The Dallas window replacement cost can be a major investment, and your new windows can last 15 years or longer. If you’re going to do this, you want to do it right, and that means getting the biggest bang for your buck. It seems like triple-pane windows would be better than double-pane windows, and yet double pane windows are much more popular. Why?
At ZINTEX Remodeling Group, we’re specializing in vinyl window replacement in Dallas. Just like with bathroom remodeling, we strive to provide as much information and transparency as possible for our new and returning customers. Today, we’re going to talk about why we don’t generally push triple-pane windows (even though we could technically make more money doing so). Read on to find out why.
Table of Contents
What Is a Triple Pane Window?
When you’re designing your Dallas window replacements, you’ll need to account for several key design specifications. This includes:
- Window frame dimensions (measured in united inches)
- Window frame materials (e.g., vinyl vs. metal)
- Window operational styles (e.g., single-hung, double-hung, and casement)
- Optional glass treatments like tempering
- Aesthetic customizations like frame color
Depending on the type of window you’re replacing, you’ll also have to choose between single-pane, double-pane, and triple-pane. This describes the number of glass panes housed in the window frame, with double-pane windows being the most popular choice.
A triple-pane window has three separate panes housed in a single frame, with argon or other gasses between each pane to improve energy efficiency and prevent condensation.
Are Triple Pane Windows Beneficial?
Double-pane windows are a popular choice because they deliver incredible benefits like increased energy efficiency and sound dampening. Do triple-pane windows deliver even more benefits? In some ways, the answer is yes. Let’s take a look at the two biggest benefits of triple-pane windows: maximum energy efficiency and unique damage protection.
Maximum Energy Efficiency
Modern windows with two or more panes deliver increased energy efficiency by reducing energy waste via heating and cooling loss while also reducing the amount of outdoor air that can get in. This is significant because according to the DOE, heat gain and loss via old windows can account for up to 30% of energy use.
A Dallas double-pane window can already cut down that heat gain and loss by quite a bit, and there’s not a clear consensus on the difference between double-pane efficiency and triple-pane efficiency. Here’s some of the data you can find from different sources.
|
Source |
What they’re measuring |
Double-pane efficiency estimates |
Triple-pane efficiency estimates |
|
Energy savings |
20% more efficient than single-pane windows |
50% more efficient than single-pane windows |
|
|
Heat gain and heat loss |
Capable of keeping 90% of heated and cooled air indoors while letting 10% of outdoor air through |
No distinction made for triple-pane efficiency |
|
|
R-value (an industry-specific way of measuring insulation, with higher numbers equaling better insulation) |
R-value of 3-4 |
R-value of 7-9 |
|
|
Dollars spent on heating and cooling |
Approximately $10 more spent on summer cooling and winter heating |
Approximately $10 less spent on summer cooling and winter heating |
What can we take away from these estimates? While there are many different ways to measure energy efficiency and that can make comparisons a little difficult, triple-pane windows are generally expected to perform slightly better in this department.
Unique Protection from Damage
Truth be told, modern windowpanes aren’t exactly easy to break. However, it’s still possible that the rogue baseball or fallen tree limb could crack your residential window.
Now, let’s imagine that a rogue baseball does crack the exterior pane on your double-pane window. Even a small crack compromises that seal and releases the gas that’s helping with things like energy efficiency. You may start to notice temperature changes and energy loss quickly, especially in a winter storm or hot summer month.
Now, imagine the exterior pane of your Dallas triple-pane window breaks: you’ve basically got the continued protection of a double-pane window. There are still two solid panes between your home and the outside air, and there’s still one layer of gas.
This can be considered a perk, but only for the short-term. At the end of the day, you’re still going to need window repairs whether your broken windowpane is one of two or one of three.
What Are the Downsides of Triple Pane Windows?
If triple-pane windows have advantages like maximum energy efficiency, why aren’t they more popular than double-pane windows? The truth is, most homeowners find that they aren’t all they’re cracked up to be (and yes, that is a window pun). Let’s talk about the increased cost and the ways in which triple-pane windows may not be that much better than the double-pane alternative.
Triple Pane Windows Cost More
A window with three panes is inherently more complex to assemble and install. It involves more materials. It’s naturally going to cost more.
Just like it’s difficult to estimate how much more energy efficient a triple-pane window is, it’s difficult to estimate how much more expensive a triple-pane window is. The final cost of any window is going to reflect all those factors we talked about earlier, like frame materials and operational styles.
A conservative estimate is that a triple-pane window is going to cost at least 10% more than a double-pane window.
That might not seem like much at first but consider that the ZINTEX window price range is about $1350-$3500+ per window. At the lowest end, we’re talking about a $135 difference per window. Once we start talking about replacing, say, ten windows at once, you’re suddenly looking at an increase of over $1,000.
Triple Pane Windows Don’t Block More Sound Than Double Pane Windows
There’s a sort of logic you could accidentally apply to triple-pane windows, which is that they’re going to provide all the benefits of a double-pane window, but more.
Yes, there’s reason to expect slightly better energy efficiency, but you might also be tempted to apply that logic to something like sound resistance. Are triple-pane windows the more sound-resistant option? If you live in a dense part of the Dallas metro area, is the triple-pane design going to deliver more peace and quiet?
You can actually expect about the same amount of peace and quiet from a double-pane and a triple-pane window. More layers of glass do not equate to higher levels of sound resistance because you’re ultimately looking at the same amount of space in the window frame either way.
Plan Your Dallas Window Replacement with ZINTEX Experts
At the end of the day, we won’t stop you from ordering triple-pane windows, but we aren’t interested in the upsell, either. Sure, we could make more money selling them, but we just don’t see enough benefits for our customers to try.
What window replacement products do we believe in? At ZINTEX Remodeling Group in Dallas, we’re committed to vinyl frames because they do deliver unparalleled benefits. Discover vinyl window frame benefits here.
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