While researching potential upgrade options for your home’s long-standing fixtures, you may have stumbled upon triple pane windows. Naturally, you may wonder if a triple pane window is something that can significantly upgrade your home.
Although they have been around for a while, people are unfamiliar with these windows. Upon hearing what they are called, many people instinctively assume that they are excessive additions.
Is that the case, or can those windows serve as great additions to your home? That is the main question we will be addressing in this article.
Stick around and see if you should consider getting triple pane windows for your home.
What Is a Triple Pane Window?
Let’s begin by first clearly defining what a triple pane window is.
Triple pane windows are three panes of glass, but it is not only the three layers stuck together. Instead, spacers keep the three panes of glass separate.
The spacers do more than keep the panes of glass apart from one another. They are also necessary for keeping the glass panes aligned and uniform. Furthermore, the spacers also allow the triple pane windows to provide improved insulation.
It is worth noting that the gaps between the panes of glass also serve a purpose. Manufacturers may fill them with some kind of gas to further improve the performance of the windows. Even if they only contain air, those gaps still help the triple pane windows perform better.
Interestingly, some triple pane windows do not have three panes of glass. Instead of a third pane of glass, manufacturers may install a low-emissivity film inside the window. The film is between the two panes and is supposed to replicate the performance of glass.
What Are the Benefits of Installing Triple Pane Windows?
Why should you replace your windows with triple pane windows? It is a fair question to ask.
Before you write these fixtures off for seemingly being excessive, you should learn about the benefits they provide. Let us help you out by highlighting the most notable benefits provided by triple pane windows.
Triple Pane Windows Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
Arguably the number one reason you should consider triple pane windows is they can make your home energy efficient.
Triple pane windows affect your home’s energy efficiency by impacting heat transfer. To be more specific, the windows significantly reduce the rate of energy transfer that your household experiences.
During the summer, the triple pane windows will do a great job of keeping the cold air inside your home. They will work as sturdy barriers that contain the cold air blasted out by your air conditioning unit.
Once winter rolls around, those windows will again prove their worth. They work at containing warm air as they do cold air.
Triple pane windows are helpful if you live in a part of the country known for cold weather. According to Family Handyman, triple pane windows can shave off about two to three % from your heating costs compared to their double pane counterparts.
Those savings can pile up so do not disregard what triple pane windows can do for your home’s energy efficiency. If you have long lamented how much you spend on heating and/or cooling your home, installing triple pane windows is worth a try.
Triple Pane Windows Make Your Home More Comfortable
The struggle of getting comfortable inside your home is not something people should experience. Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary, after all. It would be regrettable if you cannot relax while you are at home.
Installing triple pane windows can instantly make your home more comfortable.
Use them to turn previously uncomfortable spots into ones you can stay in without issue. Create that reading nook next to the window you have always wanted or move your sofa there so you can enjoy a great view while resting.
Now that you do not need to worry about hot and cold spots inside your home, you can be more creative in the design. Take full advantage of the comfort these windows provide by transforming your home interior.
Triple Pane Windows Ward Off Noise More Effectively
Wanting a quiet day at home is not too much to ask. Creating that quiet environment is crucial to relaxation.
Beyond that, you may also need your home to be quiet because you work remotely. You do not want noises to frequently disrupt your concentration. It would also be embarrassing to attend a virtual meeting while your home is noisy.
If you have been dealing with noises infiltrating your home for a long time, you should consider upgrading to triple pane windows.
The specific way they construct triple windows makes them better suited for reducing noise. Since the noise travels through three panes of glass and the layers of gas sandwiched between them, it will reduce its intensity before entering your home.
You may not hear much in the way of outside noise after installing those new windows. Those living near busy roads may deal with more outside noise than typical homeowners. If that is the kind of problem you are facing, you can simply modify your triple pane windows.
Put in a request for thicker panes of glass to be used inside your new windows. Those thicker layers can be better at keeping noise outside of your home. You can create the peaceful home environment you need with the help of those new fixtures.
Triple Pane Windows Offer Better Protection
Installing triple pane windows is also a good idea to protect your home better.
We do not want you to think that triple pane windows can suddenly supplant a security system. That is not the case.
However, they still offer increased protection against random bits of debris that come flying toward your home. A small rock that would have otherwise entered your home may get trapped in the extra pane of glass.
You should not expect the windows to turn your home into a fortress, but they still offer extra protection that can prove useful in certain situations.
Triple Pane Windows Reduce Condensation
Seeing your window fogged up early in the morning may be something you are used to. Even so, the constant presence of condensation on your windows is not a good thing.
Condensation is troublesome because it can facilitate the growth of mold and mildew. If you fail to do something about the mold and mildew in time, it may start to claim the spots around your windows.
Over the long haul, condensation can also cause damage to your home. You may start to notice your window frames and walls start to buckle because they have absorbed too much condensation.
Note that condensation can also affect how well your windows manage energy. It may take a bit more heating to remove the condensation that has covered your windows.
Triple pane windows are less likely to be covered in condensation because they are well insulated. That means they are also better protected against the issues we discussed above.
Triple Pane Windows Are Durable
Since you are going through the trouble of installing new windows, you might as well get ones that will last for a long time. Triple pane windows certainly fit the bill if you need durable fixtures.
These windows hold up well to the elements and random bits of debris like we previously noted.
Triple pane windows can last for over thirty years as long as you take good care of them. Once installed, you can count on them being fixtures for many years to come.
What Are the Drawbacks of Installing Triple Pane Windows?
Thus far, we have focused only on the benefits of installing triple pane windows. They can be great additions to your home, but they are by no means perfect. You must still weigh the potential drawbacks of adding them to your home.
Let’s use this section of the article to discuss the drawbacks of triple pane windows. Learn more about them and decide if you still want to push through with the new installations afterward.
Triple Pane Windows Are Expensive
The most notable drawback to triple pane windows is their price. They are significantly more expensive than regular or double pane windows.
According to Modernize, the average cost of installing triple pane windows is around $550 to $1,085. For context, the average cost of getting double pane windows installed is $400 to $850.
The pricing gap between double and triple pane windows is significant. Your budget may not allow you to get triple pane windows even if you want them.
Is investing in triple pane windows a good move on your part? It can be since they will be long-term fixtures for your home.
You can make up the initial cost of installing using your savings on your energy bills. It will take a while before you can break even, but it will happen eventually.
Triple Pane Windows Are Difficult to Install
If you are good with tools and have experience with home installations, you can try to set your new windows in yourself. That is not a good idea, though.
Triple pane windows are complicated fixtures. They feature more components that are more prone to breaking when handled incorrectly. The windows are also quite heavy, so handling them solo can be a real challenge.
Avoid installing triple pane windows yourself. It is simply too risky. Instead of saving money on installation, you may need to spend more to get a new set after accidentally damaging the first one.
Do not mess around with your new set of windows. Entrust them to the professionals to be positioned properly without any issues.
Triple Pane Windows May Force You to Modify Your Home
Triple pane windows being heavy is not necessarily a bad thing. Some would even say it is a mostly positive trait because that added weight makes the windows sturdier. Dealing with that extra weight during installation is fine if it means your new windows will last longer.
Unfortunately, the weight introduced by your triple pane windows is an issue because it makes the installation more complicated.
Upon setting the new windows in place, the workers may find that the surrounding structures are not strong enough to support them. If you force the windows into those spots, they could compromise the structural integrity of your home.
Does that mean that you cannot install triple pane windows? Well, that remains an option if you are willing to make some modifications.
You will need to modify your home to accommodate the windows. Ask the workers to reinforce the window frames and your walls so they can support the new additions easily.
Those modifications can be expensive and they may also alter the appearance of your home in a way you do not like. You should ask the workers what your home will look like after the modifications before proceeding.
Triple Pane Windows Can Reduce the Amount of Natural Light inside Your Home
Lastly, replacing your old windows with triple pane fixtures will lead to your household losing out on natural light.
You will not have as much sunlight inside your home because the three panes of glass serve as barriers that it must pass. If you only rely on natural light during the day, installing triple pane windows may get in the way of that. You may need to keep a light bulb on to compensate.
Are you looking to add triple pane windows to your home? If so, we at North Shore Window Inc. can provide your new fixtures. We can also handle the installation for you. Contact us today and tell us about the new windows you are eyeing!
