .
Energy costs / Transport : Increased fuel and energy costs will have an impact on future pricing , as well as the environment . We are all aware of the price rises of energy and possible supply issues . Transporting triple mean less effective stacking on stillages and less economical and utilisation of our fleet .
Julie concludes : “ Our aim is not to say ‘ no ’, but just to
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‘ Customers and consumers will continue to order triple glazed units , thinking they are the best option unless we advise them otherwise
’ advise our customers ( and their customers ) there are choices in glazing which can work out better both in cost and efficiency .
“ We also work in conjunction with our glass suppliers when it comes to Calumen Calculations and can provide this information to our customers on request .”
This latest advice from Oakland Glass is another example of the company ’ s attempt to mitigate the impact of the industry-wide glass shortage . This act was backed by each customer being assigned their own account manager , in its
strive for “ A Service That ’ s First Class .”
For every decision , transparency has been at the core . As Julie Whitehead explains : “ Communication is key . Customers and consumers will continue to order triple glazed units , thinking they are the best option unless we advise them otherwise . There are of course instances when triple glazing is the preferred product but if it is not required then our customers can get a more suitable product faster and at a lower price .”
www . oaklandglass . co . uk
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