Can anyone share their experiences of secondary double glazing?
I'm looking at getting some of this magnetic strip stuff
I'm going to have to do something about the condensation on our shop window.
It causes condensation in the gap and rots your window frames.
Ah! Better to work out why the air is damp enough in the shop to produce the condensation. I'm assuming it's a normal shop not a hairdressers or something else that generates warm moist air.
"Dave Liquorice" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
No sign of that here, and the secondary has been in for probably 30 years.
Mind you, it is bloody hideous.
I've had thin plastic film attached with double sided tape on my front door for years and it works perfectly. I think the secret is to fit it in dry weather and to get a good seal, which probably isn't possible with the magnetic strip method.
Having said that, I'm going to replace it with perspex in the summer, because I've recently put my finger through it ! I will again use double sided tape and then cover the edge with a wood beading of some description.
Andy C
The type of secondary you are looking at is excellent - my mum has had it on her windows for 15 years, she replaced the perspex after 10 years as it had started to turn white where the sun shone on it (maybe earlier replacement would be needed for a shop window). It can be removed in summer and as the strip on the window frame can be painted, it leaves little sign of having been there. Perspex can be cut to fit odd sizes of window. It can be DIY fitted, though mum had the perspex cut to size first
Downsides: You need to use thin perspex sheet or the magnet wont be able to hold it in place. When it is taken down be very careful not to let the perspex whip which degrades the perspex quickly There is a maximum size of sheet that can be successfully held by the magnets. Mum got away with one sheet of about 150cm wide 80cm high but only because it was resting on the window sill. It is more difficult to avoid whip when taking down larger sheets too The window must have a flat surround in one plane so the magnetic strip makes a continuous seal
We are a dispensing opticians. The moisture in the air comes from the unit we use to tint lenses which is effectively 9 x 1 litre pots of water based dye held at just below boiling point all day with loose fitting lids which are often off.
I have a dehimidifier running and a fan blowing across the surface of the windows, which helps
I like the magnetic idea as the panels can be removed easily for drying out / cleaning etc.
Sounds like you need some type of "fume cupboard" arrangement, or even just a cooker hood over the unit, removing the water vapour / steam. Simon.
Secondary glazing...
- Make a simple wooden frame around perspex
- Fasteners by plastic-lobes or thumbscrews
- E-type draught excluder on the rear
- Remove after cold period re moisture ingress & wood
Done right it just looks like the window frame on commercial premises. That tends to use a wooden frame with through-holes for thumbscrews into "wood-nuts" which are themselves screwed into a hole in the frame. Works fine. Get proper "wood-nuts" with sharp thread if the frame is not hardwood as there are cheap knock-offs.
Get rid of the moisture. A commercial looking cooker hood might look fine. Go to John Lewis and look at the Elica Krea, it is =A389, entirely stainless steel, mesh filters. Would not look out of place in a commercial application. You could create simple sides of perspex to act as a tunnel into a wooden L-frame. Basically router a slot or buy aluminium L-channel. Run the thing on setting #1 and it will work fine. It's 125mm (127mm) hole, but you can adapt down to 100mm (102-107mm) hole which is easier to drill with any 580-850W drill in a wall.
Alternative is a dehumidifier, but that would need "plumbing in" (hose dropped into a sink drain), only good ones are X-Dry (=A3119 used, =A3189 new) and Mitsubishi EVX series (=A3300, made in japan) in terms of build quality and lifespan. I guess the dehumidifier might be a better solution in a commercial premises - that and an over-the-door fan heater.
An alternative to either if you can stick a hole in the wall is a =A3299- and-up Ebay heat-pump which will combine cheap heating & dehumidification in one unit. Best are the invertor type, may be a PP issue re commercial - no idea.
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