Glass Options

The glass options that MI Windows and Doors offer are listed below. They cover everything from the number of panes in a window to the glass coatings that can be applied to maximize energy efficiency and reduce UV exposure. You can also enhance double-pane and triple-pane windows with argon gas to increase performance. Each option delivers its own advantage to the performance or aesthetic of the window.

Dual-Pane Glass

The New Standard

Double pane windows are an ingenuity which have become a standard within the industry. The two panes of glass are separated by a spacer to create an insulated gas unit (IGU). The IGU is filled with air or gas. This IGU works to insulate the home, translating to savings and greater value for the homeowner. As a staple of the industry, double pane window repair or replacement is an easy process. At MI Windows and Doors, we are able to customize our dual-pane windows. Whether you desire argon gas enhancement, Low-E coatings, laminated glass or grids between the glass, we can design our dual-pane windows to your personal preference of style and performance.

Triple-Pane Glass

Extreme Energy Efficiency

Triple-pane windows feature three layers of glass to create the ultimate IGU and further enhance the energy efficiency of a home. With two available surfaces for Low-E coatings, very little heat is transferred into or out of the home, keeping your family comfortable in even the coldest of winters and hottest of summers. Between the energy efficiency and the greater sound insulation, the triple-pane window is a reliable product that’s well worth the investment.

Click here to view our triple-pane window selection.

Spacer Systems

Efficiency Between the Panes

Warm-edge spacer systems provide ideal comfort regardless of climate: Whether you live in Allentown or Albuquerque, Tampa or Tacoma, a warm-edge spacer system is determined to keep you comfortable while enhancing the overall performance of the IGU. The spacer provides a moisture barrier between the panes of glass, which enhances energy efficiency and reduces the possibility of fogging. And by keeping the outside air out, the warm-edge spacer system is committed to saving you money.

Low-E

Low-Emissivity Window Coating

Low-E is a microscopic layer of metal that is applied to the inner surface of glass on dual-pane or triple-pane window units. The coating is almost invisible to the naked eye, but trust us, it’s there and it’s rendering an invaluable service. The coating provides protection from UV rays that can fade carpets, damage furniture, and even harm your skin and eyes. It also helps to reflect radiant heat from entering the home on a hot day and ensures warm air will stay inside the house on a cold day, offering you year-round protection.

Low-E3

Three Layers of Protection

Call it the full-court press of window protection. Low-E3 glass employs three layers of Low-E on the glass surfaces of the window, ensuring maximum energy efficiency and minimum solar heat gain to the home. Low-E3 is a great option for meeting ENERGY STAR® requirements in all climate zones. Low-E3 glass allows more light through the window than traditional tinted glass, which helps maintain visibility while protecting the home.

Argon Gas Enhancement

Invisible Energy Efficiency

Argon is an invisible, nontoxic, and odorless gas that helps improve the energy efficiency of a window while acting as a shield against harmful UV rays. Available in dual-pane and triple-pane window units, argon gas minimizes the amount of heat transferred through a window, helps to improve sound transmission, and helps reduce the possibility of condensation and frost in all climates.

Krypton Gas Enhancement

Invisible Energy Efficiency

Krypton is also an invisible, nontoxic, and odorless inert gas but it has even better insulating properties than argon and air. Krypton is pumped between the panes of glass in an insulated unit to block or decrease the flow of heat into and out of the home. Krypton is available in select triple-pane units.

Laminated Glass

All the safety and comfort you deserve

Laminated glass is the Superman of the glass world: It can do a little bit of everything. Most importantly, laminated glass offers protection you can trust. Two pieces of glass are bonded to a PVB interlayer; when broken, the glass sticks to the interlayer, similar to how a car’s windshield works. With laminated glass, you don’t have to worry about furnishings and floors fading, as the glass blocks 99 percent of UV rays while also reducing outside noise by up to 50 percent.

Impact Glass

Protection from the Elements

With extreme weather events seemingly becoming commonplace, impact glass helps protect against the elements. Having survived the strictest experiments that an AAMA-certified testing lab can dish out – including being struck by an eight-foot long, nine-pound 2x4 fired from a canon – impact glass is committed to protecting you and your family during extreme weather events. Featuring laminated glass panes, impact glass reduces the possibility that a home’s windows will be breached.

Obscure and Rain Glass

Light and Privacy

Whether you’re interested in decoration, light diffusion, or privacy, obscure glass has you covered. Made with the utmost care and available in several designs, obscure glass is achieved when a pattern is pressed into the glass during production. Perfect for a first-floor bathroom or a front-door side lite, obscure glass works to allow natural light into a space while still protecting you and your family’s privacy. It can also help to diffuse glare in a direct sunlight setting.

A type of obscure glass, rain glass is also used for decoration, light diffusion, or privacy. Made using the same process as obscure glass, rain glass takes its name from the design, which gives the appearance of rain falling on glass.

Obscure glass and rain glass availability varies by region.

Window Options