Glazings

You need to choose a type of glazing and you don’t know which one? Single glazing, double glazing, laminated glass or high performance glass… The choice seems endless. For this reason, we want to shed some light on a few terms so you can be better informed about your new windows. Want to know which options would be best for you and your home? Let’s read together.

First of all, we would like to inform you that we do not supply single glazing. This would not be advantageous for you, because single glazing is the worst choice in terms of insulation capacity. Single glazing is, as the term already says, a single layer of glass that is the only separation between the inside and the outside. The cold from outside can influence the heat from inside without much resistance. No, single glazing is not an option these days.

The best options are double glazing or high performance glazing. For both options, the same principle applies: the window is composed of two layers of glass separated by a certain distance.

In the case of double glazing, this closed space is filled with air.
In the case of high performance glazing, a transparent layer is applied that can protect against heat and/or sun. The space is filled with a rare gas, e.g. argon.
Thanks to these differences, high performance glazing offers better insulation than double glazing. This is why more and more people are choosing high performance glazing. Not only because of its better performance, but also because of the stricter regulations. New construction is subject to new and increasingly stringent laws regarding insulation values.

In this article you will see a section of a high performance glass, with the different elements such as the glass, the vacuum, the metal (or plastic) frame, the seal and also the transparent layer against heat and/or sun.

Belimed supplies high performance glazing with a Ug-value of 1.1 W/m²K as standard. A lower Ug-value means a better insulation capacity. Since “normal” double glazing has an average Ug-value of 2.9 W/m²K, you can see immediately that Belisol’s high performance glazing is really cost-effective.

Concerning laminated glass. The use of laminated glass is highly recommended in certain circumstances, such as glazing your balcony windows, window doors or to prevent burglars from entering your home. Thanks to the elastic polyvinyl butyral (PVB) film between the two panes of glass, your window is resistant to breakage. This means that the glass may crack, but the pieces will not come off. You can’t cut yourself! Better security, not only for you and your children, but because laminated glass is break resistant, unwanted individuals cannot enter!

The last option is triple glazing, although less used. This type of glazing offers the best insulation, but with three layers, the glazing is often thicker and heavier, and less useful for most homes. For passive houses that are suitable for it, this glazing is advantageous. If your entire house has a very high insulating capacity, you can opt for this solution. In other cases, “double” high performance glazing will surely suffice.

After the technical aspect, the aesthetic aspect must also be satisfactory. After choosing the function of your windows, you can take the time to choose the aesthetics. Sandblasted patterns, figured glass, stained glass, lattice work… These possibilities are also available. There is a wide range of choices.