Glass is great for energy efficiency and added benefits are its minimalistic environmental impact.
Glass fenestration (or the way in which windows and doors are installed using glass) has always played a huge role in ensuring that the building is energy efficient. When it comes to environmentally-friendly building materials, glass has traditionally come out tops. It is no surprise that glass has been a favourite material for homes and buildings for several decades. Whether it’s used for large, panoramic windows or wide and accommodating doors, glass is versatile and timeless.Glass is aesthetically pleasing with numerous options for the designing architect to be creative and functional, ticking all the boxes for an efficient functional building.Since it is transparent, glass can be used in a broad range of indoor spaces without having an impact on natural light. It forms effective barriers while, at the same time, ensuring that the room flows harmoniously. Choosing the right product for the application will ultimately affect building energy efficiency performance
There are numerous benefits using glass fenestration for energy efficiency, sound control and thermal control which also affect building performance.
Using glass for building design begins with understanding the goals for the space. This allows the designer to select the correct type of glass for optimal energy efficiency, aesthetics and structure. When the most suitable glass type is chosen for the home or building, it can be incredibly beneficial. Not only does glass allow the maximum amount of daylight into the space, but it also acts as an excellent sound insulator and provides comfort to the building’s inhabitants.
Let’s take a look in more detail at the benefits of glass:
Glass is an excellent heat insulator
With the cost of heating, air conditioning and electricity rising each year, it is very expensive to keep the inside of a building at the most comfortable temperature. This also has an impact on the environment as the more energy one uses, the greater the carbon footprint. Much of South Africa experiences a lot of sunshine and it is very common to have bright, sunny days during the winter. Harnessing this natural source of heat and light through glass can help to bring down energy costs and warm up your building naturally. If you really want to make the most out of your home or office’s glass benefits, consider strategically placed solar control glass for your fenestration. Solar control glass is not shaded or tinted as you would expect but looks almost identical to regular glass. The only difference is in its effectiveness at keeping in solar heat and optimising natural light levels in the building’s interior.
Glass is an effective sound proofer
If your home or building is in a noisy area or you simply want to enjoy the living or working space in peace and quiet, soundproof glass is an excellent choice. This kind of glass gives you the best of both worlds: it allows you to appreciate the visual impact of your surrounding environment while filtering out unwanted noises. This can make a huge difference in your work productivity and ability to relax in your home. Double glazed glass provides great acoustic insulation as the space between the two layers of glass is vacuum-sealed.
Glass provides great safety and security
If you are concerned about safety and security, glass can give you wonderful peace of mind. Toughened (or fire-rated) glass is incredibly durable and difficult to break. It can also keep the building’s inhabitant’s safe should an extreme event cause the glass to break instead of shattering into sharp and dangerous pieces, toughened glass breaks into safer, circular chunks that are less harmful.
Glass is a cost-effective yet elegant design feature
Glass is a timeless material for building design. It is minimalist, elegant and can last for decades. In terms of creativity, it allows the designer to create a unique and custom-made look for the client.
Structural glass is a term that refers to a frameless installation of glass where part of the structural load is taken by the glass itself rather than by a supporting frame.
Safety matters with handling large glass windows and doors! Here at Q One Fenestration, safety is one of our core values and we strive to ensure that glass is handled as safely as possible at all times. The maximum handling weight of this type of glass is 2 tons. Q One fenestration ensures that glass products are only handled by our specialist team, who have undergone extensive training and have a deep understanding of handling glass products safely. It is for this reason that Q One Fenestration has a specific and detailed set of processes and procedures to be followed for glass handling. We fully understand that two of the biggest challenges of big glass fenestration are cost and handling.Handling big glass with specialised equipment and skills is required to manufacture, transport and successfully install 2-ton glass panels for windows and doors.Since we are Africa’s foremost supplier of the largest windows and doors, our glass handling procedures are second to none.
Looking for large glass panels for your building or home? Think Q One Fenestration!
If you are in the process of building a new home or office, consider large glass panels as they can provide untold benefits for energy efficiency and aesthetics. Q One Fenestration has a professional team of glass experts that can advise you on the most suitable options for your project. All our glass products have been constructed using only the highest quality and finest grade materials. Our manufacturing process is precise, careful and we always pay attention to the smallest details as we believe that this makes a difference. Interested in our range of glass products? Why not give us a call or send us an email at info@q1alu.com. Alternatively, if you are based in Gauteng, you are welcome to visit us in our Boksburg offices, or we can come to you!
In the meantime, take a look at the glass projects we have already completed by visiting our website.