Expert Double-Glazing Tips

Whenever it comes to double-glazing advice, the advice normally ends up amounting to “Buy double-glazing”. Well, we’re here to provide some advice that’s a bit more specific. So today we’re going to answer questions such as:

Can I save money on my new windows by recycling the old ones?

This sounds like a great idea- your old windows are going to end up in a skip, but wouldn’t it be great if you could recycle the glass, save yourself some money and then tell all your friends it was because you care about the environment so much?

Sadly, a lot of glazing companies don’t recycle, thing it easier to chuck the glass in a landfill. There are exceptions however. Some companies, such as Anglian Windows review their processes to make room for the possibility of recycling however. Because they design, manufacture and install their own products they’re able to create in-house procedures that let them recycle materials such as PVC into new building products. Everest Windows reviews their products in a similar way.

Glass and metal can also be recycled, but PVC windows are particularly good for this as it’s a well understood material that can be re-used over and over again without reducing its quality. This is great for manufacturers, because they can pass lower prices to the customer and benefit from the good press that comes with being environmentally friendly.

Do all newly built houses have double-glazing?

When you’re buying a new home you might assume that if it’s been built recently double glazing will come as standard. However this isn’t the case. The problem is, unsurprisingly, profit margin. Builders will try to save money by designing properties to meet only the absolute minimum level of required performance. Since the property’s energy performance is judged as a whole, housing developers  can install a more efficient boiler, giving them the flexibility to cut corners on the windows. This is something you should always be careful to look out for when buying a new house.

On the other hand, when you’re buying an older, but recently refurbished property, the energy efficiency rating will take into account every aspect of the building’s energy efficiency, so the windows can’t be any less efficient than a C rating.