Oak windows with secondary glazing

[joatex]

I need to renew all the casement windows in an unlisted farmhouse circa 1800, Oxfordshire The present windows (1983) are pine, have been repaired but have reached the limited of repair. Instead I wish to use oak but not to include sealed double glazing. Windows effectively double glazed but with separate inner and outer panes are common in Scandanavia and Central Europe. The panes can be separated by opening for cleaning. Presumably this satisfies the regulations for double glazing. Are there any plans/details available for the construction of such complex windows ?

 

[biffvernon]

Presumably this satisfies the regulations for double glazing.

No, that probably won't satisfy Building Regulations Part-L. Although there are ways of offsetting poor insulation in one part of the house against very good insulation elsewhere, your Building Control Officer will almost certainly insist on your new windows having a U-value of less than 2. In practice this will mean double glazing with sealed units with a 16mm gap filled with argon and using low-emissivity coated glass and insulated spacers.

What is your particular objection to such units? The Scandinavian windows you describe are their traditional design, now largely superseded by sealed units, sometimes triple glazed.

 

[joatex]

Thanks for the prompt reply. The issue is the condensation in the double sealed panes. Those facing the south seem to have a life of 10 years so if they were able to be separated the inner surfaces could be cleaned and should last for many more years. I'll have to accept sealed double glazing for the intended oak frames. I hadn't realised that the Scandanavian glazing had changed. Thanks for the info re Building Regs. Part-L

 

[biffvernon]

Properly manufactured and properly installed a sealed unit should last much, much longer than 10 years. The oldest ones in my house are 19.

 

[Nemesis]

Hmmm. I have very few - of those, about 18 months...

The other glass?

About 150.