Retro-fitted double glazing?

[caseye]

Just had the double glazing man here for an hour. Didn't go with it today. Approx 17-$18,000.00 to do about 40 sq m of windows. This is using an acrylic that is magnetically placed on the inside of your windows.
Can also be screwed directly to the outside frame of the ali joinery, with a seal between.
While it's not all a cheap option, if it worked as well as they say it does then it'd probably be a worthwhile thing to do as you built the house.
Conventional double glazing and or retro fits using glass and gas seals is at least twice the cost of this system.
SP man if you did that amount of work for Gerry we'd have to have met on a site somewhere, way back then in the late 80's to early 90's.

[steve_t]

Just had the double glazing man here for an hour. Didn't go with it today. Approx 17-$18,000.00 to do about 40 sq m of windows. This is using an acrylic that is magnetically placed on the inside of your windows.
Can also be screwed directly to the outside frame of the ali joinery, with a seal between.
While it's not all a cheap option, if it worked as well as they say it does then it'd probably be a worthwhile thing to do as you built the house.
Conventional double glazing and or retro fits using glass and gas seals is at least twice the cost of this system.
SP man if you did that amount of work for Gerry we'd have to have met on a site somewhere, way back then in the late 80's to early 90's.

Was that MagicSeal (or something similar)?

[caseye]

Nope it was Energy Saving centre and they use Insulglaze.
Used to do glass and argon sandwich, but don't anymore, are about to bring in a glass replacement with their acrylic, but best practice so far is fit acrylic to inside of frames with steel strips around window frame and then colour matched magnetic edged sheets of acrylic straight to them.

[bones135]

We do a bit of the full retro double glazing using new glazing beads, sashes & full double glazed units. You need to be careful with the acrylic as it can scratch very easily.

[flyingcrocodile46]

Spoke to my colleague with the metrapanel house. She notes there's not really an issue with condensation but they do have good ventilation with a ducted airconditioning system. Another one said they have terrible condensation in their new house (stick frame) even though it has double glazing. Apparently there are no drainage holes since the windows weren't supposed to have condensation... And they didn't go with thermally broken windows as it was going to add $10,000 to the cost of the windows I guess it would have been $10,000 well spent as apparently the window frames are always covered in condensation and the water has dripped down and damaged the floor They complained to the builder who advised them to buy a dehumidifier

So, by the sounds of things, the metrapanel/triboard stuff isn't any more of a contributor to condensation issues than stick frame and gib. It's more ventilation and insulation etc. Well, that's just one person's take on it anyway.

You would be right. Unsealed walls only absorb a small percentage of the moisture vapour. Ventilation and/or a lot of money tied up in dehumidifiers is the right answer.

[flyingcrocodile46]

Nope it was Energy Saving centre and they use Insulglaze.
Used to do glass and argon sandwich, but don't anymore, are about to bring in a glass replacement with their acrylic, but best practice so far is fit acrylic to inside of frames with steel strips around window frame and then colour matched magnetic edged sheets of acrylic straight to them.

As I said earlier. To avoid disappointment it is best to be sure that you know what you are getting and how it performs. Have a look at and talk to owners of a house done the other side of winter.

[Maki]

Just had the double glazing man here for an hour. Didn't go with it today. Approx 17-$18,000.00 to do about 40 sq m of windows. This is using an acrylic that is magnetically placed on the inside of your windows.
Can also be screwed directly to the outside frame of the ali joinery, with a seal between.
While it's not all a cheap option, if it worked as well as they say it does then it'd probably be a worthwhile thing to do as you built the house.
Conventional double glazing and or retro fits using glass and gas seals is at least twice the cost of this system.
SP man if you did that amount of work for Gerry we'd have to have met on a site somewhere, way back then in the late 80's to early 90's.

Not that I know anything about this system but it sounds like a huge compromise. I would not do it unless It has been proven to work well over a number of years.

[Swoop]

Just had the double glazing man here for an hour. Didn't go with it today. Approx 17-$18,000.00 to do about 40 sq m of windows. This is using an acrylic that is magnetically placed on the inside of your windows.

That seems rather excessive for an add-on product!
A workmate has had his windows removed and replaced with aluminium (double glazed) throughout the entire house for $20k(ish).
He says the change has been dramatic in both warmth and also sound reduction. Money well spent in his opinion.

[steve_t]

Not that I know anything about this system but it sounds like a huge compromise. I would not do it unless It has been proven to work well over a number of years.

Looks like the concept of an acrylic 'window' magnetically attached to the frame of the existing window has been around for quite some time and has been proven to work well. Looking at companies like MagicSeal, The Energy Saving Centre, Magnetite NZ, DoubleGlaze shows that the tech has been around for some time, however, by most accounts, it seems the price point for magnetic acrylic retrofit glazing is only marginally less than retrofitting a sealed dual glass IGU

[BMWST?]

Cripes, I'm not poo pooing them, I'm all for them, the system is great , but more stuck in the mud co's don't like their sort of competition is all I was alluding to.

i know i was agreeing with you!

[caseye]

i know i was agreeing with you!

Thank Goodness for that.
Not doing this as I feel it is bloody expensive. Was i staying put for a bit longer I'd consider it, but lots more homework to do first.
Bats in roof and now underfloor have made a huge difference already, thermal curtains working well, might consider a few windows on the loud side.