Is the industry ready for anti external condensation glass?

Your first thought on this may well be no! However, with increasing U value performance in our windows and the growth of triple glazing now taking a firm hold in the market place, it will soon become inevitable that for a period in autumn and another again in early spring, those ultra efficient double or triple glazed windows are likely to be regularly fogged over in the morning, until either the winter takes hold or the spring starts to turn to summer.  

Working in the glass and glazing industry, you will know that external condensation is the signature of a well insulated, energy efficient window, as it dramatically reduces heat loss through the glazing, which would otherwise warm the outer pane of glass preventing the condensation from forming.

The issue of external condensation becomes more distorted as micro climates cause some windows to be affected whilst others stay clear.  In most cases home owners assume that some of the windows have failed whilst others are fine.  In reality, all the windows are working equally; performing their energy saving requirements.  The variation in effected windows is caused by external factors such as a nearby hedges or maybe protection from an adjacent wall or a nearby garage.  However, the uneven spread adds just another question to the home owner’s arsenal; claiming the newly installed windows are faulty, when in reality the condensation is a sign that the windows are already saving money helping to keep energy bills at bay.

A solution for anti external condensation is Guardian ClimaGuard Dry, rigorous testing has proven that whilst other highly energy efficient windows fog over during the seasonal temperature changes, windows with ClimaGuard Dry remain clear.  The real hurdle to get over is how to pitch anti external condensation glass to your customers without inadvertently talking them out of their new, highly energy efficient purchase?  It would be easy to sell an aftermarket solution, but unfortunately that isn’t an available option!  Selling anti external condensation glass in advance, to prepare for a potential problem which may only occur for two periods a year, requires a whole different approach.

With energy bills rising and demands from government to cut our carbon emissions, it’s in everyone’s interest to reduce energy bills.  Saving energy means saving money and with windows responsible for as much as 25% of the heat lost from our homes, replacing old glazing with modern energy efficient windows is a necessity if home owners want to save money on energy bills.

New windows are an investment for the future lasting for years to come and offering long term savings.  The more energy efficient they are, the greater the savings.  However, advanced energy efficiency also means that new windows are more likely to fog over with external condensation twice a year for the life of the product.

The short term view of anti external condensation glass like ClimaGuard Dry, is the initial outlay and increased costs for the windows.  However, the long term view paints a very different picture; reduced energy bills will be paying those windows off for years to come, however external condensation will also be impairing the view out of those windows for two periods a year.  After a few years the initial outlay for anti external condensation glass like ClimaGuard Dry will seem miniscule compared to keeping those windows clear all year round from the start.

Is the industry ready for anti external condensation glass like ClimaGuard Dry?  The more savvy businessman might say yes, whilst others are still adjusting to the idea of a solution.  However, as the economy starts to improve and there is more money available for long overdue replacement glazing, the opportunity to solve a problem and add value to your window offering becomes more and more apparent.

For more information on ClimaGuard Dry visit www.guardianglass.co.uk