Dear Tony
27th May 2014

Anthony Jones (The Glazine 20 May) took exception to my letter (The Glazine 13th May) about Triple Glazing: ‘an example of much of what is wrong with our industry’.

We can argue our different perspectives, but we can agree the importance of fact.

Anthony states as fact that, ‘Triple glazing is not a better option unless there is at least 44mm sealed units.’ In other words, triple is no better than double unless the triple is at least 44mm. But that isn’t fact, it is simplistic and incorrect.

Our best Heritage 2800 (28mm) double glazed U value is 1.29 W/m²K. Our best Heritage 2800 (40mm) triple glazed U value is 0.82 W/m²K.

Our best Heritage 2800 (28mm) double glazed WER is an A+ 12. Our best Heritage 2800 (40mm) triple glazed WER is an A+ 25.

A 44mm unit would improve these triple glazed figures slightly, but to say a consumer won’t benefit in relation to its energy saving performance from correctly specified triple glazing (unless it’s 44mm) is simply not true.

Like it or not, triple is already 10% of the UK market, and it’s an opportunity. The legislation to encourage us to save energy with better insulated homes practically guarantees the trend to triple. In Germany, and we often follow Germany’s lead in glazing, it’s nearly 60% of the market. It’s higher in Scandinavia.

The question is, how do fabricators and retail installers benefit from it before everyone jumps in and destroys prices and margins?

Whatever your views, we should ground the debate in fact. If anyone would like to check the facts on double and triple glazing and the savings that can be made, they can refer to Deceuninck’s Energy Saving Calculator at

www.deceuninck.com/uk/.

Roy Frost
MD Deceuninck UK & Ireland