Triple, no trouble

The smaller Fakro window, in our wetroom

Triple glazing reduces energy loss and massively reduces noise, even compared with double glazing. So if we really wanted to match our excellent insulation (and defeat the noise from a nearby main road) then triple it had to be!

We plumped for a couple of roof windows from Fakro. This German brand is less well known than a rival who will not be named (but begins with V), but it has a good pedigree for making timber loft windows, loft ladders and more. I especially like its new balcony window design, but it wouldn't have worked in our space.

Want to know how the installation went? Click on read more...

The Fakro FTT U5 Thermo triple-glazed windows we plumped for (from £315) have a U value of 0.94 W/m2K (which is very good, the lower the U-value the more insulated the window; single glazing has a U-value of 5.4 W/m2K and standard double glazing 2.6 W/m2K).

They come in a range of standard sizes. And while we'd heard scare stories about windows going wrong, the process of ordering, receiving and fitting our two roof windows went incredibly smoothly (unlike our dormer window; be sure to read “The window that fell off the back of a lorry”!). The builders and roofer left holes precisely the right size for them to slot into and it all worked perfectly.

One the interior décor was complete, we also added a Fakro blackout blind (from £82) to the window in the main space, leaving our options open if we wanted to use the space as a bedroom in years to come. Again it was a complete doddle to fit and is very discreet – when open you just see two aluminium runners down the sides, taking up very little space.