In any home, the windows are one of the main sites of passive heat transfer, as heat can more easily move through glass than through other materials such as wood or brick. Because of this, glass workers such as those on our team at Custom Glass Products have worked to increase the insulating power of glass. In this article, our team will go over three key principles of insulated glass design.
- Glass Thickness – One of the key principles of insulated glass design is the thickness of the glass panes. The thicker the glass, the better the insulation it provides, as heat must go farther to pass through to the other side of the barrier. However, making the glass in a window thicker changes its optical properties and increases the window’s total weight, so the thickness of the glass needs to be calculated with care.
- Pane Spacing – Another key principle of insulated glass design is the spacing between multiple window panes. Modern windows consist of multiple layers of glass with pockets of air or other gases in between. The extra layers, including the layer of air, make it harder for heat to move in or out of the building. Our team knows exactly how much space to use between each layer of glass to maximize the insulation.
- Coatings – A third tool used in insulated glass design is specialized low-E coatings. These coatings are designed to reflect UV radiation, preventing it from entering the home or other building. Low-E coatings help keep homes and businesses cool, and they have become an essential part of insulated glass design.
