Textured double glazing units - which way round?

[a]

Just had a new double glazed window fitted in the bathroom - one side is plain glass the other is frosted/textured glass. Is there a right side these should be fitted? The guy assured us the plain glass had written on it that it should go inside, with the frosted outside (which makes it easier for us to clean the inside), but it is rather odd at night because the plain glass acts almost like a big mirror right next to the bath/shower - probably more like a 2 way mirror in that obviously nobody can see in due to the frosted pane, but might take some getting used to seeing as you can see a perfect reflection of yourself when stood in the shower! I noticed the neighbour had theirs with plain side out.

[Alex]

If it was fitted to a new window then it will be K glass, which has to be fitted a certain way round to comply with building regs as it only has the reflective film or whatever on one side of the glass.

Alex

[Grunff]

Plain glass always outside.

[Tim Mitchell]

In article , a writes

All the ones I have seen have the textured pane on the outside. I don't know why.

[Sam]

Thats what I was told on the reasoning that the outside will collect more dirt.

sam

[Ziggur]

Until a few years ago it was the convention to put textured glass on the inside. Outside gets more dirty. Flat glass easier to clean than textured pattern.

HOWEVER - most modern sealed units use "K" glass coating to reduce heat loss through the unit. This coating is reflective and only works to full effect if it is on the inside of the inner pane. Furthermore, "K" is not used on textured glass because of the coating process and the reflective implications.

Therefore today's installations will place the pattern on the outside. The lesser of 2 evils.

HTH.

[Tim Mitchell]

In article , Ziggur writes

Although the textured pane itself has a smooth side and a textured side; the textured side is on the inside of the outer pane, if you get my drift.

[John Rumm]

Not on the frosted window I just installed in my new shower room... plain inside.

[Jigs]

I have just had a new bathroom window and have the same problem, it acts like a mirror. I asked the installer if it had been fitted the wrong way round but he re-assured me it was correct due to heat loss etc. The only thing I think I can do is get a blind !

[Andrew]

16 years later, someone came out of the swamp ...

[Tim Lamb]

My thought as well but that recent fly through attempt by a Swan is current:-)

From what I remember of the picture, the pebble glass was on the inside.

[alan_m]

I have frosted glass in toilet/bathroom and in front door and surrounding porch windows.

The DG window units came with all the stickers still attached which all said this side outermost. The plain surface was on the outside and the frosted surface on the inside (cavity side). This gives a flat surface for cleaning.

On my previous single glazed frosted windows the frosted side was a PITA to clean without streaks showing.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Yes but in this case it sounds like a new problem of a similar ilk. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

My bathroom window has the internal pain patterned, in this case a basket weave look but the rough is facing in toward the gap and the outside pain is normal glass. Brian

[Andrew]

The 'K' soft coating in usually on the plain glass, and is the side that faces into the window cavity. The patterned glass goes on the outside.

According to the Pilkington website, it does't actually make that much difference which way round you install the unit, what is important is that the coated side is facing into the glass cavity because it is soft and easily damaged. Ideally the coated surface should face out.

Andrew

[alan_m]

DG has two panes of glass and only one side of the four will be frosted.

[Andrew]

That's what I said. The patterned glass is the one that faces the weather. The plain glass, with its reflective coating is on the inside, with the coated layer itself facing out.