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Do You Work From Home? Plan Your Next Home Purchase Accordingly
The flexibility afforded by a “zero-commute” combined with the skyrocketing price of gasoline has strengthened the case for full time teleworking and telecommuting. According to an Environmental Protection Agency (2004) study:
“Americans spend...
Home Improvement Costs
Home improvement costs can be quite steep but by following a few
simple steps you can help to cut the costs and save your self a
fortune. Budgeting is very important when it comes to home
improvements as many people find themselves constantly...
How To Sell Your Own House
With a robust real estate market, selling a house isn’t particularly difficult. Here’s a primer on how to sell your own house.
How To Sell Your Own House
First and foremost, you need to educate yourself on how real estate transactions happen....
Tips for Keeping Costs Down When Landscaping
Tips for Keeping Costs Down When Landscaping
Landscaping can be an expensive proposition. However, it is possible to keep the costs to yourself relatively low by paying attention to a few practices that can save you money. After all, the most...
Why Double Glazing
Why replace your single-glazed windows with double glazing ? For most, the precipitating factor for looking into double glazing is a need for new construction (or renovation) to conform to modern energy standards. Others decide to replace their...
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Double Glazed Patio Doors
In many modern homes, the largest window in the house isn't a
window. It's the sliding door that affords access to the patio
or deck in the back. Sliding patio doors became
popular in the 1970s, just about the time that double glazing
came into popularity as a means of controlling energy costs and
heat loss. By using double glazed
windows in the door, the use of sliding patio doors became
an energy conscious decision.
Double glazed patio doors sandwich a layer of air or inert gas
between two layers of glass. The layers are separated by a
'spacer' that holds them from 12-26mm apart, and seals the
perimeter between the two to prevent moisture and condensation
from compromising the lowered heat conductivity. The use of
double glazed windows rather than a single pane of glass can
reduce the heat lost through a window by as much as 50%.
The classic double glazed patio door consists of two large
double glazed windows hung from a set of rollers in a channel,
and set into a sliding channel at the bottom. Most of the older
ones are framed in aluminum for strength - the size of the
windows makes frame strength a priority. As it comes time to
replace many of the doors that were first installed in the 1970s
and 1980s, many people are opting to remove the channel and
sliders in favor of more attractive French doors.
Replacing worn patio sliding doors with new double glazed patio
doors offers numerous advantages. First, both the materials and
the manufacturing process for making double glazed windows have
advanced considerably in the intervening 35 or so years. The new
generation of double glazed patio doors is far more
effective at
insulating your home and reducing heat loss through the glass.
The use of PVCu in frames makes for far lighter doors than
either aluminum or wood, and PVCu has better insulating
properties than aluminum. I have rather vivid memories of the
frost forming along the top and sides of the
aluminum window frame of our patio doors when I was a child.
PVUc frames make that a thing of the past.
Besides better framing material, the glass itself has changed
considerably. Today, you can choose low-e glass for your double
glazed patio door. The coating on the inside of the glass
substantially reduces heat transfer between the inside and the
outside. The use of a desiccant in the sealing strip spacer
between the panes in double glazed windows is another innovation
that helps create a more durable window. By completely drying
the air between the two panes, manufacturers reduce the
likelihood of moisture condensing inside the window. Finally, by
choosing double glazed patio doors that are filled with argon or
another inert gas rather than air you lower the heat
conductivity of the windows still further.
If you choose to replace your old sliding patio door with a new
French window, there are some marvelous new innovations. Look
for folding double glazed patio doors that can be used to
replace entire walls, French doors with headers and side rails,
or French doors with fanlights and mullions that add style and
elegance to most any facade.
About the author:
Gary John has contributed to many home improvement sites such as
conservatories
and double
glazing.
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