Glazing Options…

Air is trapped in the gap between the two glass panes which causes a thermal break. Modern double glazing replaces the air with an inert gas called Argon which forms an even better thermal break. The glass is often also coated with an almost invisible layer which reflects the heat back into the room.

5 Star offer many options, ranges, and materials for double glazing, so cost vary greatly. Our entry range offers phenomenal advantages over old double or single glazing. Quotes are all free and can be done by our Designers, avoiding pushy sales staff.

Most of today’s glazing options are fitted from the inside. Older glazing was fitted from the outside but due to burglaries became unpopular after the year 2005.

It significantly helps as the internal glass of double glazing is warmer than the outside pane which helps condensation not to form, in triple glazing the effect is even more noticeable.

When homes are humid, condensation will always form on the coldest surface, so prevention of damp air is vital, good extraction in bathrooms, shower rooms and kitchens, along with modern trickle vents on new glazing options will stop the problem.

The two panes of glass within our double glazed units and the Argon gas between them helps to reduce sound by 35 decibels and up to up to 65%. The sound waves hit the first pane and much is diverted before hitting the second pane. If you live on a very busy road, have noisy neighbours, or suffer from noise pollution then there are additional measures to reduce noise further, first utilising a second glass pain of a different thickness, ideally laminated with one or more thin polymer interlayers, or triple glazing still further, with two glass thicknesses or third a specialist noise reducing glass. Talk to a designer to explore the best option for your home.

There are many ways to replace sliding sash windows. Our Rosewood range offers three different price options yet keeps the original sash sliding format. Many homeowners choose to change to a push out opening option which is far cheaper and still looks similar. A free quotation from one of our designers can give you all the options.

Legally you should choose a company who are FENSA regulated, there are other ways to get a window installation certificate, but ensure you do, as selling a property without will mean you will need to buy an Insurance Indemnity policy to sell your home. Always visit their showroom to see the quality of their products as the window quality varies massively.  Try and find a company who offers a 20 year guarantee, and if possible, get an insurance backed guarantee as things may need adjusting, repairing, and replacing in the future.

5 Star fit the bill for all this and more!

External condensation only happens on only the newest and best double and triple glazing. The Argon gas which separates the glass panes offers such a good thermal barrier that on the coldest elevations (usually North) and in the most humid conditions (on those damp morning when cars are covered in dew)  condensation can actually form on the outside of the new double glazing. It’s good news as is showing that your heating has not warmed the outer glass pane and that you are not trying to heat the street! Just leave it and it will disappear as the temperature outside rises.

When you consider a cold glass windowpane is almost the opposite to a hot radiator and is naturally trying to chill your room. Argon is an inert gas which forms a better thermal barrier than air within our double glazed units. It is our thermal gap within our double and triple glazing which stops the inside glass pane from being as cold as the outside pane and thus aids keeping your warmth in.

New glazing is not normally laminated as standard, but all our double and triple glazing can be supplied with laminated glass. Laminated glass is far more difficult to break and would need to be hit many times to create a hole. It also offers better noise reduction due to being a different thickness to the inner pane. Laminated glass has two or more layers of glass with one or more thin polymer interlayers between them.

Double and triple glazing can be supplied in many thicknesses. Our standard double glazing is 4mm of soft coated glass, to reflect the warmth back into the room, 20mm of Argon, a thermally efficient safe inert gas, and a 4mm low iron glass on the outside to let the sun’s rays warm the room. The overall thickness is 28mm.

Standard triple has three sheets of glass, two the same as our standard double glazing and a third which is toughened in the centre as standard. Triple has two 12mm spacer bars so overall is 36mm thick.

Any of the 4mm glass sheets, in either, can be upgraded to 6mm laminate, which for every sheet specified, would reduce the spacer bar by 2mm.

There are therefore many other configurations available which offer different benefits depending on what you are trying to achieve, these include extra noise reduction, better thermal insulation, reduction of sun’s rays and fading of flooring, drapes and furniture.

The opening vents within an Envisage flush window are thinner than a traditional storm proof window as the vents do not wrap around the frame but sit flush with the outer frame. A normal vent has 28mm units in double or triple glazing whereas the Envisage frame is 24mm. This would mean with three sheets of 4mm glass there would only be a 6mm space between. 24mm is fine for double glazing but not triple. If you want a triple glazed option with flush vents, we recommend the Residence collection which offers this facility in 28mm or 44mm triple glazing in all their windows and doors.

Triple glazing does have advantages over double glazing as it is slightly more thermally efficient. The lower the W/m²K the better, our Standard Double glazing is 1.2 W/m²K, our Standard Triple 0.9 W/m²K and our highly recommended Double glazing with a 6.4 laminate is 1.0 W/m²K.

Triple-glazed windows are almost a third more expensive. The three glass panes make your window almost a third heavier which requires stronger hinges and is more expensive to fit.

Some customers have reported reduced room brightness because of the glazing units’ greater thickness, a possible disadvantage for some, especially if your rooms are already dark. And worse, the second gap can cause noise echo.

Most triple-glazed advantage, could be achieved by exploring laminate glass with far less cost. 5 Star recommends using 6.4mm soft coat laminate glass with 4mm low iron glass instead of triple glazing in almost all installations where customers are thinking about triple glazing.

Using laminated glass has many advantages, it is safer, as it is much harder to smash, more secure because it is harder to break-in through, laminate glass offers 99% UV protection against fading carpets, flooring, furniture and drapes and it will be quieter in your home once installed than if standard triple glazing had been fitted.

Once a double or triple glazing unit breaks down and starts to condensate inside a replacement unit is the most economical repair.

Impacts from stones, balls, and other objects is more common though shattering is possible due to an incursion in the glass.

Customers have reported shattering to occur when the temperature drops after a hot day. Impacts are far more common. How the glass breaks is usually a clue to the cause.

Strimming and mowing are the most frequent causes when a unit appears to have broken for no reason. This can happen from any adjoining garden or even further.

Almost all areas of double glazing are repairable though often a replacement can cost less. 5 Stars double glazing is guaranteed for 20 years.

Physically yes, but the cost of removing, having a ply replacement while yours is away, cleaning, transport and fitting outweigh the cost of replacing.

Physically yes, but the cost of removing, having a ply replacement while yours is away, cleaning, transport and fitting outweigh the cost of replacing.

An impact can cause the glass to explode out rather than in, usually caused be an impact. Strimming and mowing along with children’s  balls are the likely culprits with owners having no knowledge of the occurrence. If a unit is less than 48 hours old, it is possible there was a fault in the glass.

Once a unit has been fitted and settled it should not be affected by heat. Units in old conservatories withstand wild heat fluctuations without issue.

Technically yes, though the logistical costs outweigh the replacement cost, transport, fitting, re-gas, temporary unit, or ply board costs more than a new unit.

It is almost impossible that a unit that has been fitted more than 48 hours can break on its own. Impacts from strimming, mowing and children’s balls are amongst the most common causes. Often the owners are unaware of any impact.

Incursions in the glass would normally cause the unit to break in the shorter term.