Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing and Acoustic Insulation of Existing Windows THE ASSETS and PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE For use in Commercial buildings, motels, hotels, offices, and retail premises.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The use of MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing is now an accepted standard. Many commercial building Owners, that wish to save hundreds of dollars per year in energy savings are opting to install this Easy fix solution, to the windows in their office complexes, motels, hotels, restaurants, and other related habitat buildings. This brochure is specifically aimed at supplying sensible data and information for the asset and property Managers, to make informed decisions for the correct type and correct installation for MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing panels. INTRODUCTION TO MAGICSEAL MAGICSEAL NZ LTD has been established for over twenty years. In that time the Company has built a solid market in Australasia for high quality products. This includes the MAGICSEAL Magnetic Insect Screen range and the popular MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing System for windows and doors. MAGICSEAL is represented nationally by Agents New Zealand wide. Please call our 0800 number (088 10-44-66) to access your local Agent for a no obligation on site presentation or contact MAGICSEAL NZ LTD on 03-3589-223 or 021-323-389 THE MAGICSEAL RETROFIT SECONDARY DOUBLE GLAZING SYSTEM The system itself requires the adhesion of a 13mm magnetic strip around the perimeter of the window frame. Onto this is mated a matching magnetic strip, to which the high temperature plastic edging is adhered. The optical acrylic is carefully inserted into the edging to make a neat seal around the entire perimeter of the acrylic panel. Special injection molded pieces are fitted to the four corners to hold the panel securely but still allows for expansion and contraction, due to solar heat gain, during warm daylight hours. HOW THE RETROFIT SECONDARY DOUBLE GLAZING WORKS. As demonstrated by the diagram on next page the hot air discharged from the source of heat, being warmer and lighter, rises up to the ceiling. As it cools it sinks and flows toward the cold window that is in direct contact with the cold outside air. The glass has low thermal mass and low insulation therefore when the warm moist air sinks to the window level the dew point occurs and water droplets condensate out onto the cold glass. At the same time the heat the warm air was holding is lost to outside so the temperature falls quickly. This causes a draught at floor level around the legs. The air must be reheated to raise the temperature again consuming additional energy. By installing MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing panels all these problems are over come. The still air trapped between the glass and the panel forms an insulation barrier that stops the transmission of the heat to outside. Likewise as the panel stops the warm air coming in direct contact with the cold glass, little or no condensation will occur*. As per Dr Nick Smith s, PhD, RetroFit Secondary Double Glazing thesis, published in 2009, the research carried out by Dr Smith shows that energy saving of up to 12% are possible. These accumulated energy savings, over time, quickly recoup the installation costs. One of the benefits of installing MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Glazing is that it is done from inside the room. There are no costs of scaffolding or lift hire. *(This is subject to the windows being properly sealed and good quality well fitting rubbers installed. Fitting MAGICSEAL cannot cause condensation so if some fogging does occur, the window concerned, should be examined by your MAGICSEAL agent and a glazier to check for trapped water that can t drain out for some reason and be rectified. This may incur additional costs.) The MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Glazing Panel has four main features that quickly convert into instant money savings and better comfort benefits, for the commercial operators and their customers. These are listed below and will be discussed as viewed in order of importance for commercial operators:
Heat loss in a typical dwelling. A typical cross section of a panel on a wooden window showing an air gap of 25-30mm. Shown is an example of an installation that MAGICSEAL Agents have installed over the last few years. A MAGICSEAL panel on a wooden window. ENERGY SAVINGS If we take a typical commercial installation, say a motel or hotel room, install on all windows in the unit, MAGICSEAL panels, then the immediate effect is for the rooms to feel much warmer. This translates into a saving of at least 10-12% of the energy cost (to heat the room spaces) over a room that is not fitted with panels. The pay back in energy savings in time will pay for the installation. The Customer will notice the rooms are less draughty, much warmer and it takes less energy to keep the rooms at a comfort level. It is important to have the suite or room heating system controlled by a tamper proof thermostat so that the space is controlled at say 21 degrees to gain maximum saving benefits. This represents a win: win situation for all. R & U VALUES EXPLAINED Manufacturers usually represent the energy efficiency of windows in terms of their U-values (conductance of heat) or their R-values (resistance to heat flow). If a window s R-value is high, it will lose less heat than one with a lower R-value. Conversely, if a window s U-value is low, it will lose less heat than one with a higher U-value. In other words, U-values are the reciprocals of R-values (U-value = 1/R-value). Most window manufacturers use R-values in rating their windows. Usually, window R-values range from 0.9 to 3.0 (U-values range from 1.1 to 0.3), but some high energyefficient exceptions also exist. When comparing different windows, you should ensure that all U-or R-values listed by manufacturers: 1. are based on current standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). 2. are calculated for the entire window, including the frame, and not just for the centre of the glass. 3. are representative of the same size and style of window. There are five factors that affect the R-value of a window: The type of glazing material (e.g., glass, plastic, treated glass) The number of layers of glass The size of the air space between the layers of glass The thermal resistance or conductance of the frame and spacer materials The tightness of the installation (i.e. air leaks, gaps etc). Typical R values for :- Standard glass window R 0.15 (m2.k/w) Double glazing R 0.33 (m2.k/w) MagicSeal Thermal Window R 0.36 (m2.k/w) Courteous Dr Nick Smith thesis Nov 2009 The optimum air gap width is between 8 to 15mm. Over 15mm there is only a small advantage to be gained.
HEATING / COOLING RETENTION In a fully insulated modern accommodation space as much as 30-46% of lost heat/cool energy is lost via the total area of glass. Even with heavy drapes cold draughts can still be present around large glass areas. As in the example on the right, in the winter heat will by saved be slowing down the rate of heat loss through the windows. Of course the converse, cooling loss, is true if the space is being cooled by air conditioning, in summer. Either way the space has been kept to an optimal temperature for client comfort in all seasons with MAGICSEAL panels fitted. This will quickly result in return business for the operator as customer, Word of mouth, is spread of how comfortable the hotel or motel is. Energy waste is minimized, real savings are possible and comfort level is kept paramount. NOISE REDUCTION The next biggest advantage to the commercial operator is that the MAGICSEAL panels are constructed of optical acrylic - not glass. The acrylic and the glass therefore will resonate at different frequencies to the ambient external noise levels applied. This means that there is a large reduction in noise levels from outside to inside if all windows are closed, provided the space is fully insulated to start with. When MAGICSEAL panels were tested at Canterbury University s sound laboratory*, the noise reduction at the lower end of the scale (400-1000 Hertz) and higher frequencies ranges (4000-5000 Hertz) was up to 10 db of saving. As the Decibel scale is logarithmic and not a linear scale, this represents a large drop in transmitted noise through the glass areas, resulting in a much quieter and peaceful space for the customer overall. This can mean increased revenue for operators that install MAGICSEAL on their windows. As most hotels and motels tend to congregate on major hi-ways, with large traffic volume flows, quieter rooms can be sold much more easily. The increased comfort level will soon be spread by word of mouth advertising. * A full report can be supplied if required.
EXPLANATION OF NOISE GRAPHS FOR MAGICSEAL RETRO FIT SECONDARY DOUBLE GLAZING versus A SINGLE PANE & DOUBLE GLAZING PANE How To Read The Graph The graph shows the TL (Transmission Loss) for 64mm spacing s & also shows the TL for a single pane and double glazing unit. To clearly understand the graphs you will have to look at the line showing a single pane (line with hollow box) & the best spacing for your requirement. For this example we will use the 64mm spacing for MAGICSEAL Retro Fit Secondary Double Glazing. If we follow both lines at each set frequency (Hz), say starting at 200Hz then read across on the Loss db we see a reading of approx. 23db for single pane & for MS we see approx. 34.5db. The sum difference at this Hz will provide a noise reduction of 34.5-23 = 11.5db saving. If we repeat this process looking at each consecutive Hz reading & tabulate the results then we get the following table as below;- Hertz MagicSeal db Single glaze db Db Sound Reduction 200 34.5 23 11.5 250 34 24 10 315 35 25.5 9.5 400 35.5 24.5 11 500 31 16 15 630 35 29 6 800 34 29.5 4.5 1000 38 33 5 1250 35.5 30.5 5 1600 35.5 30.5 5 2000 36 31 5 2500 35.5 32 3.5 3150 40 32 8 4000 44 30.5 13.5 5000 47 32.5 14.5 As can be seen from these results the db noise reduction varies as the frequency changes, with the most noise reduction savings occurring at the lower frequency range, starting around 200 630 Hz & again at the higher frequency range 1000 5000 Hz, with the low mean, at around 800 Hz & again at 2500 Hz. As the Db scale is a logarithmic scale not a linear scale, there are some very good noise reductions gains possible by installing MAGICSEAL Retro Fit Secondary Double Glazing with a spacing of approx. 55-65mm from the existing single glazed window pane. As can be seen from the above table the mean would be 8.46 (say 8.5db) Which when translated to a meaningful value is just below + 10db which is equal to twice as loud. This means that if the outside street noise is say taken at a level of 0db = 1, then a level of +10db is twice as loud. From the graph we read approx. +8.5db therefore on average we will cut down the outside noise by around 2 times quieter. Fitting MAGICSEAL RETROFIT SECONDARY DOUBLE GLAZING can overcome the 3 noise source problems shown below to equal photo 4 =
CONDENSATION REDUCTION CONTROL. Condensation forming on the inside of the glass within the space not only looks unappealing and dirty, but can over time cause degradation to paint and varnish work, as well as costly rot damage to carpets and drapes. It is not uncommon during winter frost conditions for mould to form in and around window areas and on drain channels and window sills. By installing MAGICSEAL panels this condensation problem can largely be overcome. BEFORE AFTER This is due to the warm moist air from showers and cooking, trapped inside the room, now not coming into contact with the cold glass, being cooled by much lower outside temperatures. Therefore no dew point will occur on the face of the glass, thereby helping eliminate the main cause of condensation. The financial return is immediate as rooms and units will not have to be renovated as often. There is also minimal disturbance to customers as most clients do not open windows in hotels and motels due to security reasons. UV LIGHT DEGRADATION TO CARPETS AND DRAPES. An additional feature of MAGICSEAL panels is that during manufacture, a special UV ray inhibitor is included in the base composition of the optical acrylic. This means that the MAGICSEAL panels can also filter out up to 85% of harmful UV rays that cause rot and fading to carpets and drapes. For commercial operators this can be a very costly problem. With the current large hole in the ozone layer, lying directly over New Zealand, we can expect much higher incidences of these unfiltered harmful rays to penetrate through windows and reek serious damage on all furnishings. This picture shows the effect of how the optical acrylic stops the UV rays from discoloring the news paper. The optical acrylic is lying on top of the non yellowed print Below shows the harmful radiation UV ray spectrum range.
UV DAMAGE REDUCTION A single pane of clear standard 4mm glass allows most of the UV and visible energy to come through into the room, offering very little protection. The potential fading reduction from solar energy through glass can be determined by a measurement called Damage Weighted Transmission (Tdw). The lower the value of the Tdw the better the surface protects against fading. Our acrylic suppler has provided MAGICSEAL NZ LTD a written warranty against their acrylic yellowing or discoloring for a period of 30 years, to provide our commercial Customers with confidence in their purchase, of MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing products. GENERAL INFORMATION One of the MAGICSEAL GROUP of companies, MAGICSEAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, is registered in Australia with the WERS Energy Rating Scheme. This is a subsidiary operation of the Aluminum Window Association of Australia. The personnel at WERS test model all window producers products to provide an energy rating for that particular window style. MAGICSEAL has had its Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing tested and below is a table of results at various air gap measurements. The table looks at both Heating and Cooling ratings. Residential WERS Certified Products Search Results MagWindow ID Glazing ID Cooling Stars Heating Stars Cool % Heat % MagicSeal Secondary Glazing in Generic Aluminium Awning Window 8mm offset MAGI-004-01 3Clr/8/3PG H H H H H 22% 41% MagicSeal Secondary Glazing in Generic Timber Awning Window 10mm offset MAGI-008-01 3Clr/10/3PG H H J H H H H H H J 44% 68% MagicSeal Secondary Glazing in Generic Aluminium Awning Window 15mm offset MAGI-005-01 3CLr/15/3PG H J H H H H H J 26% 60% MagicSeal Secondary Glazing in Generic Timber Awning Window 15mm offset MAGI-010-01 3Clr/15/3PG H H H H H H H H H 38% 76% MagicSeal Secondary Glazing in Generic Aluminium Awning Window 60mm offset MAGI-006-01 3Clr/60/3PG H J H H H H H H J 29% 72% MagicSeal Secondary Glazing in Generic Timber Awning Window 60mm offset MAGI-012-01 3Clr/60/3PG H H J H H H H H H 39% 77% For further information please go to http://werssearch.freehostia.com/tables/werstable.php?manufacturer=magicseal As can be seen from the table, these test results are very positive indeed showing heating % savings over the range, from 8mm air gap = 41% up to 60mm air gap = 77%. To understand how to read the MAGI styles above, say MAGI-012-01 this translates to:- 3Clr/60/3PG = 3 mm clear glass/ 60mm air gap/ 3mm Plexiglas.
OUR NATIONWIDE SALES TEAM MAGICSEAL is represented Nationwide by a highly motivated, fully trained Team of specialized, autonomous MAGICSEAL Agents, who will be able to guide you right through the Purchase Process. From supply of MAGICSEAL data, job references, brochures, technical specifications, samples of acrylic to test on your complex windows etc, and much, much, more, if that is required, to assist you to make a positive decision to purchase and install MAGICSEAL Retrofit Secondary Double Glazing. MAGICSEAL NZ LTD via its Nationwide Network of Agents will be happy to assist in any way possible as regards:- Special pricing for one off large volume commercial jobs. Head office assistance from our Technical Team to work with you and the Agent, to help select the very best solution for your building s requirements. Staged solutions to assist cash flow, remodeling and restructuring. All work is warranted for faulty materials and workmanship for 12 months from date of installation. All MAGICSEAL materials are sourced from reputable Companies in the USA, Europe and New Zealand for customer confidence and longevity in the field. Here at MAGICSEAL New Zealand, we look forward to being of service to you at all times, for all your project needs. Don t forget we can also supply and fit MAGICSEAL Magnetic Insect Screens, to all your opening windows, to keep those nasty flying bugs out of your premises so you and your customers can enjoy a pleasant insect free environment. CUSTOMER REFERENCES AGENT LOCALITY JOB DESCRIPTION Window & Door Shoppe Christchurch Warner s Hotel RFSDG to old façade Window & Door Shoppe Christchurch Westside Church RFSDG to office Magicseal Wellington Wellington Mecure Hotel RFSDG to all bedrooms Magicseal/Coolawings Auckland Mecure Hotel RFSDG to all bedroom (pending) We hope you will enjoy your purchase of MAGICSEAL products which will give you many years of trouble free value for money, together with environmental and energy savings.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 1 Magicseal retrofit Secondary Double glazing is constructed from 3mm or 4.5mm optical grade acrylic, manufactured by Evonik Rohm GmbH and carries a 30 year warranty against yellowing. 2 Plexiglas optical acrylic burns almost without any smoke or toxic & corrosive gases therefore is extremely safe when installed in commercial building environment. 3 Plexiglas in manufactured by environmentally sound processes at certified facilities better than DIN EN ISO 9001 & DIN EN ISO 14001. 4 Plexiglas is 17 times stronger than the equal thickness of glass and is much lighter in weight. 5 It is chemical, weather and corrosion resistant. 6 It has very high optical qualities. 7 Plexiglas is a flaw-free cast acrylic sheet, +/- 3mm thickness and with minimum stress levels due to casting method. 7 It has high electrical insulation properties and is easy to fabricate. 8 Magicseal edging is made from high quality, high temperature Astalac plastic 9 Our magnetic material is European made to high DIN standards and has a 90 year life span for loss of magnetization. 10 The adhesive tapes Magicseal uses are of US manufacture, very high temperature ranges and are used by Boeing to hold the wing sheets onto the air frame, on the Boeing 700 range of aircraft. Please contact Magicseal for any further technical information that you may require.
Magicseal (NZ) Ltd. Magicseal: 0800 10 44 66 Phone: +64 3 358 9237 Fax: + 64 3 358 9427 Info@magicseal.com www.magicseal.com