Triple Pane Window Pros, Cons, and FAQs

Triple pane windows are high-performance windows that add comfort, soundproofing, and save on energy bills. But are they worth the investment? In this video, Matt answers the internet's most frequently asked questions about triple pane windows.
Matt's 1850s Victorian Renovation got a big wall of beautiful triple pane windows to create an open, functional, and comfortable kitchen area. But triple pane windows aren't the top choice for every homeowner, and windows are actually a rather complicated thing to shop for. Jump to the section that answers your question the fastest:
00:00 Introduction
01:14 What are triple pane windows?
02:02 What are the “pros” of triple pane windows?
02:21 What are the "cons" of triple pane windows?
02:39 What makes triple pane windows “better” than double pane windows?
03:04 How much do triple pane windows cost?
03:27 How much money do triple pane windows save on energy bills?
04:18 Do triple pane windows make a home more comfortable?
04:57 Do triple pane windows reduce noise?
05:20 What do I need to know when buying a triple glazed window? (U-factor, SHGC)
06:34 What are Passive House windows?
06:46 What is a window’s visual transmittance?
07:34 What is a “low-E” window?
08:18 What is the best window frame material for energy efficiency?
09:51 What type of house should have triple pane windows?
#buildwithrise #windows #homeimprovement
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[@guylambrechts2303]

The extra comfort is priceless!

[@buildwithrise]

Agreed! So far the triple paners are doing their job in the kitchen. It was a surprisingly comfortable winter.

[@charlieshew]

This is the most thorough video I have watched about windows. I appreciate that you actually gave information about cost comparison, sound reduction, and how long it would take to recoup your savings.

[@cowboycatranch]

Informative and to the point. Excellent. Thank you!

[@cw6136]

Triple panes are common for houses near airports and expressways. The justification is noise deadening, not insulation. EDIT: You covered this later in the video

[@stephen5147]

Good information, well presented. Thanks.

[@gregcorwin8316]

Matt, excellent presentation, lots of information presented without becoming overly complicated or confusing. Quick comment on triple pane glass and sound performance. Although very commonly stated as an attribute of triple pane windows, improved sound performance isn't a given when moving from dual pane to triple pane windows. A National Research Council of Canada study several years back concluded that "Despite the widespread belief that adding another layer of glass must be beneficial, triple glazing provides essentially the same noise reduction as double glazing, unless the interlayer separation is very large." MIT also did a study with the same conclusion. Ultimately any potential advantage of triple pane over dual pane becomes more pronounced when using wider airspaces as noted in the above quote. The optimum airspace in a window IGU for energy performance is about 7/16" to 9/16" or about 11mm - 14mm. The potential advantage in sound performance when using a triple pane would occur when the two airspaces individually are in the same width range as the single space in the dual pane, so that the combination of the dual airspaces in the triple result in an overall airspace from something like 7/8" - 1-1/8" or 22mm - 28mm. At about 25mm or more is when the advantage of the wider airspace becomes noticeable, so while wider is better, unless it's pushing 1" the potential for sound improvement over dual pane is minimal. Cascadia makes a very nice window, good choice!

[@patrickmike2524]

Pulled the trigger and getting the top floor windows replaced, and can't wait to see the difference in my 150 year old house in CT.

[@briansung3036]

Thank you for your details 😊 Would it be better to have all side (North and South) windows with triple pane? We live in northern hemisphere 36 degrees latitude, have 4 season.

[@NarwhalJediOfTheSea]

great video

[@buildwithrise]

Thanks for watching! We hope it helped you with your own projects!

[@robertfrisby3201]

We had a company here in the Salt Lake Valley by the name of Wasatch Vinyl install triple pane low-E vinyl windows in our home about 14 years ago. We have loved them, no more cold coming off the windows, no more sweating from the windows during the winter, the furnace doesn't run anywhere near as much, came with a life time warranty but I can't use the warranty because the company closed their doors several years ago, plus I can't find the sales paperwork, I think my wife took it with her when she divorced me. One window's lift spring broke, the largest window's lifts seem to be getting weak/harder to lift it to open it and a few are going cloudy. Not happy about the cloudy thing. No way I could ever replace these windows now/ can't work anymore because of health problems, thus the divorce. Have no money. Guess I will just get to where I can't see out of the windows. Should have been built so this would never happen. Windows if not broken would last forever but now they have a short life span. 10-14 years is not very long.

[@badawesome]

Drill a tiny hole through the frame between the 2 pieces of glass. The water vapor will eventually go away. Not ideal but cheapest alternative.

[@wildpigremovalinc.executio8028]

Thanks for the information. But I have been looking for information on hurricane windows, storm windows , that are triple pane and I'm guessing I'm SOL because I still can't find any information on storm windows and low-e triple pane. Have a nice day.

[@trp2413]

Thanks

[@buildwithrise]

Thanks for watching!

[@kevin.j9165]

What about high wind areas and how that pertains to the different kinds of windows you’ll need?

[@unclebob8419]

If noise is your main reason, then buy acoustic glazing, it's double pane and laminated, the outside pane is thicker than the inside, these layers help to diffuse the sound as it travels. Triple glazing isn't as effective.

[@nwhite5955]

What about the visiability? Does tripple pane reduce or darken the view?

[@Kevin-yn1ht]

what triple pane window would you recommend

[@pcho8022]

i'm an energy advisor and do energy modelling of homes. I can vouch for the accuracy of this video's calculations on energy savings . Stepping up to triple paned won't save a ton of money and the payback is not there but I'd still go for them in a heartbeat.

[@mookiemorjax]

Given the life span of typical windows compared to other appliances, it seems like they're more likely to pay for themselves overtime (not to mention the comfort bonus)

[@jnaur6849]

I live in a 30yo home, the double glazed windows in place are starting to fail, handles falling off, windows not seating correctly, seals clearly in bad condition. I got a 10k quote for upgrading every window & a patio to triple glazed. Home has roughly 9 windows of various sizes and a large glass patio door. It seems a good quote, are there any specific features or specs that you should look for when buying triple glazing?

[@mookiemorjax]

@@jnaur6849 in short, just ask for u-Factor of 0.22 or less, which is the new Energy Star Version 7 prescriptive path (or ask for energy Star most efficient/ESME if you want the federal window rebate). Generally, the warranty is an indicator for durability/lifespan. If it's not a transferrable warranty, then it's only about a 6-8 year warranty as people move this often on average. I'd be looking for a 10+ year **TRANSFERRABLE** warranty. Picture windows are the best performance, but don't open. If you want the best air sealing but still operating, ask for tilt and turn windows. Next best for air sealing is probably casements. So in all, my ideal wishlist would be: ESME, tilt turn, 10+ year transferrable warranty. Hope that helps!

[@mookiemorjax]

@@jnaur6849 also, I agree that that price seems pretty good. Can I ask who the company making the window is and what climate region of the country you're in?

[@andreykashin1729]

Criterion Resin frames are the best of both worlds! Apex Energy Solutions uses them, they are actually insulated too! And yes they are triple-pane.

[@buildwithrise]

Very cool! It looks like they use a proprietary material called Criterion Resin. Sounds like they take their craft very seriously.

[@andreykashin1729]

@@buildwithrise That's, correct, for that reason they offer a lifetime warranty, against warping, cracks, or any seal failure. This includes the glass.

[@zororat]

Am I right in saying triple glazing reduces 'VT' visible light passing through window, compared to double glazing?

[@milowu6225]

Matt, I really appreciate how clear and concise your video is. It's the best one I've seen so far. I'm looking for a curtain wall system. Are there other window companies in addition to Cascadia you'd recommend for a modern and clean curtain wall system? I'm on the Gulf Islands.

[@buildwithrise]

Hey Milo! Thanks for the kind words. The great folks at Home Performance Counts administer a database of contractors in BC that prioritize home performance. We suggest doing a search, and contacting a few of the contractors for their recommendations. Good luck! homeperformance.ca/find-a-contractor/

[@xxwookey]

One thing you didn't cover was the importance of the inner leaf temperature in 'apparent comfort' and the avoidance of condensation and condensation damage. A 3G window will keep the inner leaf above 14C down to about -10C outside, which means it's always above the condensation temp for normal house humidities, so you never get water dripping down the glass (or frames if the frames are good too - they are usually the worst bit on 3G). and having warm surfaces is a big part of feeling warm in the room because people are sensitive to radiant heat transmission. This is one of the reasons passivehouses almost always end up being 3G in most climates. (We replaced 2G with 3G here 4 years ago and they are _really_ nice! The silence is perhaps the best bit but the radiant heat comfort is very nice too.)

[@mrporsche4236]

Get vacuum sealed glass its cheaper and much better insulation the triple glaze

[@Dave004]

Thats funny, I looked up online and most places say triple pane windows give no real advantage to noise reduction at all vs double pane. He says 50%? Is the compared to no window at all lol Also, looking at window sales websites, they'll say its a 20% to 50% gain in efficiency and heat retention, but then contractors and those who work in the industry but not selling windows will tell you its much less. Who to believe?

[@Coleen_West]

Nice! -- QUESTION -- Why do you keep saying "drafty windows" when referring to double pane (or single pane) windows. Neither of those windows lets in drafts (unless it is broken or not installed properly as would a broken or improperly installed triple pane window). All windows stop drafts. The insulating value of double or triple pane windows is almost nothing. In fact, a proper single pane with an exterior storm window will out perform a triple pane. The most important factor is having a proper solid wood framed window that would last 100 years. Triple pane or double will fail inside 20 years as they loose gas and fog up. A solid single pane is best - which is why commercial stores have massive thick single pane windows. In dead winter when its -29 outside I can stand inside of a massive single pane sheet of glass wall at my local mall or office and feel no cold at all. Modern glass is amazing and all this triple pane stuff is nonsense. Go commercial glass.

[@dreambuild2022]

This is one of the least educated comments I’ve ever read. Almost all single and double pane windows are drafty because they use cheap seals. Or in most single pane no seals at all. And you are talking about fixed pane at the malls and stuff. First most people want their windows to open, secondly the 1/4”-1/2” thick bullet proof glass at malls is more money thank you can afford and weigh more than you can lift. Also on residential fixed double pane the service of the glass in cold weather is very cold and when you stand in front of it your body heat leaves and moves to the window making it feel drafty. Also most storm windows are just screwed to the trim on the outside of your house and cold flows right behind them making them almost useless. The only time a triple pane isn’t worth buying in a very cold climate is if your house has poor insulation or air sealing. In that case fix those issues first.

[@Coleen_West]

@@dreambuild2022 ...yes, the seals must be in place which is why I specifically wrote "properly installed" windows. If you do not have seals on any window, single, double or triple, they will obviously leak air. Only lazy or foolish people would install storm windows that were not properly sealed. The official rating of storms PROPERLY INSTALLED together with a single PROPERLY installed, exceeds triple pane windows PROPERLY installed. They are all low on the R value but that is not actually very important. Your house will be perfectly warm and comfortable regardless. This "new window" scheme is way over hyped and offers nearly no benefit and lots of costs. A home owner will never get the costs back regardless of how long they live. In my experience, if you live in a house with ratty windows it is very likely that the entire house is ratty construction. Most well built older homes from the 1940s are remarkably well built and should be maintained.

[@mickbirch80]

No it saves the average home about $8 a year on utility bills. Horrible to make and horrible to install