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We do not publish performance figures on this page, because they depend on the exact unit and we will not quote numbers we have not verified against a manufacturer spec sheet.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 <a href="/windows/upvc/">uPVC</a> and <a href="/windows/aluminium/">aluminium</a> pages cover the frame side of the decision.
Windows carry a ten year warranty against defects.
How it works
We call out, measure the space and talk through what you want. Our designers draw it in 3D so you see the finished piece in your own room, and you get one complete itemised quote within two working days. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
One team for this and the rest of the job
The same team that makes this fits it, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes, internal doors and windows. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact rather than four. See the rest of our work.
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.
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.
What areas do you cover?
Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The design visit is free and there is no obligation.