Penrith is one of the hottest places in Sydney in summer and one of the coldest in winter, and the M4, the Great Western Highway and Mulgoa Road run through the middle of it. That makes double glazing worth a serious look for more homes than people expect. Here is when it pays and when it does not.
When it clearly pays
New homes with a 7 star energy report usually cannot pass without it on some elevations. Homes within a few hundred metres of the M4 in South Penrith, St Clair, Leonay, Minchinbury and Claremont Meadows get a real reduction in traffic noise. West facing living rooms and bedrooms that are unusable on a 40 degree afternoon get a measurable drop in heat gain, especially with a low e or tinted outer pane.
When it does not
If the house has no insulation in the ceiling and gaps around the doors, double glazing the windows first is money in the wrong place. Fix the ceiling and the draughts, then glaze. And a double glazed unit in a plain aluminium frame still conducts heat around the glass, so the result is less than the brochure suggests.
Standard frame or thermally broken
The KlassicView range takes 20mm double glazed units on fixed frames, hinged doors, stacking doors and the 76mm windows, and that is enough for noise and a good step up in comfort. For an energy rated result, the ClimateGuard range puts a polyamide thermal break in the frame itself. Frame U values drop to around 1.6 to 3 W/m2K depending on the system and glass, which is what the energy report is really asking for.
What we recommend
Double glaze the rooms that have the problem, not the whole house by default. Bedrooms on the motorway side, the west facing living room, the home office. We quote room by room so you can see the cost of each. Book a free measure and bring the energy report if you have one.