Advantages and Disadvantages of Triple Glazed Windows

Energy Savings

• Triple-glazed windows help to eliminate drafts, making a home more energy-efficient and require less energy to heat and cool. Using less energy reduces utility bills as well as the world's carbon emissions and, ultimately, helps the environment. Triple-glazed windows also keep a home's heated or cooled air from escaping outside. They also reduce the amount of light that enters the home, which helps to keep the home cool in summer.

Condensation and Noise Reduction

• A home with triple-glazed windows has greater humidity during winter months than a home with other kinds of windows. Triple-glazed windows help to decrease condensation, which aids in keeping the humidity level in the home elevated. The exceptional insulation ability of triple-glazed windows also helps to reduce noise from outside the home, such as from a busy street, trains and loud neighbors.

Price, Weight and Appearance

• Triple glazed windows cost considerably more than conventional or double-glazed windows. They also weigh a lot. Installing the windows requires heavy-duty hardware and frames. The windows' weight may cause wall problems. Their weight also makes the windows difficult to open. The windows' sash can fall or slam shut because of its weight. The three panes of glass also make a triple-glazed window appear darker and the view through the is not as bright as the view through a single- and double-pane window.

Availability

• The high cost of triple-glazed windows reduces their popularity. They are often difficult to locate or available by only special order. Only a few U.S. manufacturers make such windows. In other parts of the world, such as Europe, the windows are widely available, however.