What Is Insulated Glass?

Insulated glass is the combination of two or more glass panes sealed with air. Insulated units are designed to help control energy transfers from outside to inside and vice versa. They can improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs in your home. So what exactly is insulated glass?

Insulated glass controls 3 different types of heat transfer.

• Conduction – when heat flows through a solid material such as glass
• Convection – when heat flows by the movement of a fluid or gas
• Radiation – when energy is transmitted from a heat source such as sunlight

An insulated unit consists of 5 different materials.

• Spacer – spacers are the material used to separate the two glass panes. It insulates them by using materials that reduce the conduction from outside to inside window panes.
• Desiccant – a desiccant is an agent inside the spacer that absorbs all of the moisture inside the entire unit.
• Sealant – sealant is a bonding agent, such as hot-melt butyl, silicone, or polysulfide. This is used to hermetically seal two panes of glass together. The sealant bonds the inside and outside panes and creates a sealed airspace to create an insulated effect.
• Airspace – The convection effect is minimized by maintaining optimal spacer thicknesses based on the design of the unit. To further improve the energy performance, the use of an inert gas, such as argon krypton, can greatly limit both the conduction and convection effects.
• Glass – most of the insulated unit is glass. The selected glass has a strong impact on all three types of heat transfer.
• Hint: Tinted glass can absorb energy and not allow it to pass into the home.

Contact Baystate Screen and Window for insulated glass fixtures! Our technicians replace the glass, spacers, adhesive, and sealants!