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Custom Mini Blinds
In the mini blind market, you have three types of options: You can buy what is ready-made and is widely available in retail stores; buy ready-made but cut to fit blinds; and one-inch slat mini blinds that can fit one-eighth of an inch near your...
Here's What a Jacuzzi Will Do For You
Jacuzzi's are a great recreational and health benefit for a home. Having some idea what type and what uses you will have for it, are keys to purchasing the right one for you. There's nothing like going to a hotel and finding out you are in the...
Home Improvement Projects That Really Pay Off
Many of us watch TV shows and see the miraculous transformation of homes and gardens by professionals and amateur do-it-yourselfers. Is it really that easy, we ask ourselves. Could I do it? Where do I begin? What improvement projects will...
Rising Damp
It doesn’t sound like a particularly interesting topic, however a quick search on the worlds favourite internet search engine will show that in some circles rising damp is a very hot topic indeed. The trouble is that it appears that it could...
The Lamps in Your Home!
A lamp is more than a light. Lamps allow the owner to set mood and too add to the design of a room. They are very functional and sometimes the only source of light in a room. Floor lamps are very popular these days, but table lamps are still...
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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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