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Whether you need toughened glass in your windows depends on where the windows are in your home or business. Toughened glass is sometimes referred to as tempered or safety glass, and it just means it’s stronger than the standard glass that’s usually offered with double glazed windows. So how do you know if you need it?

Toughened glass is useful in areas of your home where you might come into contact with the windows if you were to trip and fall. If you put your hands out to steady yourself on standard glass the chances are it would break into large sharp pieces with jagged edges. Of course, this means that you could seriously cut yourself if this were to happen. With toughened glass, the structure of the glass is changed so that if it breaks it shatters into lots of tiny pieces, minimising the risk to you if you were to fall on it.

You might want to use toughened glass in patio doors, low windows or frames next to doors. It just means that you will be safer if the unlikely happens and you or a family member falls through the glass. There are certain requirements through Building Regulations with windows at a certain level, but any reputable window installer should be able to go through these with you if you need to replace your windows with toughened glass. The regulations will only apply to new windows – there's no need to switch your windows to toughened glass early, but when you do come to replace them you’ll need to make sure they meet the standard.

1. Using a rubber mallet and a strong pallet knife, remove the beading around the window. You might think they’re part of the frame, but they’re actually separate on the inside of the frame and can be taken out by using pallet knife to prize them out. Start with one of the longest beads first and leave the top bead until last.
2. Give the glass a little tap to loosen it if it doesn’t come out straight away, then the whole unit should slide out easily. Just make sure it falls towards you and not back out onto the ground below!
3. Clear any debris that has found its way into the frame with a brush. Add spacers at the bottom of the frame – these could be pieces of plastic.
4. Get your new sealed unit (make sure you measure the glass before you buy one so you know which size to get) and carefully take it out of the packaging. Look for the British Standard mark – that shows you the bottom of the glass.
5. Lift the glass into the frame, starting with the bottom first, and make sure that it fits square in the frame before taking the spacers out.
6. Use a little washing up liquid to spread along the beads to make it easier when you slide them back into the frame. If they simply push and clip back in, you can use something like a block of wood to help you push them in correctly. Put them back in reverse order to how you took them out.

Windows, being a very crucial feature in every home, are one of the things you simply can’t afford to ignore in your home. Having a good understanding and solid knowledge of your windows’ components like the window sash will help you stay up to date with them and able to identify any minor mishaps early on before it leads to a much bigger problem. So what exactly is a window sash?

Well without much fuss, a window sash is simply that part of your windows that’s able to open and close. And there could as well be more than one window sash that’s operable depending on your window’s type. Window sash usually possess a very basic design as well as structure. What’s more? This section of a window happens to be a frame that’s designed in such a way to make for easy placement inside the whole window casement. You’ll discover inside the sash frame, the window glass alongside any framework possessed by your window which includes grids.

Usually, the sash is fitted into the frame of the window on a runners’ set in such a way that allows for both upward and downward movements. And finally, the window sash’s frame typically comes with a locking system which provided for extra safety and security.

The window sash is a vital feature that can determine the durability and overall performance of the windows. In the event whereby your window sash is malfunctioning, it can result to numerous problems which includes both drafts as well as leaks. As a result, it’s very important to keep your window sashes in a great working condition as failure to do so will make opening and closing your windows a really difficult task.

Accidents happen, and sometimes windows get broken. And that will lead to you wanting to replace just the glass in your window, rather than the whole frame. Also, as windows get older they can mist up on the inside, which means that the unit has ‘blown’ - so you’ll also need to replace the glass. But how much is it to replace the glass in a window? Luckily, if the frame of your window is in good condition, there’s no need to replace it, and this will reduce the cost. For an installer to fit a new pane of glass in a single glazed window, the average cost is £100, while a replacement double glazed sealed unit will cost an average of £110. Of course, as this is an average, if your window is very large you may spend more, and if your window is very small the price may be less. That's why it’s important to get a range of quotes so you can compare costs and get the best price. If you’re good at DIY, you may feel confident enough to have a go at replacing the glass in your window yourself. In that case, the cost of sealed unit and any other materials you need will cost an average of £57. It’s a significant saving, and if you think you can do it, then give it a try. However, if you’re in any way unsure, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. A window installer will be able to replace the glass in your window in less than an hour. Even though it costs more for a professional to do it, if you get it wrong and have to start over it will cost you more in the long run.

Removing a double glazed window can be quite labour intensive. If you decide to try it yourself, make sure you give yourself plenty of time, and wear gloves and goggles.

Begin by unscrewing all opening windows at the hinges and removing them. Then take away the beading and putty around any fixed panes and take them out too.

Once you’ve removed all the glass, use a saw to put angled cuts in the frame, and a bar and hammer to remove it in sections. You should remove the sill if you’re going to replace that too.

Finally, cut through any screws holding the frame into place with a hacksaw.

• Climate - If your window faces south, it will be subject to direct sunlight for a lot of the day. This tends to cause the sealed unit to fail more quickly – a south-facing window may last between 10-25 years. This is because the spacer bars will twist as the temperature rises and causes the adhesive holding them together to eventually fail.
• Moisture - Windows in kitchens and bathrooms tend to fail more quickly because they come into contact with moisture more often. For example, if water gets on your windowsill when you shower, the seal around the glass will come loose more quickly if it’s constantly wet.

Double glazed windows are better than single glazed generally because they are more energy efficient. The clue’s in the name – double glazed windows have two panes of glass while single glazed windows only have one. In double glazed windows, there is a space between the two glass panes. This space is filled with inert gas or a tight vacuum, which helps to provide an extra level of insulation. That means that heat won’t escape your home easily, nor will it creep in, so you can keep your home at a more comfortable temperature.

The extra pane of glass also helps to increase your home’s security. Single glazing is pretty easy to smash through, whereas it will take much more effort to smash double glazing and will create more noise, so burglars might be put off.

Another reason why double glazed windows are better than single glazed ones is that they help to reduce noise. Of course, if you live by a busy road you’ll still hear some traffic noise, but it can be significantly reduced buy double glazing. In the same way that the inert gas in the middle of the two panes keeps heat in and the cold out, it also helps keep noise out.

With double glazing, you’ll also notice much less condensation. With single glazing, it’s common to see condensation on the inside of the windows, especially when the heating is on. This is because the outside of the window is cold, but the inside is warm. With double glazing, the insulation between the two panes stops there being such a difference in temperature between the inside and outside of the window.

The simple answer to this question is... they can be! Although there are many types of porch designs that are available in the market, the uPVC porch happens to be one of the most loved and cost effective. Most home and property owners prefer the installation of a uPVC porch for a number of reasons. These includes:

• Value for money

It’s no coincidence the uPVC is widely accepted across the building industry with a plethora of uses. Not only is it relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but even the recycled uPVC is now becoming more and more useful. UPVC’s main rivals are wood and aluminium, and both are way more expensive to incorporate for frame profiles. Therefore, making use of uPVC is going to make your initial costs relatively low.

• Life Span

Although the main rivals in both hardwood and aluminium can also boast a lengthy lifespan just as uPVC. However, considering the price that you can get a uPVC, the lifespan is just incredible as it can be measured in decades.

• Aesthetic Appeal

UPVC gives you a wide range of foil colours that’ll fit your home perfectly well while also enhancing it’s visual appeal. You can actually get a porch that looks exactly like it’s manufactured from timber frames. To achieve this, all you need to do would be to make use of a wood grain surface finish. This is also long lasting, strong and resistant to fade.

• Little Maintenance

This is a very common feature of uPVC that makes it even more advantageous when used in making a porch. Unlike timber or wood which swells due to absorption of water or shrinks, you’ll never need to worry about all these distortions and more with uPVC. No painting, no sanding and ultimately, low maintenance required.