Tripple glazing v double glazing?

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Deal , Kent
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Hi All,

Just a quickie,

Is there any concrete proof that triple glazing will reduce condensation better than double glazing.

Thanks for looking.
 
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Ok....there is no concrete proof that double or triple glazing Reduce condensation at all....because they don't.

What you are saying, or asking, shows a fundamental lack of understanding as to what condensation is and why it forms....


In our houses on a daily basis we produce huge amounts of water vapor produced by thing things we do....breathing, showering, washing up drying clothes on radiators.....etc.

In days before double glazed windows and the need to insulate, old houses had enough air circulation and drafts (chimneys, single glazed windows etc.) to cope with this water vapour. Contrary to popular belief controlled drafts and air circulation are good for you and your house.

Warm air can hold more water vapour then cold air. So the cause of condensation is warm moist air cooling on a cold surface and turning to water. If you have single glazed windows they are more prone to condensation because they are usually the coldest surface in the house......

Now....houses were then updated with double glazing......resulting in a warmer window surface. This means the warm moist air is now less likely to condensate on that surface, because it is more insulated and warmer.

However all that water vapour produced by you and your family is still there!!! To make it worse it is now trapped in a more insulated/air tight property!

So now it begins to condensate on the next coldest surface. When the heating goes off and the air cools this may now be an externally facing wall. This is why many people get damp forming on walls after getting double glazing installed!

However...... if it does get very cold (or your walls are well insualted and stay quite warm), condensation may still form on your double glazed windows!

As the house is now more air tight (blocked chimneys/airbricks, upvc windows) there are also less drafts and air-cirulation due to your updated insulation. This results in more water vapour being trapped in the house for longer, resulting in even more condensation on the cold surface (walls) and possibly your double glazed windows....

Now the answer to your question!!

So if you install triple glazing, you now have an even more insulated/warmer window surface! Which means yes...condensation is less likely to form on it! But.....they are not the cause of the condensation.....you are....so you are just moving all that condensation to the next coldest surface.....a wall somewhere.......

So what do you need to do to reduce condensation?

Change your living habits, introduce much more controlled ventilation (especially in the bathroom and kitchen) do not dry clothes in doors on radiators (use vented tumble dryer or a clothes line outside) and use heating more effectively.

Double Glazing, triple Glazing, quad glazing have no effect on condensation. It is you!

If you had enough ventillation in the property you should not get condensation on any windows (or walls). If you do, then the windows are not the problem, what ever they are....
 

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