Choosing a Secondary Glazing Installer: Ten Questions
Secondary glazing quotes are unusually hard to compare because the specification hides inside a single price. These ten questions force the specification into the open. Ask them of every quote, including ours.
About the specification
What glass thickness and type is quoted for each opening, and is it laminated? What cavity depth, measured from the primary pane? Is the aluminium thermally broken? Is the perimeter seal a compression gasket or brush pile? Is the quotation itemised per opening or a single lump sum? A supplier who cannot answer these on the spot has not surveyed properly.
- Glass type and thickness per opening
- Cavity depth from the primary pane
- Thermally broken frame
- Compression gasket versus brush pile
- Itemised, not lump sum
About the performance claim
Is the acoustic figure Rw or Rw+Ctr, and for what assembly? Was it measured on the exact configuration quoted or on a best-case lab sample? Is the U-value centre-pane or whole-window? A confident supplier will explain the difference; an evasive answer tells you the number has been flattered.
About the company
Who manufactures the units and who installs them — the same business or a subcontractor? How long is each element of the warranty and who honours it? Can they show work on a comparable property, and will they provide a reference you can actually contact?
The answers we would give
Itemised per-opening quotations with full specification stated. Thermally broken aluminium, compression gaskets, laminated glass wherever noise or security is the driver. Rw with Ctr quoted where a client is dealing with traffic. Free consent drawings on listed work. And a straight answer when secondary glazing is not the right product for your problem.
Frequently asked questions
It can be — if the specification matches. Compare the specification line by line first; a lower price for brush-pile seals and a 40 mm cavity is not the same product.
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South Yorkshire's specialists in secondary glazing — survey, measure, manufacture and install.