Double Glazing and Glass Options

Double Glazing, With Single Glazing Available

A double-glazed unit is two panes of glass sealed around a spacer with a dry air or argon gap between them. The still gas is the insulator: it roughly halves the heat lost through the glass compared with a single pane and cuts the cold draught that falls off a cold window. It also takes the edge off traffic noise. Our units are made by Metro Performance Glass. Double glazing is what nearly all our customers choose, but every window and door we make has the option of double or single glazing.

Low E Glass

Low E (low emissivity) glass has a microscopically thin metal oxide coating on the inside face of the unit that reflects heat back into the room while letting light through. In a double-glazed unit it is the single biggest upgrade available: the room holds its heat longer in winter and the glass feels less cold to sit beside. We recommend Low E on every living room and bedroom, and thermally broken frames are an option alongside it. An argon-filled Low E unit is the usual way a new home meets the current H1 energy efficiency requirements for windows.

Safety, Sound and Sun

• Toughened safety glass is heat-treated to be several times stronger and to break into small blunt pieces. New Zealand's glazing standard requires safety glass in doors, beside doors and in low windows, and we specify it wherever the standard does.
• Laminated glass is two panes bonded with an interlayer that cuts the noise coming through the glass: an optional upgrade for noise dampening or busy road frontages.
• Tinted glass in grey, bronze or green reduces glare and heat on a west or north-facing wall without curtains drawn all afternoon.
• Acoustic laminates for the rooms that need the quiet most.

Obscure and Decorative Glass

For privacy, pure style, or to allow more light into internal rooms, our decorative glass gives you a range of attractive options. We have six textured glass designs together with our premium range of etched glass. The ones most asked for, with the four most popular pictured below:

• Cathedral. A heavy, irregular texture with a traditional look. Full privacy and plenty of light.
• Mislite. A fine woven texture that softens the view without a strong pattern.
• Stippolite. The most common bathroom glass: a fine, even stipple that obscures completely and suits any style of home.
• Clear Etchlite. A smooth satin-etched finish with a modern, frosted look, good for an entrance door sidelight or a shower window.
• Reeded. Fine vertical flutes that blur the view into soft vertical lines, for a bathroom window or an entrance door sidelight.

Obscure glass can be used in one pane of a double-glazed unit, so a bathroom window is as warm as any other. It is the usual choice for the glazed panels of an entrance door and for bathroom awning and sliding windows.

Contact Us

Not sure which glass a room needs? Tell us which way it faces and what the room is used for and we will recommend the unit. Call 09 278 4089 or use the form below for a free measure and quote.