Is the spacer important?
Absolutely!
The type of spacer used in double glazing is key to its performance and durability. The Double Glazing Company supplies double glazing manufactured with the world leading SuperSpacer®.
Super Spacer is made from thermoset polymers – a special type of plastic foam that becomes permanently set during the curing process, which means it retains 100% bounce-back memory when bonded to the glass. The thermoset spacer will expand and contract, but will always return to its original shape so it cannot be distorted by temperature changes once the window is in place. It also has outstanding UV resistance.
No-Metal Advantage
“Thermal efficiency through no presence of conductive metals” is Super Spacer’s hallmark. The edge of the insulating glass unit is indeed the most vulnerable to heat and cooling loss, condensation and frosting. Super Spacer’s NO-Metal formula blocks the heat escape path and provides one of the best thermal performances in the industry. That means it keeps the heat in during the winter and keeps the cool in during the summer. Super Spacer assures comfortable humidity levels with hardly any worries about condensation and mould.
Metal can’t bounce back the way Super Spacer can. Thanks to the Thermoset Spacer technology, the spacer will expand and contract, but it will always return to its original shape.
Rigid metal and plastic spacers cannot compensate for the natural expansion and contraction that occurs daily in insulating glass. Without all-foam Super Spacer, windows can develop stress cracks that eventually lead to seal failure.
Super Spacer’s 100% memory formula will stand up to a wide range of temperatures.
Durability
Super Spacer’s outstanding durability is directly related to its edge seal design. Conventional dual-seal technology first lays down two polyisobutylene (PIB) moisture barrier side beads on a metal spacer, backing them up on the outside with a structural sealant to hold the spacing system together. Super Spacer, however, reverses the process. Its structural seal is on the inside – pre-applied to the spacer itself. This takes the form of a pressure sensitive, acrylic adhesive backed up by hot-melt butyl or a comparable, low permeable sealant on the outside, where a gas/moisture barrier seal can do the most good. The result is an unbelievably durable double seal that provides for amazingly consistent seal quality.
Double glazing for life
Super Spacer meets the challenge of the P-1 chamber, the test many engineers rate as the world’s toughest. One week spent in a P-1 chamber is the same as one year in the field. Super Spacer survives 100 weeks, so you can work out the implications for yourself. When choosing a double glazing system, make sure you specify the one that doesn’t give up when the going gets tough.
The seal of approval from around the world
Super Spacer meets New Zealand standard BS5713 and EN1279 so you can rest assured it’s passed the test for local use. But that’s just a small part of the picture. Building authorities around the world have certified Super Spacer for performance in a huge range of climates. From Norway, Canada and the USA to Germany, Spain and China – the Super Spacer system has the seal of approval.
Energy Saving Performance
Super Spacer is a positive step towards ensuring a sustainable, energy efficient future. As up to 80% of energy loss through a window occurs at its edge, Super Spacer’s thermally efficient all-foam, No-Metal properties, proven to be less conductive, will significantly reduce such loss.
This TrueWarm®-Edge Technology, this will reduce the energy required to heat or cool your home, which is great for you and for the environment.
Warm Edge Technology also means that Super Spacer controls condensation and mould resistance like no other spacer.
Warm in winter, cool in summer
Insulation works both ways. As Super Spacer is less conductive than metal spacer’s, it blocks heat from escaping or entering your home through the glass edge, providing optimal performance and the lowest U-value in the industry. The U-value of a window is the measure of its ability to transfer heat, so windows with the lowest U value are the most efficient insulators.
Condensation can lead to more than bacteria and moulds. It can increase the likelihood of fungi, viruses and mites that cause respiratory infections, allergies and asthma.