Un-plasticised polyvinyl chloride, better known as UPVC is a type of very durable plastic. The material has a number of uses, double glazed windows being one of them. Double glazing is a process that simply refers to two panes of glass which have a space separating them from one another. The space can be filled with air or an inert gas. In most cases UPVC windows in Glasgow are used as replacements for older, less efficient single glazed windows.
Although there are many benefits to a UPVC double glazed window, the primary benefit is cost, they are relatively inexpensive. Not only are they inexpensive, they take next to no maintenance other than cleaning of the glass, the frame cannot rot, peel or flake and never need painting.
The UPVC material is very stable and the extrusions do not warp the way wood will for example. Once the assembly is installed in the cavity they will stay that way and they will not deform as time goes by. The frames are very difficult to break which gives the UPVC windows Glasgow the added advantage of making a break in more difficult. It is not just the frame that is resistant to unwanted entry; a double glazed pane is also very difficult to break through.
With the panes being separated with approximately a 3/4” gap the heat loss through the double glazing is far less than a single pane. Double glazing is expected to reduce the heating bill by 10-12% and greatly reduce the heat loss in the home. Not only do they save money, they keep a lot of unwanted noise out because of the air gap.
Although UPVC double glazed windows sound ideal, they do have some disadvantages. When one of these assemblies is damaged they are impossible to take apart for repair so they simply have to be replaced. There are some people that feel uncomfortable with the manufacturing process and how it may adversely affect the environment. The material itself, UPVC is nothing more than PVC less the softeners that are added to make the material suitable for shoes, etc. The manufacturing process consumes about eight times the energy that is required to make a similar wooden window and more toxins are released during manufacture and the material is not biodegradable.
