Pilkington K Glass and Hardwood Conservatories
Pilkington K glass is commonly used in hardwood conservatories. It has become more popular as it is able to retain heat more effectively than normal float glass. The key difference over normal float glass is that it has a microscopic or low emissivity coating on the inside of the glass.
The double glazing in your hardwood conservatory windows and doors absorbs heat that then radiates this through to the outside. Pilkington K Glass(TM) has a low emissivity coating on the surface that faces into the air break of the glass unit.
This means that heat that is absorbed through the low emissivity coating glazing is reduced from radiating through the air pocket and then to the outer glass pane The heat reflects back into the Hardwood conservatory by the microscopic coating.
In some instances, the coating of glass may appear as that of a transparent film. This is the case when oblique lighting hits the glass. In this case a slight darkening is noticed, and is considered positive evidence that the Pilkington K glass system is working.
The amount of darkening of the Pilkington K glass conservatory system depends upon what types of colored objects are in close proximity of it. Other than that, the Pilkington K Glass units used within hardwood conservatories are very neutral in appearance, just like regular clear pieces of glass. The presence of the Pilkington K Glass is usually confirmed by its presence in a double glazing unit upon installation. In order for this confirmation to take place, unit manufacturers or installers use a device called a coating detector.
The effects of window and glazing are important. For instance, units such as the Pilkington K Glass used for hardwood conservatories is meant to allow sunlight in a room, even during the winter months, to warm a room.
The amount of heat that is used from a sun entering through a window can be measured over a typical heating period. This measurement is usually designated by an effective U value. The effective U value is a measurement that is taken when the amount of useful heat entering through a window is subtracted by a normal U value (the amount of sun leaving a window). The overall measurement of a U value depends upon the direction that a window is facing.
In the case with windows that are facing south that use Pilkington K Glass double glazing units, the normal U value which is represented by 1.9 W/m2K is reduced to an effective U value of almost zero. Further explained, this means that the amount of heat lost is balanced by the heat gained from the sun.
Effective U value is usually regarded simply as "heat out minus useful heat in." In other words, the glass absorbs the heat and then that heat returns to the colder outside surface. The glaze on the Pilkington K Glass material makes a huge difference on the performance of a window, helping it to retain more of the heat it absorbs within the walls of your home.
The coating that is used on a Pilkington K Glass covers the glass pane and also seals the air gaps of the double gazing unit. This glazed that is used to coat Pilkington K Glass is also called a low emissivity coating. This helps in the process of trapping heat that would like to escape back into the cold air. Instead, that heat is reflected back into the room by the coating that is used to provide as an extra seal for Pilkington K. Glass windows.
A similar function would be the use of a reflecting foil placed behind a central heating radiator. This also bounces the heat back into a room. As mentioned earlier, the heat loss of a unit is measured by the normal U value. The greater the normal U value number the higher the heat loss will be through a material.
All this information can really help you out come time to help construct your hardwood conservatory. Double glazing is very important when it comes to the add-on of a conservatory, and so is the type of glass that is used. Pilkington K Glass is an example of one type of glass that can be used.