1. Surface-Four Findings Discussed at IGMA
Meeting
February 6th, 2013 | Category: Event News, Industry News
“Use of Fourth-Surface Coatings in a Cold Climate,” presented by Tim Clancy and Lisa
Green of Guardian Industries, was one of the main topics of discussion today at the 2013
Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance Annual Conference in New Orleans.
The presentation, which was based on a study Guardian conducted, noted that the main
goal of the study was the investigation of “real-world implications of the National
Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) 500 condensation resistance (CR) number as it
pertains to the use of fourth-surface low-E coatings in cold environments in conjunction with
a low-E on the third surface of a dual-glazed insulating glass unit (IGU).”
For the study, which took place between Fall 2011 and Fall 2012, six double-hung windows
with vinyl frames were examined. The windows had a 16-mm gap with 90-percent argon, 10-
percent air fill.
Additionally, interior temperature was maintained at 70 degrees Fahrenheit with three
different relative humidity (RH) levels of 30 percent, 40 percent and 50 percent. Outdoor
conditions included a 12.3-mile-per-hour wind, temperatures varying between 65 to -20
degrees Fahrenheit, held steady between 0 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
The presentation included videos of the condensation tests performed to show the
differences in condensation between the traditional low-E window and the traditional low-E
with surface 4 coating. Results of the 30-percent tests showed relative consistency in the
levels of condensations, similar to the results seen for the 40-percent condensation tests.
The 50-percent test showed that the fourth surface coated window had condensation which
appeared much more quickly and grew at a faster rate than the lower humidity tests.
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