Double Glazing On The Web

Are A-rated double glazed windows really the way to go, or are double glazing retailers simply taking advantage of our childhood conditioning? Surely A is always better than C because it comes earlier in the alphabet…?

Funny, but when you stop and think about it, choosing double glazing isn’t an exam. Mine is not necessary better than yours because it ‘scores’ higher. Well perhaps on paper it means something and if the letter A is very important to you, then A-rated windows are most certainly out there to buy.

Personally however, there is more to my purchasing decision than the boxes a product ticks on an industry checklist – I have to weigh that against the other crucial list in my life: my bank balance.

Browsing through statistics I came across an interesting set of figures. Money saved through installing new energy efficient, A-rated double glazed windows, on your average 3-bed semi, over 20years is roughly – wait for it… £8,300.00 Wow – impressive! BUT the savings on the same property, over the same 20 years, with C-rated double glazed windows is £7,700.00.

If I’ve got this right, and believe me I’m no mathematician, that’s a saving difference, over a 20 year period, of just £30 a year, approximately £600 in total. Given that I’m unlikely to be staying in my property for the full 20 years, probably more like five, if the cost to upgrade from A to C is more than £150 total, than I’m afraid my bank balance wins out and I’d go for C over A any day!

The benefits of double glazing are being drummed home by government into our local councils. Hundreds of thousands of pounds have already been spent upgrading windows and doors in council houses and in some cases councils are even being threatened with reduced budgets if their housing standards do not comply with government expectations.

Carbon emissions have now become priority to our UK government and the buck literally will be stopping in some cases. Wasteful Councils should prepare to be named and shamed under the new Carbon Trading Scheme. Among the plans to reduce emissions is double glazing; the insulation properties of double glazing can reduce energy use enormously. New windows and doors also provide better security for occupants, and reduce noise pollution.

Our government and local councils are striving to make a difference and double glazing is helping in that fight! Reduced energy consumption indoors due to improved insulation from your windows and doors is helping to conserve the environment. Keep up the good work folks!

Well you’d certainly hope so.  Double Glazing on the Web believes in complete transparency of service, therefore we make no bones about what our service includes right from the outset and we’ll even clear up for free!  When you decide to invest in new windows for your home, we believe strongly that there should be no grey areas when questioning ‘what do I get?’ 

Our quoted prices include everything; costed exactly and openly so you no can not only see what you are paying for, but remain in control and with plenty of choice.  DGOTW execute the work from start to finish: from carrying out the initial survey work through to wiping clean the cills after your beautiful new windows have been installed.  We even dispose of your old windows.

Don’t play the guessing game where double glazing is concerned; make an informed decision with DGOTW.  Transparent and upfront, we are compliant with all current FENSA and Local Authority Building Control standards; you’ll even get a certificate when the job is complete.

Did you know that the quality of the UPCV used on your double glazed windows and doors, not only has a direct effect on their life span, but also their colour retention? Clearly all UPVC gets dirty and a quick wipe over with washing up liquid can work wonders in the short term. However, if you want your UPVC to continue being sparkly and white, it’s worth investing in high grade materials during installation.

UPVC or Unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride, comes in many different grades and colours. Seen under a microscope, high quality grades, which have the greatest resistance to fading and sun damage, are far smoother than poorer, more porous compounds.

Did you know that when you have your windows fitted by a FENSA registered installer, you will receive a certificate from your local council which goes in your properties HIP?

The government introduced the HIP Home Information Pack, to aid home buyers as part of the 2004 Housing Act. Essentially a set of documents concerning the property, they contain an energy performance certificate, details of local authority searches, title documents, guarantees etc. They became mandatory for homes with four or more bedrooms from 1 August 2007 and were extended to three-bedroom properties from 10 September 2007.

Professionally installed double glazing has a significant impact on your homes carbon footprint. So much so that local councils feel the need to document the quality of your double glazing and more importantly, the fact that your new windows were installed by FENSA a registered company.

The bottom-line is that if you are investing in new windows or any double glazing upgrade, then it is well worth sourcing a reputable double glazing firm. Check that they trade in high quality raw products i.e. uPVC and toughened glass and that they are FENSA registered with an experienced team of fitters.

With the big freeze still bearing down upon us, for many without double glazed windows it can’t help to learn that up to 50% of the heat in our homes is lost through our windows and that’s while the windows are closed! This equates roughly to £135 per year for an average household, or for the environmentally conscious, that’s around 720kg of CO2.

It’s no wonder then that as the cold weather continues, across the country there has been a noticeable increase in double glazing enquiries for new double glazed windows. Similarly there’s been a dramatic rise in interest in new boilers…strange that. The trouble is that doubled glazed windows, just like boilers and water tanks, don’t rate highly on many of our ‘things we would like’ lists – it’s not until they shoot to the top of the ‘things I really must get’ list that we actually do something about it.

It’s a shame because although few people start to shop around for boilers or double glazing in August when the weather’s nice, that’s likely to be the time when the best bargains are to be found. Leave it till the heating’s broken or your energy bills are the equivalent to burning £5 notes for warmth and it’s guaranteed that every engineer and double glazing fitter in the country will be rushed off their feet!

Stephen Waddington, managing director of Speed, a London-based multi-sector PR firm, writes some great pieces for an environmental site called Greenbang. He and his family are attempting to renovate a 300-year farmhouse whilst maintaining their eco principals.

Currently he’s come up against the complex absurdities that can permeate English Heritage, in particular in regards to windows and ethical double glazing. He puts his point across so well I thought it was worth sharing…

“I’ve done the sums. Unplugging the TV at night or using eco-light bulbs doesn’t make a blind bit difference when more than 30 per cent of the energy used to heat a house is disappearing though the windows.

Both solar panels and double glazing are dismissed on grounds of authenticity. Solar I can understand, but the argument that sympathetic double glazing would change the character of the building is beyond me, especially with the quality of craftsmanship available in the UK. But, according to preservationists historical detail must be the top priority where a historic building is concerned.

A study by management consultants McKinsey more than 18 months ago found that emissions from buildings generate two-thirds of London’s CO2 and that the greatest reduction could be achieved through improved insulation. Domestic insulation makes both economic and environmental sense.”

I couldn’t find a better recommendation for the benefits of double glazing if I tried. Luckily (or not, as the case may be), the majority of us do not live in listed buildings, leaving us free to reap all the rewards, environmental and financial, that good insulation can offer.

It seems Christmas brings out the best and worst in us.  Unfortunately while we are in the mood for giving and receiving, some people are in the mood for taking so be sure that your doors are fitted with decent locks.  It pays to be security conscious at this time of year, all those presents under the tree can often prove just too tempting to the criminally minded.

Visiting family this Christmas?  Remember an unoccupied home at this time of year is highly attractive to burglars.  Think how you would get into your house if you were locked out?  If you have any doubt about the security of your home it maybe time to consider new door locks.  Ensure you have strong locks to your doors and windows and make sure you use the locks you have!  Choose the right lock for the type of doors and windows in your home.  With various door locking mechanisms to choose from, make sure you explain your requirements thoroughly when making enquiries.

Tip: When you’ve had new door locks fitted for additional security….don’t be a plonker and hide your new keys under the mat; this is the first place a burglar will look!  Large ornamental objects surrounding the door like rocks, flower pots and door ledges are also a very obvious.  If you must put a spare key outdoors, find a place away from the actual door!

Who says double glazing has to be boring? Nowadays there are so many fancy glazing options available you’ll be spoilt for choice; with Georgian Bars, Diamond Leads, even Queen Anne Leads, you won’t know which to choose from!

With options to suit everyone’s taste, adding a touch of class to your home couldn’t be easier. Various glazing options available can completely transform the look of your home. Also, most customers are pleasantly surprised to hear how little extra it costs for their exciting glazing add-ons.

I know they won’t fit in a stocking, they don’t smell fancy and you certainly can’t wear them, but you’d be surprised how many people are getting them for Christmas.

It seems the credit crunch has left people disillusioned with Christmas; the same old rubbish and useless gift packs flood back into the shops and we find ourselves buying for the sake of buying, recycling the novelty hot chocolate kit or fragranced cooking oil, careful not to give it back to the person we received it from last year… it’s not even the money anymore, although that’s certainly important, it’s more seeing through the sheer nonsense of it all.

Seen in this light, it’s easy to see why couples in particular, are forgoing the usual exchange of gifts and pooling their money instead for more practical purchases such as energy efficient windows. Sounds boring I know, but the benefits are permanent: reduced carbon foot print, reduced waste energy, reduced energy bills, kinder to the environment, home improvement… the list goes on.

Practical? Absolutely. Exciting? Certainly not, but then they’re not going to be left at the back of the draw until next Christmas either. Just make sure you talk it over with the wife before swapping the Channel for the upvc!