What is Trend’s best performing window from an energy perspective and why?

Timber’s natural insulating properties in combination with Trend’s energy efficient glazing options, make Botanica the most energy-efficient window and door frame available, ensuring year-round comfort.

Trend’s Botanica Timber windows and doors have been introduced to create a vision for the home, for those who value the warmth, texture, and tactility that only timber brings. As well as adding beauty and style, high-performance Botanica windows and doors enhance your home’s liveability by improving comfort and the usability of a space. A relaxed summer vibe is incredibly alluring, but when the colder months hit you want your windows and doors to help keep the warmth in and the cold out. As a building material, it matches with concrete, stone, ceramics, or bricks. That means Botanica will be perfectly at home with your home, regardless of whether it is a timeless classic or even the most contemporary of architecture. To truly allow you to set your own trend, the Botanica Timber series offers 13 different products, each available in either Cedar or Meranti and with a bushfire rating sup to Bal 29.

How does glass choice impact a home’s energy efficiency?

To improve your overall comfort and wellbeing there is a range of glazing options which allow you to improve your home’s insulation, reducing both your carbon footprint and your energy consumption. There are several different glass types which can control thermal comfort and save on energy in your home:

Double glazing is the most effective way of improving the energy efficiency of windows and doors, making your living space more comfortable all year round. By incorporating double glazing within your windows and doors it will reduce the amount of heat escaping in winter and the reverse effect in summer, preventing unwanted heat coming into the home.  This improves your homes thermal insulation, reducing your need for artificial heating and cooling. It also means that architects and designers have the freedom to achieve larger openings whilst achieving the required energy star ratings. Double glazed units are made by filling a space between two pieces of glass with air or argon gas. The spacer widths can be adjusted to enhance insulation. Almost any glass type can be incorporated to provide other performance benefits, for example, incorporate laminated glass for improved security, safety, and acoustics or tinted glass for better solar performance. Double glazing can also eliminate condensation that can damage timber frames, architraves or flooring. 

Low E glass has a transparent Low Emissivity coating that reflects heat while still allowing in maximum light, helping keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Low E glass blocks the sun’s harmful UV rays, reducing fading on furniture, carpet, and curtains. Low E glass allows large window openings that meet energy star ratings. Laminated and single glazed options are available, and it can also be incorporated into a double-glazed unit for increased insulation. 

Toned glass significantly reduces the sun’s heat and glare, making it perfect for Australia’s extreme summers.  The darker the tint, the more heat it absorbs, and the better it performs reducing the need for artificial cooling and in turn your energy consumption. Toned glass is a great choice for unshaded windows or applications where the ideal window position is not achievable. Grey, bronze and green options are available, with grey offering the best performance. Before choosing a colour, also consider the look and feel like part of your overall design scheme.

If someone is renovating and updating their windows, how would adding Trend windows improve a home’s energy efficiency?

Windows and doors don’t use energy themselves, so they’re considered passive products, but by allowing the transfer of energy they severely impact a building’s heating and cooling load. In fact, regardless of how well a building is insulated, windows are the most vulnerable to energy loss. This means it’s vital to give careful thought to windows and doors during the design and building stages of any project.

If you are renovating or replacing your current windows and energy efficiency is a priority then it would be worth investigating using timber frames and high-performance glazing, both of which will significantly increase your home’s energy efficiency.

All Trend consultants are well briefed on how you can improve your home’s energy efficiency by choosing the right windows to limit gain or loss. They are on hand to provide you and your team with the best advice regarding options available for your renovation and ensuring you achieve your required rating.

You can explore more of Trend Window & Doors products on their website.

trendwindows.com.au