Page 39 - Oxford 10 Step Manual
P. 39
It’s “Soft Coat” Low-E, rather than the less expensive hard coat. You may get a flyer in the mail from my competition giving away free Low-E... they use hard coat; it’s not nearly as effective as soft coat and definitely cheaper!”
Soft-Coat is much harder to handle during manufacturing but to maximize your comfort, increase your money savings and reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of the energy your windows and doors waste we feel it’s worth the sacrifice.”
[Technical Description For Sales Rep – Hard coat Low-E glass is manufactured by pouring a thin layer of molten tin onto a sheet of glass while the glass is still slightly molten. The tin actually becomes “welded” to the glass. This process makes it difficult or “hard” to scratch or remove the tin. Often this glass has a blueish tint to it.
Soft coat Low-E glass, on the other hand, involves the application of silver, zinc and titanium dioxide to glass in a vacuum. The glass enters a vacuum chamber filled with an inert gas which is electrically charged. The electricity combined with the vacuum allows molecules of metal to sputter onto the glass. The coating is fairly delicate or “soft.”
Furthermore, if silver is used (and it often is) this coating can oxidize if exposed to normal air. For this reason, soft coat Low-E glass must be used in an insulated glass assembly. Sealing the soft coating in between two pieces of glass protects the soft coating from outside air and sources of abrasion. Also, the space between the two pieces of glass is often filled with gas. The gas inhibits oxidation of the metallic coating. It also acts as an additional insulator.
The two types of Low-E glass have different performance characteristics. The soft coat process has the ability to reflect more heat back to the source. It typically has a higher U-Value. U-Value measures the rate of heat transfer of the glass. The lower the U-Value
STEP 6 -- GLASS ALTERNATIVES
of a material, the better its insulating qualities.
Here’s a comparison of some different competitor’s glass:
Center of GLASS Only U-VALUES: Type of Glass
U-Value*
Single Pane regular glass ............................... 1.04 Clear Insulated Glass 1” DB ............................ 0.48 Hard Coat Low-E insulated glass w/argon ...... 0.31 Soft Coat Low-E insulated Glass .................... 0.26 Soft Coat Low-E insulated glass w/argon ....... 0.23
Low-E glass helps to reduce condensation on glass. The inside surface temperature of the glass is warmer. The differences can be dramatic. Imagine a cold night with an outside temperature of 0 degrees and a 15 mph wind. The inside temperature of a single pane window would be approximately 430. Regular double pane glass might register 520. Hard coat Low-E glass would be very near 540. And weighing in at champ would be soft coat Low-E glass at 600.
(That’s with one layer on one piece of glass!]
*Figures from Thermal Testing Simulations- ATI Test Result - 1/24/2013 and/or PPG Glass Calculator Software.
Knowledge Is A Valuable Tool!
The sale is the natural conclusion to the successful completion of these ten steps.
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