I am in the process of choosing windows for a SIPS home to be built in
northern Minnesota.

Here are the things I have heard:

Contractor- Don't waste your money on Triple-pane, the house is so well
insulated that the difference in energy cost won't be worth it. Also,
triple panes means two areas where seals can fail.

On this site- Energy savings is the same because the insulation
advantage of the triple-pane is countered by the fact that it reflects
more energy.

Friends - Dorwin (sp?) triple-paned have been great.

Friend - Really like H-window triple paned



I am looking for more advice. Thanks

kutupembe wrote:
I am in the process of choosing windows for a SIPS home to be built in
northern Minnesota.

Here are the things I have heard:

Contractor- Don't waste your money on Triple-pane, the house is so
well insulated that the difference in energy cost won't be worth it.
Also, triple panes means two areas where seals can fail.

On this site- Energy savings is the same because the insulation
advantage of the triple-pane is countered by the fact that it reflects
more energy.

Friends - Dorwin (sp?) triple-paned have been great.

Friend - Really like H-window triple paned



I am looking for more advice. Thanks

The better insulated the rest of the home is the bigger difference that
tipple pane will make. In your area I would put them in myself. It is not
just energy saving, but it is also comfort level. Somehow I suspect the
contractor get's his best deal (most profit to him) for double pane.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

How much glass area do you have planned, you go apx from R 3.5 to R 5
with tripple pane, windows are your weak point. You can also add 1-3 R
with Cellular shades and curtains. What is frame material I hope not
aluminum. You have one thing to consider even more important then
tripple pane its Cdf or condensing factor. Pella are poor in Cdf and
with sips higher humidity they will condense. They do in my house
continualy without ever using a dehumidifier. Read an old Consumer
Reports test of apx 23 windows, go to Energy Star, I dont know of what
site you are refering to on your rating. Are you aware there are
different LowE coatings for southern and northern designs.

Joseph Meehan wrote:

kutupembe wrote:

I am in the process of choosing windows for a SIPS home to be built in
northern Minnesota.

Here are the things I have heard:

Contractor- Don't waste your money on Triple-pane, the house is so
well insulated that the difference in energy cost won't be worth it.
Also, triple panes means two areas where seals can fail.

On this site- Energy savings is the same because the insulation
advantage of the triple-pane is countered by the fact that it reflects
more energy.

Friends - Dorwin (sp?) triple-paned have been great.

Friend - Really like H-window triple paned



I am looking for more advice. Thanks


The better insulated the rest of the home is the bigger difference that
tipple pane will make. In your area I would put them in myself. It is not
just energy saving, but it is also comfort level. Somehow I suspect the
contractor get's his best deal (most profit to him) for double pane.

Hi,
Here in Calgary Alberta MOST houses have double pane windows. My house
built in '94 has also gas filled E glass or whatever. ouse is R2000
spec. This house is cool in summer and warm in winter. I guess if both
windows have same quality level triple pane will be bewtter choice.
Window technology came a long way. In more than 10 year span I had one
window replaced due to leaking seal.

go to a window store with a light shinning on display windows.

see the same light shine thru single double and triple panes?

feel the difference its a LOT and then decide if its worth the $

Saw this recently at local hme show it was amazing!

For the glass area, triple gives you a better R-value than double, about
5 versus 3.5.

HOWEVER, the frame needed to support three panes of glass is a better
thermal bridge than what is needed for double. On many windows, the gains
in R-value for triple is offset, or WORSENED by the frame.

If you must have a large picture window, a triple-glazed window would likely
make a big difference. Of course, shutters would also make a big, or even
bigger difference as well.

In our home, our largest windows are 54" x 54" casement (two-section) and
it just made no sense to go with triple-glazing.

--
Calvin Henry-Cotnam
"I really think Canada should get over to Iraq as quickly as possible"
- Paul Martin - April 30, 2003
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Calvin Henry-Cotnam wrote:

HOWEVER, the frame needed to support three panes of glass is a better
thermal bridge than what is needed for double. On many windows, the
gains in R-value for triple is offset, or WORSENED by the frame.


Interesting. I suppose that would be possible. Do you have any source
of figures for it?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Aluminum is a thermal conductor, but wood and composites are going to
have good R value. Even so only aluminum would figure into a degadation
that shows in U values, the overall window rating. I hope aluminum is
not being considered that far north, as all aluminum I see are realy U
rated for southern areas. But true 50% of the loss can be the frame.

m Ransley wrote:
Aluminum is a thermal conductor, but wood and composites are going to
have good R value. Even so only aluminum would figure into a
degadation that shows in U values, the overall window rating. I hope
aluminum is not being considered that far north, as all aluminum I
see are realy U rated for southern areas. But true 50% of the loss
can be the frame.

I agree. I don't live that far north and I would not have aluminum
fames, even those with a thermal break. My last home had aluminum without a
thermo break. Really bad idea.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

kutupembe wrote:
I am in the process of choosing windows for a SIPS home to be built in
northern Minnesota.

Here are the things I have heard:

Contractor- Don't waste your money on Triple-pane, the house is so well
insulated that the difference in energy cost won't be worth it. Also,
triple panes means two areas where seals can fail.

On this site- Energy savings is the same because the insulation
advantage of the triple-pane is countered by the fact that it reflects
more energy.

Friends - Dorwin (sp?) triple-paned have been great.

Friend - Really like H-window triple paned



I am looking for more advice. Thanks



A hundred or so miles north.

http://www.mts.net/~lmlod/Cabinfront6.jpg

Those are all triple pane. They don't start sweating
until it gets down to the neg. 30's. My cheap neighbors
double panes are a waterfall by then.

Forget the hype, the marketing, and the no nothing experts.

Triple is the only way to go in cold country.

They are also better sound insulators. This is my
front yard.

http://www.mts.net/~lmlod/Sailboat3.jpg

Boats and Seado's all summer, snowmobiles all winter.
I hardly ever hear them. Barely notice the idiots with no
mufflers.

Joseph Meehan ) said...

Calvin Henry-Cotnam wrote:

HOWEVER, the frame needed to support three panes of glass is a better
thermal bridge than what is needed for double. On many windows, the
gains in R-value for triple is offset, or WORSENED by the frame.


Interesting. I suppose that would be possible. Do you have any source
of figures for it?

Unfortunately, I don't. This was explained to me by a window manufacturer,
who had a monetary incentive to sell me triple over double, so I consider
"facts" coming from him that suggest I go the other way to have a little
more weight to them than most "facts" thrown at me.

Looking at other posts, I see mention about aluminium frames and this jogs
my memory a little more on this issue. The extra support that is needed for
triple tends to come from aluminium components. Even with a thermal break,
I tend to believe that the benefits of triple glazed windows over double
are not realized until the area reaches a certain threshold.

What exactly that threshold is would be interesting and useful to know.

--
Calvin Henry-Cotnam
"I really think Canada should get over to Iraq as quickly as possible"
- Paul Martin - April 30, 2003
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Calvin Henry-Cotnam wrote:
Joseph Meehan ) said...

Calvin Henry-Cotnam wrote:

HOWEVER, the frame needed to support three panes of glass is a
better thermal bridge than what is needed for double. On many
windows, the gains in R-value for triple is offset, or WORSENED by
the frame.


Interesting. I suppose that would be possible. Do you have any
source of figures for it?

Unfortunately, I don't. This was explained to me by a window
manufacturer, who had a monetary incentive to sell me triple over
double, so I consider "facts" coming from him that suggest I go the
other way to have a little more weight to them than most "facts"
thrown at me.

Looking at other posts, I see mention about aluminium frames and this
jogs my memory a little more on this issue. The extra support that is
needed for triple tends to come from aluminium components. Even with
a thermal break, I tend to believe that the benefits of triple glazed
windows over double are not realized until the area reaches a certain
threshold.

What exactly that threshold is would be interesting and useful to
know.

Thanks for responding. Your logic makes sense, but of course the devil
is in the details.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On 25 Mar 2006 21:48:35 -0800, "kutupembe"
wrote:

I am in the process of choosing windows for a SIPS home to be built in
northern Minnesota.

Here are the things I have heard:

I don't know what is better but the arguments here make no sense.

Contractor- Don't waste your money on Triple-pane, the house is so well
insulated that the difference in energy cost won't be worth it.

Triple pane isn't advertised to solve problems in the rest of the
walls, only what leaks out the windows. It doesn't matter how good
(OR bad**) the rest of the house is if enough leaks from the windows
to be worth it.

**It matters how bad it is in that there may be heat losses that are
greater, or cheaper to fix or to lessen. If one is not going to fix
all heat losses. But he's saying that those others are well insulated.
Therefore the question is, Are triple better than double enough to
warrant the cost.

Also,
triple panes means two areas where seals can fail.

That's an arguement in favor of triple. If one seal fails the other
will still be there. It's only if seals almost never fail that you
could live with only one seal. Maybe he's confused with EXTRA
windows, where each one that fails causes a leak. Would he say, Don't
put in any windows because the seals might leak ?

On this site- Energy savings is the same because the insulation
advantage of the triple-pane is countered by the fact that it reflects
more energy.

Not sure.

Friends - Dorwin (sp?) triple-paned have been great.

There is a tendency for people to believe, to want to believe, they
did the right thing.

Friend - Really like H-window triple paned



I am looking for more advice. Thanks