Need new windows, should my new replacements be double or triple pane?
maggieflan
4 years ago
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maggieflan
4 years agoRelated Discussions
new double panes fogging outside.
Comments (30)I copied this from an old post. It offers some solutions as I think the cause is well chronicled and not any windows "fault". As to warning home owners, it only happens in a very small percentage of replacement situations. I have never witnessed an ongoing situation so it seems as if the "fogging" eventually ceases. Hope this helps: Basically, exterior window condensation is dew. It's no different than the moisture (dew) that you might see on your car windows or on your lawn. Same mechanism at work. Exterior condensation formation on window glass is dependent on a number of different environmental factors such as exterior temperature, overhangs, prevailing winds, plantings, even cloud cover (or lack of), so that it is entirely possible that some of the windows in a home can have condensation and others nothing. In fact it is entirely possible that one window in a mulled set can have exterior condensation while the adjacent window has none. Your old single pane windows didn't have exterior condensation simply because you were heating the glass enough to keep the surface temperature above the dew point, whereas now the combination of dual pane and LowE coating on your new windows is preventing the warmth inside your home from warming the outer glass which results in cooler exterior surface temperatures and condensation when the conditions are right. Since this is a major concern for you, you may be able to eliminate or at least minimize the exterior condensation by heating the windows directly with a space heater. This kind of defeats the purpose of installing more efficient windows, but if you can warm up the interior glass enough then some of that heat will transfer to the outer glass and will hopefully raise the temperature above the dew point eliminating the condensation. Adding ducts below the window probably will have no effect on the exterior condensation because the IG unit will likely be able to block that additional (indirect) heat from passing thru to the outer lite. You might also try cleaning your exterior glass with something like RainX. I don't know if that works or not, but some people have claimed that it helps....See MoreNew or Replacement Windows (Single to Double Pane)
Comments (4)for certain, (A) it would be a new window installed in the bare framing you can get a better fit, stuff insulation in the gaps and have an easier job trimming the interior. (B) Replacement sash kits are utilizing the existing frame(must be in good condition. So if the frame is not a 100% plumb level and square no matter how good the new sash kits they will not seal properly.The sash kits will be utilizing a compression jamb liner which all the quality window companies stopped using on there better double hung new construction units years ago. Personally I like the idea of sash kits but the existing conditions must be perfect for me to not recommend removal of the old unit. The main advantage to sash kits is that you would not touch the exterior and or interior trim. hope this helps...See MoreNeed Help Deciding Between Pella Double and Triple Replacements
Comments (2)snowlover, It really depends a lot on your requirements. First, a dual pane window with a LowE2 coating and argon gas will outperform energy considerations  a triple pane window made with clear glass. As a generalization, triple panes can come in two varieties  one version has a relatively narrow space between the lites  kind of like taking a dual pane and dropping another lite between the first two and the second version has a wider spacing between the lites - kind of like taking two dual panes and removing a lite from one and slapping the remaining parts together. Both work, but there are some differences worth considering. For energy performance, the narrow airspace version works best when two surfaces are LowE2 coated and krypton gas is used between the lites. Krypton gas performs at its energy-saving best in a narrow space of about 1/4" or so...which happens to be the typical space between the lites in a narrow triple pane. This configuration is very energy efficient and works really well...but the downside is that this version can be expensive. The wider triple pane version would generally have an airspace of about 7/16" between each lite plus or minus a little and again the advantage is in the LowE2 coating on two separate lites within the unit. In this case, argon gas would be the most cost effective fill  rather than krypton  because argon is cheap and plentiful and at the 7/16" spacing is almost as good as krypton in performance numbers  not quite as good  but the slight insulating advantage of krypton in this configuration doesn't offset the additional cost of krypton. The biggest disadvantage of the wider triple pane is the physical size of the IGU  or more precisely the width of the glass package. While manufacturers who use this version build their sash to accommodate the IGU width, not all companies can or will do so, so not all companies offer a triple pane package. In general, the wider version triple pane may have slightly better energy numbers than the narrower version if both use argon or even air infill between the lites. Again, in general, a triple pane will outperform a dual pane in energy considerations assuming that both units have pretty much the same bells and whistles. One interesting potential downside to the increased energy efficiency of the triple pane is the likelihood of increased EXTERIOR window condensation on cool mornings. Often, people who replace energy deficient single pane (or even clear glass dual pane) windows with more efficient LowE coated windows become concerned that their windows are having problems with exterior condensation  usually on cool mornings. This is actually quite normal and indicates that the windows are performing exactly as they are supposed to do - by increasing the energy-blocking performance of the window it is quite possible to increase the likelihood of exterior condensation. Not a problem  in the sense of a window flaw  but some people do find it objectionable. To me, this wouldnÂt be a reason to reject increased energy efficiency, but window manufacturers do receive complaints  some rather vehement  about this exact issue. Either way, a little sun-heat fixes that problem pretty quickly. Although in certain areas of the country it is actually possible to have frost or ice formation on the exterior of super-efficient windows in the winter time  which beats having it on the interior of the window I would suggest. But you were also asking about a triple pane windows increased ability to block sound over dual pane...and while some folks will suggest triple pane glass for its sound deadening ability, overall there is no difference in STC rating between triple and double pane provided that the overall airspace between the panes is constant between the two constructions. In other words, a triple pane with two 1/4" airspaces and a dual pane with a single 1/2" airspace...both using 1/8" glass...will have identical STC numbers as long as the IGU's are the same dimensions (and the other components are of equal quality). Earlier I mentioned that triple panes can come with a wider airspace or a narrower airspace. This isn't exclusive of course, but it works as a general guideline for illustration. As said if the total width of the airspace is the same between a dual pane and a triple pane then the basic sound blocking ability will be comparable. But, what happens if the dual pane has an airspace width of 7/16" (for example) and the triple pane has the wider spacing combination of two separate airspaces and BOTH are 7/16"? Well, now we are dealing with a different set of assumptions and in that scenario the triple pane will significantly outperform the dual pane because of the overall width of the airspace. The width of the airspace can be a huge determining factor in sound performance - potentially much more of a factor than an additional lite of glass. So the argument of triple versus dual relates more to the space between the glass and not the number of lites...getting more complicated, isnÂt it? Ultimately, buying a good quality unit and making sure that it is installed correctly is going to go a long way in improving both energy and sound considerations. If you would like, we can get much more in depth about this stuff......See MoreReplacing old single glass panes with new double glazed panes.
Comments (32)There have always been good and bad design, builders and materials. I see it being built everyday with the garage as the front door. The main house of my project is fairly well built - to the standards of the day (balloon framing - bricks on their side for the footing etc) - the garage and studio above was not. there are many great homes and buildings that have deferred maintenance often ironically because they were a cut above - lots of trim and detail. Went to Pittsburgh and Philly a couple weeks ago - many unremarkable homes (unpretentious) in wonderfully vibrant communities. Our friend's home - pictured - was a row house - they shared a lawnmower, ladder etc. If it was the sabbath they turned on the stove for the neighbors - if they locked themselves out of the house they would borrow their key from the neighbors. No McMansions, just people that care. These people are wealthy beyond measure. Single pane glass....See MoreDesign Girl
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