Double-glazed doors provide an attractive and functional upgrade for homes. With their sleek styling and array of benefits, these doors are an excellent addition for any home improvement project.
Keep reading to learn more about the top reasons to install double-glazed doors.
Introduction
Double-glazed doors, sometimes called double pane doors, have two panes of glass in each door, separated by an air gap. This construction gives double-glazed doors better insulation properties than single pane doors, providing homeowners with an array of benefits.
Upgrading to double-glazed doors can enhance security, energy efficiency, noise insulation, environmental friendliness, and aesthetic appeal. These improvements can also increase a home’s value. Below is an in-depth look at why double-glazed doors are smart home improvements.
Increased Security
One of the top reasons homeowners choose double-glazed doors is for increased security. With two panes of glass, these doors are more difficult to break through than single pane doors. The double glazing provides an extra barrier against intruders.
Glass in double-glazed doors is normally 3-5mm thick. The two panes are then separated by a gap of 6-20mm. Filling this gap is an inert gas like argon or krypton. This gas insulates the two panes.
The combination of multiple layers of glass and the insulating gap makes double-glazed glass significantly harder to break through than a single pane. Tools like hammers or crowbars that can shatter single pane glass often bounce right off double-glazed glass. Intruders require heavier tools to break double-glazed glass, making it an excellent deterrent.
In security tests, double-glazed glass performs significantly better than single panes. It takes around 20 strikes from a small 0.91kg hammer to break basic 3mm single glass. In comparison, 6mm laminated double glazing withstands over 180 strikes from the same hammer.
By installing double-glazed doors, homeowners can enjoy peace of mind knowing their doors provide enhanced security. This added protection is ideal for any home, especially in high-crime areas. Double-glazed doors create an effective barrier to deter break-in attempts.
Energy Efficiency
Another major benefit of double-glazed doors is improved energy efficiency. The double panes and gas-filled gap between them provide excellent thermal insulation. This helps reduce the transfer of heat or cold through the door.
Double glazing works by trapping air between the glass panes. This results in less direct contact between the warm air inside a home and the colder external air. With this insulated buffer zone, there is less conductive heat transfer through the door.
In winter, double-glazed doors better contain warm indoor air. This can lower heating costs, as less energy is required to maintain a comfortable temperature.
In summer, the doors reduce the transfer of heat from outside into the house. Less external heat permeates the home, cutting down on air conditioning usage.
Overall, double-glazed doors create a more consistent indoor temperature year-round. Homeowners can save on monthly energy bills thanks to the improved insulation.
Exactly how much a home can save depends on climate, house size, existing doors, and other factors. However, switching to double-glazed doors typically reduces heating and cooling costs by 10-15%.
In a cold area, savings may be around 15-20% on winter heating bills. In hot climates, summer cooling costs can lower by 15-25% with double-glazed doors. For the average home, this translates to hundreds of dollars in annual energy savings.
Double-glazed doors are an energy-efficient upgrade suitable for any home. Their superior insulation offers ongoing savings over the lifetime of the doors.
Environmental Benefits
Along with financial savings, double-glazed doors provide environmental benefits. Since these doors reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling, they also lower a home’s carbon footprint.
Burning fossil fuels for electricity and natural gas results in greenhouse gas emissions. By cutting energy use, double-glazed doors mitigate a household’s impact on climate change.
In fact, reducing energy consumption is recognized as one of the most effective ways homeowners can take eco-friendly action. Switching to double-glazed doors provides environmental gains for years to come.
Double-glazed doors also align with green building principles. Green construction focuses on sustainability, efficient resource use, and reducing environmental harm. Improved insulation from double-glazed doors fits perfectly with these eco-conscious goals.
Homeowners concerned about their environmental impact should consider installing double-glazed doors. The energy and emissions reductions make them an ideal green upgrade.
Increased Home Value
Upgrading home features like doors and windows boosts resale value. Double-glazed doors offer aesthetic appeal and functional benefits sure to attract future buyers.
Unlike some aging single pane glass doors that can fog up or warp over time, double-glazed doors maintain a crisp, clear view. The dual glass panes prevent condensation from damaging the door or obscuring visibility.
In addition, the sleek look of double-glazed doors adds to a home’s curb appeal. Their clean lines and modern styling give homes an updated, premium appearance. This instant visual enhancement makes properties more enticing to potential purchasers.
Of course, double-glazed doors also come with the array of practical benefits detailed above. Home buyers are sure to appreciate the increased security, energy savings, insulation, and environmental friendliness double glazing provides.
Home improvements like new doors and windows can recover over 70% of their cost at resale. The increased buyer appeal makes double-glazed doors a smart investment for homeowners.
Noise Insulation
Double-glazed doors excel at reducing outdoor noise, making them an excellent option for homes in noisy areas. Sounds from traffic, construction, crowds, and other sources can easily penetrate standard glass. Double glazing helps block this unwanted noise pollution.
Again, the dual glass panes with insulating gas in between work together to dampen noise. The two panes diffuse and absorb sound waves rather than directly transmitting them. Noise loses energy as it travels through these barriers.
Exactly how much sound double glazing reduces depends on the door’s specifications. Basic double glazing cuts high and mid frequency sounds like traffic and speech by 25-35 decibels (dB). More advanced designs with laminated or thicker glass panes can reduce noises by 45-50 dB.
For perspective, normal conversation is about 60 dB. Double glazing reduces many common outdoor noises to the level of a quiet library (40 dB) or private office (50 dB). This level of noise insulation brings welcome peace and quiet.
Those living on busy streets or near other noise sources can benefit greatly from double-glazed doors. The technology blocks unwanted disturbances, helping to create a tranquil home environment.
Conclusion
Upgrading to double-glazed doors is one of the best investments homeowners can make. These doors offer increased security, energy efficiency, environmental benefits, added property value, and noise insulation.
With their durable, high-performance construction, double-glazed doors provide lasting improvements for any home. They are an especially smart upgrade for houses needing better insulation, security, or soundproofing.
While double-glazed doors come at a higher upfront cost than standard doors, their array of financial and practical benefits make them worthwhile. For homeowners seeking to enhance comfort, safety, eco-friendliness, and resale value, double-glazed doors are an ideal choice.
FAQs
What are double-glazed doors?
Double-glazed doors have two panes of glass separated by a gap filled with gas. This construction gives the doors better insulation properties compared to single pane doors.
What are the benefits of double-glazed doors?
The main benefits are:
- Increased security – Harder to break through than single pane glass
- Energy efficiency – Better insulation reduces heating/cooling costs
- Noise insulation – Helps block outside noises
- Environmental benefits – Lower energy use reduces carbon footprint
- Added property value – Appeals to home buyers
How much extra security do double-glazed doors provide?
Double-glazed glass can take many more strikes from tools like hammers or crowbars before breaking. Most double-glazed glass provides over 3 times more security than single panes.
How much can you save on energy bills with double-glazed doors?
Savings vary, but typically double-glazed doors reduce heating/cooling costs by 10-15% per year. In very cold or hot climates, the savings may be up to 20-25%.
How well do double-glazed doors block noise?
Basic double glazing reduces most common outdoor noises by 25-35 decibels. More advanced double glazing can block noises by 45-50 decibels, making loud sounds nearly inaudible indoors.
Do double-glazed doors look different than regular doors?
Double-glazed doors often have a sleek, contemporary style. However, they can be designed to match more traditional single pane doors. The double glazing itself is hard to notice.
How much more do double-glazed doors cost compared to standard doors?
Double-glazed doors have a 20-50% price premium over regular doors. However, homeowners recoup much of this premium through energy savings and added property value.
Are double-glazed doors worth the extra investment?
For most homes, especially those needing better insulation or noise reduction, double-glazed doors provide benefits that justify the additional expense. Their durability also ensures long-lasting performance.
