Dual Low E Question

IowaTint · August 31

Anyone have experience tinting Windsor or any windows with a Low-E on surface 2 and 4? Not really seeing any film to glass charts showing this. Shooting for a dual reflective option, low absorption rate, so should be safe but wanted to get some input.

Tintguy1980 · August 31

6 hours ago, IowaTint said:

Anyone have experience tinting Windsor or any windows with a Low-E on surface 2 and 4? Not really seeing any film to glass charts showing this. Shooting for a dual reflective option, low absorption rate, so should be safe but wanted to get some input.

Oh boy ... I was going to ask if you were sure the coating was on surface 4 until I spied the pic. Usually the dual coatings are on surface 2 & 3, but I have heard of this combination, too. Definitely sucks for window tinters and the homeowner, when found on surface 4.

Bad news: installing film on surface 4, covering over the coating, renders it ineffective from a LowE perspective.

Good news: there are exterior films that can be used.

IowaTint · August 31

1 hour ago, Tintguy1980 said:

Oh boy ... I was going to ask if you were sure the coating was on surface 4 until I spied the pic. Usually the dual coatings are on surface 2 & 3, but I have heard of this combination, too. Definitely sucks for window tinters and the homeowner, when found on surface 4.

Bad news: installing film on surface 4, covering over the coating, renders it ineffective from a LowE perspective.

Good news: there are exterior films that can be used.

Definitely a winter season state glass! We get some fun ones here. The homeowners know it will defeat the purpose of the inside coating unfortunately but mainly want to make sure of the safety. Thanks for the reply!

doctor4766 · September 2

Where I live in Western Australia, we generally focus more on solar energy rejection than heat retention.

In recent years builders have jumped onto the low E and double-glazing bandwagon, telling their clients that they will have an energy efficient window, therefore saving them money on energy bills.

What they don't tell them is that they will still be wanting to get their glass tinted once they realise how useless these types of windows are in our climate.

I won't touch double glazed windows due to risks involved but with low E glass I tell the customer that we can only use a light scouring sponge on the surface to clean before installation, not our usual razor blades.

They're usually cool with that. And if they're not, I'm not too bothered about missing out on their job.

Tintguy1980 · September 2

10 hours ago, doctor4766 said:

Where I live in Western Australia, we generally focus more on solar energy rejection than heat retention.

In recent years builders have jumped onto the low E and double-glazing bandwagon, telling their clients that they will have an energy efficient window, therefore saving them money on energy bills.

What they don't tell them is that they will still be wanting to get their glass tinted once they realise how useless these types of windows are in our climate.

I won't touch double glazed windows due to risks involved but with low E glass I tell the customer that we can only use a light scouring sponge on the surface to clean before installation, not our usual razor blades.

They're usually cool with that. And if they're not, I'm not too bothered about missing out on their job.

To clarify for any public folks reading and industry folks that may not know:

The LowE dual coating spoke of by the OP is a rare bird for use in area south of Iowa,USA. The only reason(s) I believe Cardinal (based in Wisconsin) placed the second coating on surface 4 is, 1) is to sell that type glazing system in areas that experience extreme cold below to above 0 F for nights on end and on 4 it is more effective at retention for that use. Iowa is logically the furthest south it should be recommended for.

That said, the other coating on surface 2 is the hi-performance coating. This high performance coating is capable of rejecting solar energy, in a LowE2 glazing system of 60%+/- and up to 94% when considering Low4. A LowE4 dual pane would be the ticket in Australia's seriously hot spots. Sadly, if it caught on there, it would impact the window film industry in regions it is useful. Although, LowE4 is pricey at this point in time. A friend of mine had a sun room built on his house in Southern Virginia using LowE4, even as a roof.

The vast majority of dual coating LowE glazing involves no coating on surface 4, the exception being original LowE that has not been readily available since around year 2000. Surface 2 & 3 is considered the norm today, for warmer climates north of tropical. Also, the hi-performance LowE2, 3 & 4 glazing systems are very effective at UV reduction (to my understanding in the mid to upper 90's).

Original LowE first came on the scene in my early years in the industry and many of us didn't know unless the owner told us, and even with that knowledge, we did not know film covering the coating on surface 4 would rendered LowE ineffective. Those days, single pane LowE existed and the coating would be on surface 2, then.