If your home was built prior to 2000, and the windows and doors are original to your home, chances are they are single pane. This simply means there is one pane of glass separating the inside, and outside, of your home.
Double pane windows, on the other hand, have 2 panes of glass, as shown in the image above.
Double pane windows are more energy efficient than single pane windows. The space between the panes of glass acts to provide insulation between the inside and outside of your home.
More often than not, glass manufacturers will fill this space with Argon gas. Argon is a non-toxic, colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is 38% heavier than air. Some glass manufacturers offer Krypton gas as the insulation, but the costs of Krypton have risen so much that it is often cost prohibitive for this choice.
The combination of the 2 panes of glass, along with the insulating gas, is referred to as an Insulating Glass Unit (IGU). The IGU makes up one of the many parts of a window.
While today's double pane windows are often times rated to withstand hurricane force winds (100+ mph), they are not impact resistant. We describe the difference between hurricane windows, impact windows, and non-impact windows more here.
Laminated Glass and Impact Resistant Windows
In order to achieve resistance to flying debris (e.g. impacts), glass manufacturer's make what laminated glass. Let's take a look how this is done:
Laminated glass by itself is not insulated. It is a standalone unit comprised of 2 panes of glass, with an interlayer sandwiched in between them. The majority of the time, polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is used as the interlayer.
In a few parts of South Florida, laminated glass is allowed by building code to be used in new windows and doors.
However, the vast majority of the state, including the greater Tampa Bay area where My Window and Door Guy provides installation services, requires insulated glass units (IGUs), in order to meet energy efficiency requirements.
If you watched the video all the way through to the end, the narrator states that the laminated glass will be shipped of the the IG (Insulating Glass) plant.
Laminated Insulating Glass Units (IGUs)
That's where the IGU is assembled. A single pane of glass will be used on the exterior, with argon gas in the middle, and the laminated glass on the interior.
Technically speaking, laminated IGU's are made up of 3 panes of glass. Thus, you won't find an experienced window salesman or saleswoman referring to impact resistant windows as "double pane" windows.
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