Vacuum glazing

[lizzieuk1]

Hi 👋 been lurking a while, we're about to submit planning for our new build and hoping to get tips etc from you guys. (Have done 2 new builds with a main contractor on the shell so some experience but this will be our family home 'big build' and we want to do a more 'personalised' build)

 

We've been looking at window options, would like traditional sash windows though ideally not timber, so aluclad or upvc I guess, has anyone installed vacuum glass? Feeling it would be aesthetically better in a sash than triple galzing and has obv thermal & acoustic benefits.  

Interested in anyone opinions on it and any ideas of cost compared to a triple glazed option. Also anyone know of any suppliers of sash windows with vacuum glass?

Thanks all 🙂

[JohnMo]

  On 16/06/2024 at 08:55, lizzieuk1 said:

vacuum glass

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Tech specs look good. You may be surprised by the price, but sure in a good or bad way.

 

Looking at the specs, they quote the U value for the glazing unit only, not the window. So depending on frame that figure could be better or worse.

 

I would choose your frame, then tell them to quote with the vacuum glazing. All companies buy in glazing units.

 

Or get a quote direct yourself 

https://fineo-vacuum-glazing.co.uk/new-vig-technology-for-older-properties/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgopshC3r1JHPktll0X4iUmu7osYDF58q_w4fDppojtzb4AGXkxC9xCxoCggkQAvD_BwE

 

 

Another alternative is krypton filled which is better than argon filled.

[nod]

We installed UPVC sash throughout our previous build Acoustics not great due to the design of sash 

[lizzieuk1]

  On 16/06/2024 at 09:31, JohnMo said:

Tech specs look good. You may be surprised by the price, but sure in a good or bad way.

 

Looking at the specs, they quote the U value for the glazing unit only, not the window. So depending on frame that figure could be better or worse.

 

I would choose your frame, then tell them to quote with the vacuum glazing. All companies buy in glazing units.

 

Or get a quote direct yourself 

https://fineo-vacuum-glazing.co.uk/new-vig-technology-for-older-properties/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgopshC3r1JHPktll0X4iUmu7osYDF58q_w4fDppojtzb4AGXkxC9xCxoCggkQAvD_BwE

 

 

Another alternative is krypton filled which is better than argon filled.

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Thanks JohnMo

 

Do you think its worth getting the glazed units separately, cost wise? And would we then fit those ourselves or supply the frame manufacturer with them? I'm really not keen on the 'stick on' bars so wondering how we can get an internal bar 🤔 

 

I had seen the krypton ones so presumably they could be 2g to gain 3g values??

 

Have chatted again and we will look into timber a bit more as well, with modern paint application I think they could actually stack up reasonably maintenance wise & perhaps the u value would be reasonable too.

[lizzieuk1]

  On 16/06/2024 at 12:56, nod said:

We installed UPVC sash throughout our previous build Acoustics not great due to the design of sash 

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Do you think that was due to the manufacturer or just a 'standard' result with the upvc sash? Do you think timber/aluclad would have been better?

[JohnMo]

  On 06/07/2024 at 10:25, lizzieuk1 said:

And would we then fit those ourselves or supply the frame manufacturer with them? I'm really not keen on the 'stick on' bars so wondering how we can get an internal bar 🤔 

 

I had seen the krypton ones so presumably they could be 2g to gain 3g values??

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I would get it all done by someone else.

 

Krypton isn't quite 3G but reasonably close with good frames.

 

Frames can make or break a good U value.

[nod]

  On 06/07/2024 at 10:27, lizzieuk1 said:

Do you think that was due to the manufacturer or just a 'standard' result with the upvc sash? Do you think timber/aluclad would have been better?

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I think it’s sash windows in general We used an award winning company 

Quickslide 30k back then So not cheap 

 

[JohnnyB]

@lizzieuk1  Did you use the vacuum glass in the end and if you did how have you found it and have you found the dots are noticable or do you get used to them and they blend into the background? 

 

We are having all timber windows as we want a very traditional look, and have 4 sliding sash windows and we are considering the vacuum glass.  The cost isn't too much more but my wife is very unsure about the dots, will they stand out to her and become annoying or just get lost in the background.  I think the windows will look better for the thinner glass, but not if the dots distract the eye every time you look outside.

We have seen the glass with the clear dots, I think it is from PassivGlas not Fineo, but they are still visible and the consistent rows of dots are quite noticable on a small sample, we haven't seen a full window with it in.

[BadgerBodger]

  On 06/04/2025 at 08:36, JohnnyB said:

@lizzieuk1  Did you use the vacuum glass in the end and if you did how have you found it and have you found the dots are noticable or do you get used to them and they blend into the background? 

 

We are having all timber windows as we want a very traditional look, and have 4 sliding sash windows and we are considering the vacuum glass.  The cost isn't too much more but my wife is very unsure about the dots, will they stand out to her and become annoying or just get lost in the background.  I think the windows will look better for the thinner glass, but not if the dots distract the eye every time you look outside.

We have seen the glass with the clear dots, I think it is from PassivGlas not Fineo, but they are still visible and the consistent rows of dots are quite noticable on a small sample, we haven't seen a full window with it in.

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Also curious. Our conservation officer was encouraging me to go down this route but we ended up just going for double. I really wanted triple glazing but it was a hard no from his standpoint. 

[JohnMo]

  On 06/04/2025 at 08:36, JohnnyB said:

We are having all timber windows as we want a very traditional look, and have 4 sliding sash windows and we are considering the vacuum glass

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Just go double with krypton gas, instead of argon. Look the same as argon, should be getting a U_w of 1.1 with good frame design.

[JohnnyB]

  On 06/04/2025 at 19:53, JohnMo said:

Just go double with krypton gas, instead of argon. Look the same as argon, should be getting a U_w of 1.1 with good frame design.

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Interesting, is krypton filled much more expensive than argon?  The vacuum glass isn't a hugh increase, about 9% more than triple glazing on our wooden windows and doors.

[JohnMo]

  On 09/04/2025 at 17:09, JohnnyB said:

is krypton filled much more expensive than argon

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Didn't really ask, just said that was what I wanted, only have double glazed in a set of french doors and three other single doors, the rest is triple glazed.

[lizzieuk1]

  On 06/04/2025 at 08:36, JohnnyB said:

@lizzieuk1  Did you use the vacuum glass in the end and if you did how have you found it and have you found the dots are noticable or do you get used to them and they blend into the background? 

 

We are having all timber windows as we want a very traditional look, and have 4 sliding sash windows and we are considering the vacuum glass.  The cost isn't too much more but my wife is very unsure about the dots, will they stand out to her and become annoying or just get lost in the background.  I think the windows will look better for the thinner glass, but not if the dots distract the eye every time you look outside.

We have seen the glass with the clear dots, I think it is from PassivGlas not Fineo, but they are still visible and the consistent rows of dots are quite noticable on a small sample, we haven't seen a full window with it in.

Expand  

We've not got that far yet! Been preparing for ages so info gathering brought us to vacuum glazing. 

 

AFAIK there are 2 available, Landvac and Fineo, one has more spacers than the other and a slightly superior u value. When we looked at the landvac in a window at the Homebuilding show it was very hard to see the dots, certainly from a distance they were invisible. Worth popping along to see some in frames if you can. 

 

We're yet to decide as really don't want to go for timber sashes,  mostly because of air tightness but also due to ongoing maintenance. Finding a supplier for upvc sash with vacuum is proving a challenge, seems far easier to get them in timber though! 

 

We are going to look at dummy sashes along with the Quickslide - though Nod has a poor experience of them so we need to be quite critical with viewing them. I believe they now have a rating of 4 for air tightness so wonder if they have refined the design - that will be a question we will certainly ask. Issue is we can't get a 3g sash - which we'd prefer- but can get 3g in the dummy sash so will see how they look.

 

On our last build we used Residence9 3g and they looked very convincing as far as timber look goes - certainly worth a look if you have any non sash & want to consider upvc.

 

Hope that helps! 

[JohnnyB]

  On 13/04/2025 at 13:46, lizzieuk1 said:

We've not got that far yet! Been preparing for ages so info gathering brought us to vacuum glazing. 

 

AFAIK there are 2 available, Landvac and Fineo, one has more spacers than the other and a slightly superior u value. When we looked at the landvac in a window at the Homebuilding show it was very hard to see the dots, certainly from a distance they were invisible. Worth popping along to see some in frames if you can. 

 

We're yet to decide as really don't want to go for timber sashes,  mostly because of air tightness but also due to ongoing maintenance. Finding a supplier for upvc sash with vacuum is proving a challenge, seems far easier to get them in timber though! 

 

We are going to look at dummy sashes along with the Quickslide - though Nod has a poor experience of them so we need to be quite critical with viewing them. I believe they now have a rating of 4 for air tightness so wonder if they have refined the design - that will be a question we will certainly ask. Issue is we can't get a 3g sash - which we'd prefer- but can get 3g in the dummy sash so will see how they look.

 

On our last build we used Residence9 3g and they looked very convincing as far as timber look goes - certainly worth a look if you have any non sash & want to consider upvc.

 

Hope that helps! 

Expand  

Ahh, thanks.  We have seen the one with the black dots that are closer together in frames at an exhibition a couple of years ago, and thought they were quite noticable.  The samples we have seen with the clear dots that are further apart have only been small samples and it is hard to gauge how they will look in a larger window. They are much more noticable in sunlight than they are indoors.

 

We have discovered that we can't get everything we want in a new build, what we like wouldn't pass the PAS24 tests, so we are going to go for triple glazed or possibly krypton filled double glazing as JohnMo suggested above. We are waiting for prices and U values for the krypton filled units compared to argon 3G and then we will decide which to order.  We have decided it isn't worth the extra cost and the distraction of the dots in the vacuum glazing if we can't get windows to look exactly as we want anyway.

[Nickfromwales]

  On 06/04/2025 at 19:35, BadgerBodger said:

 

Also curious. Our conservation officer was encouraging me to go down this route but we ended up just going for double. I really wanted triple glazing but it was a hard no from his standpoint. 

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Complete and utter insanity on a biblical scale. Conservation officer needs a reality check on what the planet needs moving forwards, other than his short 'tache and raised right hand. Bonkers.

[Nickfromwales]

From the 'net:

 

We’re aware that some people focus on the pillars (“dots”) and they can become an objection to using this glass. Let us delve a little closer into why they should not be the focus of rejecting such ground breaking insulating glass:

• The pillars are very small and back a very short distance from glass cannot even be seen.
• Window are designed to be looked through to the outside view. Therefore our focus is through the glass not on the glass.
• If you focus on any type of glass you will see blemishes, dirt, dust, road grime, smudges, finger prints, maybe scratches and even bird poop!

The two points below are also crucial considerations to weigh up “can I live with new space aged glass and its benefits if I can see some small dots when I walk up close to the glass”?

• Conventional rubber sealed double glazing has a very thick black rubber seal and its prone to breaking down,  and the seal is very visible, whereas vacuum insulated glass is thin, it fits into windows and it has an edge seal that adds strength, longevity and you cannot see it.
• No double glazing will provide the level of thermal efficiency any where near that of xxx vacuum insulated double glazing.