Chances are that you will have heard of double-glazing, and know a fair amount about what it is. So, have you heard of triple glazing?

Here at Cosyhomes Windows, we are experts in a range of economical and effective glazing solutions for your home. This means that we need to understand about the different options open for you to consider.

So, here is our summary of what is triple glazing and why you may want it in your home.

What Is Triple Glazing?

In the simplest terms, triple glazing is when you use 3 panes of glass in a window rather than 1 or 2. Double glazing is when 2 are used, and single glazing, unsurprisingly is when 1 single pane is used.

Double glazing is known to cut down on the heat that is released through your windows as well as reduce noise pollution, so it makes sense that triple glazing would improve on this function. It is the glazing of choice in Scandinavian countries and many properties in the UK are now being built with this type of glazing.

However is it enough to make a difference?

The Benefits Of Triple Glazing

We already know the benefits of opting for double glazing in your home. Triple glazing is going to further reduce the noise from the outside world that comes into your home, as well as the heat that escapes. But what else can it do?

Triple glazing reduces the chance of condensation on your windows. This is because it keeps the cold air away from the inside of the window, as well as keeping the warm air away from the outside. Seeing as condensation is caused by these two meeting, it makes sense that this is one of the best benefits of this type of glazing.

It is going to cost more to install triple glazing into your property, but it should definitely be seen as an investment. Rather than something that you pay out for. In time, it will reduce the heat that escapes from your home, and save you money on energy bills. Which means that it will soon pay for itself and leave you with a toasty warm and quiet home!

Contact The Experts Today

Want to know more about glazing options that are suitable for your property? Why not get in touch with us here at Cosyhomes Windows? We are experts in the field of glazing and can give you all the advice that you need to make sure that your home feels as warm and welcoming as you want it to!

Here at Cosyhomes Windows we are experts in everything windows. We know that not only is it important to have quality windows installed in your home, but that you also have some good quality curtains hanging up too.

Measuring for curtains in normal style windows is easy enough to do, but if you have a bay style window then you may not find it as simple.

The style of bay windows mean that they stick out from the wall, not only creating a great look, but also letting in plenty of light into your room too. However, they do require different curtain poles, tracks and hanging methods when it comes to curtains. Which means that you will need to take a variety of different measurements in order to make sure that they fit in with your bay window.

Hopefully this guide will help you with how to measure bay windows for curtains.

Where Do You Want Them To Sit?

Before you start measuring for your curtains, you will need to decide exactly where you will want the rod or track to be. Take a good look at the window frame and decide whether you want them to hang from the inside of the frame, or rest outside it. This choice will require different measurements.

Look At The Length

Do you want your curtain to rest just below the frame of the window? Or do you like the idea of it resting gently on the floor? To measure you will need to place your tape measure at the top of the window frame and pull it down until you reach the length that you will want it to reach.

Find The Width

One of the best ways to approach the width of curtains that you will need is to measure each individual section. Place the tape measure on the left hand side of the window at the first section and then stop before you get to the next section. It is important that the tape measure remains level whilst you are taking the measurements.

How Many Panels Will You Need?

You may find that you need more than one panel to create a complete curtain for your bay window. To determine the number of panels, you should make sure that you double the width measurements of the window.

Therefore, if the window is 40 inches wide, then you will need to have 80 inches of curtain panels to make sure that there are no gaps and the bay window is properly dressed.

The average curtain panel is between 40 inches and 60 inches, which means that you may need to buy more panels then you would for a standard window.

Contact Cosyhomes Windows Today

Remember a great curtain cannot only keep the warmth in the building, but it can also add colour and style to the room too. Just make sure that you carefully measure and you will have a bay window that looks even more beautiful! Contact Cosyhomes today for more help towards keeping you cosy and stylish.

We all know that it is important to make sure that your windows are properly insulated in order to reduce energy wastage and ensure that the heat in your property stays in your property. One of the most common ways to make sure that your windows are letting out the minimal amount of heat is double-glazing.

However, this isn’t always suitable for every property. In these circumstances, it may be better to opt for secondary glazing.

What Is Secondary Glazing?

Secondary glazing involves adding supplementary glazing on the inside of a single-glazed window. Whilst it is usually a temporary measure, for listed buildings and conservation areas, it is a permanent fix for any windows that are not performing as they should.

The Benefits Of Secondary Glazing

The biggest plus point of installing secondary glazing in your home is of course to reduce the amount of heat that is lost through your windows. However, there are other benefits to having it put in place too.

Sound-proofing

Have you found that you hear too much noise from the outside world? If you do, then maybe secondary glazing is going to be a great option for you. Secondary glazing will reduce any outside noise from coming through your windows much more effectively than single glazed windows.

Save you money on energy bills

We do need to touch on this particular benefit to secondary glazing since it is such a large one. It is believed that secondary glazing can reduce the amount of heat lost through windows as much as 50%. This means that you will end up using less energy, and therefore save money on your energy bills.

Stop those draughts

Feeling the chill in your home? This could be due to a breeze that is flowing through the rooms. The main reason for this is that windows are ineffectively sealed, meaning that they do not close properly. Some people try to fit draught proofing kits to those windows, but the best idea is to install secondary glazing which can really have a big impact.

Contact The Experts

Here at Cosyhomes Windows we are experts in making sure that your home is warm and cosy. Not only will you create an inviting atmosphere for your home, but you can also reduce the amount of noise from outside and reduce the amount of money that you have to spend out on energy bills each and every year. So if you are still wondering ‘what is secondary glazing?’, then contact us today and we will be able to advise you further.

To read an example of one of our latest projects for secondary glazing, please see: Johnsons Shoes, Farnham.

Your windows are often the first thing that people notice about your home. Therefore, it is no surprise that you will want to ensure that your windows are looking their best at all times. But, as with many features of your property, as time goes on they can deteriorate with age.

Here at Cosyhomes Windows, we have put together our top tips for making sure that your windows look their best. We look at the most common issues that come up with windows and show you how you can fix them.

Stuck Wooden Windows

If you have wooden windows, then you are likely to know that they can swell when the weather is wet and damp. If this means that you are struggling to open them, try rubbing some candle wax along the part of the window that is sticking. If that doesn’t work then you may want to consider planning away some of the wood; taking off enough wood that you can then paint the newly bare part of the frame.

Adjusting A Mortise-Plate

A poorly fitted mortise plate can mean that your window isn’t securely fastened. If this is the case, then you should consider removing the plate and refitting it properly. Doing this is simply a case of unscrewing the plate from the window frame before repositioning it and reattaching to ensure a snug fit.

Removing Glass

It can be incredibly dangerous to remove glass from your window. Therefore, it is important that you use the right tools and protect yourself fully. If in doubt, always call an expert. The older the glass, the more dangerous it can be when it breaks.

Protective gloves, work boots and goggles are vital when removing glass and you should always make sure that you clean the putty and fixings before you pop in a new pane of glass.

Removing Glazing Bead Trim

If your window is double glazed, then it is important that you remove the glazing bead carefully, especially if you will want to reuse it. The best way to do this is with a scraper blade, placed under the edge of the first bead. The bead can then be pried up, just so you can position a packer underneath. The packers then are moved outward, meaning that you can unclip the bead from the frame. This process can be repeated for all the beads on the window.

Contact The Experts

Need your windows repaired, maintained or replaced, or simply looking for advice on how to repair a window yourself? The best way to ensure that you have your window repaired properly is to use an expert like Cosyhomes Windows. We are an expert window repair company with the expertise, knowledge and techniques that enable us to take your broken, worn down windows and transform them into something that you are proud to have on your home.

So, why not get in touch with us now and see what we can do for you? Call our team on 020 8397 4040 and speak to one of our advisors today.

Although we are in the midst of the warmer weather at the moment, there is never a better time to think about preparing for when the weather starts to turn. After all, the last thing you want to suffer from is another cold or costly winter.

Many homeowners have realised that when it comes to heat loss in their homes, often their windows are at fault. Old, damaged or simply just worn out windows can cause the heat pumped out by your radiators or fires to be quickly released rather than being trapped inside.

In turn this could mean that you feel the chill whilst inside or face the horror of a huge gas bill come the wintertime.

What Can You Do To Help?

Your windows are the main culprits of heat loss in the home. You may think that the only way that you can stop this is to replace the whole window, but this can be expensive, not to mention require time to complete and cause disruption to your home.

So, what can you do instead?

Cosyhomes Windows have a cost-effective yet still efficient answer to your heat loss problem. Rather than replace the entire window, how about getting replacement double glazed units instead?

How Is Replacing The Double Glazing Better?

As we have already discussed, replacing an entire window can be costly and takes time. Replacing the double glazing in a window can cost considerably less and takes less time too.

Once you have arranged for the replacement double glazed units, an expert fitter will come out and take the current glass out of the window frame and replace it with a new set of double glazed glass. The old glass will then be taken away and disposed of. The whole process doesn’t take long and for a standard home you should expect the work to be completed in 1-2 days.

Any Other Top Tips?

Whilst replacing your double glazing is one of the best ways to tackle heat loss through your windows, there are some other things that you can do to try and trap in that warm air.

• Buy high quality lined curtains – The thicker and more luxurious a curtain is then the more it is going to block the warm air from leaving your home through the window.
• Keep the sun coming in – Whilst curtains are great for trapping warm air, they should always be opened in the daytime to allow the natural light of the sun to stream in and warm up the room.
• Look out for other heat loss spots – It isn’t just the windows that can give the heat a place to escape. Letterboxes and cat flaps are other prime suspects in the battle against the breeze too.

Here at Cosyhomes Windows we want to make sure that all our customers get to enjoy a warm and toasty home. So why not give us a call and see how we can help you to beat the chill once winter comes around with our double glazed units?

Losing heat from your home is a headache for most people; after all it doesn’t only mean that you feel the chill more, but also that you may be faced with higher energy bills too.
So what can you do to help?

There are a variety of things you can do to minimise the amount of heat lost through your windows, however, one of the most effective has to be installing double glazing throughout your home.

But how does double glazing reduce heat loss?

What Is Double Glazing?

Whilst many of us know the term double glazing, you might not completely understand what it means. Double glazing is simply a double pane of glass placed into a window frame.

Thanks to the use of a spacer bar between the panes, there is a minimal amount of space (sometimes only millimetres), which is not only energy efficient, but also can block out noise too.

How Does Double Glazing Reduce Heat Loss?

If you looked at a thermal image of a house you would see that heat gathers around a variety of places in the property, including the roof, the walls and the main culprit; the windows.

To reduce the loss of heat through the windows, double glazing is always recommended. The gap between the two panes of glass trap air; this air filled gap then becomes a barrier to the heat loss thanks to the air being a poor conductor of heat. This means that the heat cannot travel through the gap and be released outside.

How Much Can Double Glazing Save You?

We now know that double glazing can reduce heat loss through the windows of your home, but what does this actually mean for the average home owner?

It is thought that by installing energy efficient windows into your home, you could save as much as £8,211 in a typical detached house over a 20 year period.

Is Double Glazing Expensive?

Whilst there is an initial cost associated to double glazing, it may surprise you to know just how little it can cost. When deciding whether or not to opt for double glazing you should balance this cost with the on-going savings that you will see from lower energy bills.

Call The Experts At Cosyhomes Windows

Want to know more about how double glazing can help you cut down your energy bills? Why not get in touch with our expert team here at Cosyhomes Windows. We have the knowledge and expertise to give you stylish windows that will completely change the feel of your home. Give us a call now on 0208 397 4040 or drop us a message here.

In this day and age, it seems that we are a nation of DIYer’s; always looking to cut costs and do jobs ourselves. However, sometimes we may not know the right way to go about it and we usually end up creating more of a mess than we initially started.

Installing a window may seem like an easy task, when in reality it can be a very complicated process that requires expert knowledge and tools to complete to a high standard.

Here at Cosyhomes Windows, we have put together a ‘how to guide’ on the window installation process and explain how we can assist to ensure the job is finished to the highest standard.

Before You Start

It is extremely important that before you start you make sure that you have the right size, style and handing that you ordered. You will also want to check the opening size against the new window pane. The new window should be approximately 10mm smaller in both width and height than the opening.

Take Out Existing Windows

Once you have moved all of your ornaments, photos, blinds or curtains out of the way and laid down dustsheets, you can start to remove the existing window:

• You will need to remove all opening sashes with a screwdriver before you can remove the glass.
• Removing the glass is usually done by carefully cracking the glass and removing the shards. You will need to ensure that you have heavy duty gloves and goggles for this part of the process and always start from the top corner, discarding the shards of glass into a plastic bin as you go.
• Once all of the shards have been removed you will need to use a stanley knife to break the plaster seal that can be found around the window frame before using a crosscut saw to cut through the remaining mullion (vertical) and transom (horizontal) frame parts to remove them.
• It is important that during the frame removal process that you do not damage the plaster, brickwork and damp proofing of your property. Once you have cut through the frame it should be possible, by using a nail bar, to remove it away from the plaster.
• Any remaining debris can be removed using a masonry chisel.

Fitting The New Window Frame

Once the old window has been removed and the area has been cleared of debris, it is time to install the new window:

• The sill will need to be fitted so that it has around 5mm clearance between itself and the brickwork. Once you are happy that it is level (by using plastic packers) you can secure it using 8x 100mm fixing bolts 150mm from each end and at 600mm centres after that. You should not overtighten the bolts.
• Now it is time to run a bead of silicone along the back edge and secure the end caps into position using either silicone or superglue.
• You should remove the glazing beads from the window frame, marking their position up on the frame so that they can be returned to the correct position.
• Now it is time to pop the window frame into position. The base should fit snugly against the sill, ensuring that a tight seal is created with the silicone. You should make sure that you clean off any excess silicone that you find at that time. Once in place you will want to make sure that it is level.
• The window frame will need to be wedged into position using plastic packers, but you shouldn’t over pack as this can bend the framework.
• Open the vents of the window frame so that you can access the outer frame jambs. The bottom of the window can now be secured to the sill from each internal corner. Once it is secured to the sill, the window jambs should be secured into the brickwork that surrounds the window.
• Once completed, you should check that the screw heads are not standing proud as this can cause an issue with the positioning of the glass.
• Now you can close and lock all of the sashes, checking the outer frame to ensure a square fit.

Glazing

The last stage of the process is glazing. Glazing requires a gentle touch to ensure that the new glass does not crack or break during installation.

• Before you fit in the glass you will need to secure glazing bridges into the recess of the frame. Once you have done this you can position glazing packer, using silicone onto the glazing bridges, starting from the bottom first. If you have side hung sashes then you will want to secure an additional packer onto the bridge opposite the hinge side of the frame.
• Now is the time to add the glass into the opening. You will need to ensure that it is central and resting squarely on the packers. The glass should then be pushed in gently as far as it will go into the opening.
• You should position 2mm glass packers to square up where needed.
• Test the sashes by gently unlocking and opening them. This is to check that there is free movement between the glass and frame and to adjust if required.
• Replace the glazing beads into their marked original positions. You should always place the top first, then the bottom before finally replacing those on the side.
• To secure the window frame to the outside masonry, you will need to gun some silicone between the two. This should be left for 1 hour.
• Once you are happy with the window and that everything is dry, you should then remove all of the protective tape, clean and leave to dry.

Ask The Experts At Cosyhomes Windows

As you can see, installing a new window into your property is a complicated process that requires professional grade tools and experience. You also have to understand and translate heavily technical regulations from Local Authority and seek approval from Building Control to change any window or door. Whilst you still may want to give it a go yourself, you may find that it is a better idea to get in touch with a professional window installation company that can install quality windows into your home. This is where we can help. Give us a call now on 0208 397 4040 or contact us via our online form and one of our team will get back to you shortly.