Triple glazing is not automatically better. It is better in specific situations and roughly the same in most others, and the difference in an average Irish house is smaller than the marketing suggests. This page is the honest version, including where we would talk you out of it.
What does the third pane actually do?
It adds another sealed cavity, which slows heat loss and cuts noise. Both effects are real and both are smaller than people expect.
A modern double glazed unit with a low emissivity coating and an argon filled cavity already performs well. Adding a third pane improves on that, but you are improving something that was not the weak point in most houses.
In a typical Irish house the bigger heat losses are the walls, the roof and the draughts. Spending on triple glazing while an attic is under insulated is money in the wrong place, and we will say so.
Where is triple glazing genuinely worth it?
On very exposed elevations, on road facing rooms where noise is the issue, and in a deep retrofit where the whole envelope is being improved.
A gable taking weather off open ground is a real case. So is a bedroom on a busy road, where the noise reduction is the thing people actually notice day to day.
The third case is a whole house retrofit. Once the walls and roof are properly insulated, the windows become the weak point and the third pane starts to matter.
What does it do to the window itself?
The unit is heavier and thicker, which puts more load on the hinges and needs a frame designed for it.
Weight is the practical consequence. Heavier sashes need heavier hardware, and a frame not designed for a triple unit will sag over time. Any triple glazed window worth fitting is specified as a system rather than a triple unit dropped into a double glazed frame.
The extra thickness also slightly reduces the glass area within the same opening, which is worth knowing on a small window.
What would you recommend?
High performance double glazing for most houses, triple where the elevation, the noise or a whole house retrofit justifies it.
We do not publish performance figures on this page, because they depend on the exact unit and we will not quote numbers we have not verified against a manufacturer spec sheet. The specification goes in writing with your quote.
The honest position is that we sell both and have no reason to push the dearer one onto a house that will not feel the difference. Our uPVC and aluminium pages cover the frame side of the decision.
Windows carry a ten year warranty against defects.
How it works
Send us photos, a short video and rough sizes of each window and tell us what you want. You get a free 3D design of the windows in your own house and one complete itemised quote, with every window and door priced on its own line. Once you agree it, we measure every opening on site before anything is made. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
Everything we supply is premium and made to the highest spec, and it is priced to that standard. Quality at this level is not a budget purchase, and we would rather say so here than after you have waited for a quote. If you are working to a tight budget, we are honestly not the right fit.
One team for the windows and the rest of the job
Our own team fits your windows, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes and media walls and fitted furniture. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact.
Frequently asked questions
Will triple glazing stop road noise?
It reduces it noticeably, and for noise specifically it is often the strongest argument for going triple.
Can I have triple on some windows only?
Yes, and it is usually the sensible approach. Triple on the exposed or noisy elevation, high performance double elsewhere, as long as the order stays at 5 or more windows or doors in total.
Is there a minimum order for windows and doors?
Yes. The minimum order is 5 windows or doors, in any mix: 5 windows, 5 doors, or 3 doors and 2 windows. We do not quote for one or two on their own, because the freight alone would cost more than the door or window.
Does triple glazing cause condensation?
Condensation on the inside is a ventilation issue, not a glazing one. Occasional condensation on the outside pane is actually a sign the unit is working.
Does triple glazing cost much more than double?
The glass is a modest step up. The bigger consideration is weight, because a third pane needs frames and hinges specified to carry it.
Will triple glazing make my rooms darker?
A third pane lets in slightly less light, and the thicker unit slightly reduces the glass area in the same opening. In practice most people do not notice a difference in the room.
Should south facing windows be double or triple glazed?
Double glazing lets in slightly more of the sun's heat, so some designers keep south facing elevations double glazed for solar gain and put triple on the north and exposed sides. It is worth deciding elevation by elevation.
Is triple glazing suitable for sash windows?
Often not. A triple glazed unit is heavier, and sliding sashes rely on balances sized for the weight of the sash, which is why sash windows are commonly specified in double glazing.
Can I swap my double glazed units for triple glazed ones?
Usually not. A frame designed for a double glazed unit may not take a thicker triple unit, and its hinges may not carry the weight. Triple glazing is specified as a system, frame and hinges included.
Is triple glazing worth it in an older, draughty house?
Fix the draughts and the insulation first. In a typical Irish house the walls, roof and air leaks lose more heat than modern double glazing, so a third pane is money in the wrong place until those are done.