Out past Warragamba Recreation Reserve, where the streets give way to the W6D Firetrail and the bush, Silverdale is a mix of older brick homes on big blocks and newer builds with wide west facing windows. By mid afternoon in summer the sun sits low over the escarpment and pours straight through single glazed glass, and many homes in this part of Silverdale rely on air conditioning to fight it.
Key takeaways
- Double glazing slows heat moving through the glass, but it is the coating and tint that cut the direct afternoon sun.
- West and north west facing rooms in Silverdale gain the most; south facing rooms gain the least.
- The Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) rates windows by U value and solar heat gain coefficient, and both numbers matter for a hot climate.
- Thermally improved aluminium frames stop the frame itself becoming a heat bridge on a 40 degree day.
- A free on site measure is the only reliable way to match glass to each elevation of your home.
How does double glazing actually reduce heat?
A double glazed unit traps a sealed layer of air or inert gas between two panes, and that layer slows the conduction of heat from the hot outer pane to the inner one. On its own that reduces the warmth you feel radiating off the glass, but it does not stop sunlight passing through.
That is why the glass specification matters so much in western Sydney. A low emissivity coating reflects a portion of the infrared energy back outside, and a light tint or solar control glass reduces the amount of direct solar heat that enters the room in the first place. The combination of a sealed unit and the right coating is what makes double glazed windows work in summer rather than just in winter.
Which rooms in a Silverdale home gain the most?
The rooms that face west or north west gain the most, because that is where the low afternoon sun lands when the day is already at its hottest. In many homes in this part of Silverdale that means a living room, a kitchen or a main bedroom that was built to take in the view toward the dam and the ranges.
Large blocks around Warragamba Recreation Reserve and Eugenie Byrne Park often have little to cast shade, so the glass takes the full load. On a north facing elevation a decent eave does part of the work in summer, so the gain is real but less dramatic.
South facing rooms get little direct sun, so if the work has to be staged, those windows can usually wait.
Newage measures each window on site and specifies double glazed windows for the elevation that takes the afternoon sun. Call 0408 585 846 for a free measure and written quote.
What glass should you choose for western Sydney heat?
For most Silverdale homes, a double glazed unit with a low emissivity coating on the inner face of the outer pane is the sensible starting point, and a light grey or neutral tint on the west side where glare is a problem. Clear double glazing without a coating will feel cooler than single glass, but it still lets most of the solar heat through.
Two numbers tell the story. The U value describes how easily heat conducts through the whole window, frame included, and lower is better. The solar heat gain coefficient, often shortened to SHGC, describes how much of the sun’s energy gets through the glass, and for a hot west facing room a lower figure is what you want. In a colder climate you might chase a higher SHGC for free winter warmth, but on this side of Sydney the summer load usually wins the argument.
| Glass option | Afternoon heat control | Winter warmth | Daytime glare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear single glazing | Low | Low | High |
| Clear double glazing | Moderate | Good | High |
| Low E double glazing | Good | Very good | Moderate |
| Tinted low E double glazing | Very good | Good | Low |
Newage makes every unit to measure, so the glass can change from elevation to elevation on the same home, and mixing specifications is common on acreage homes with long runs of glass.
Does the aluminium frame matter as much as the glass?
It matters more than most people expect, because a standard aluminium frame conducts heat readily and can undo part of the gain from good glass. On a hot afternoon the outer face of a plain frame can be uncomfortable to touch, and that heat travels straight through to the inside.
A thermally improved frame uses a polyamide break that separates the outer and inner aluminium so heat has no easy path across. Paired with a sealed double glazed unit, the whole window performs as a system, which is how AGWA rates it rather than glass and frame separately.
Do new windows in Silverdale need council approval?
In most cases, replacing existing windows with new ones of a similar size and position in a house is treated as minor work in NSW and does not need a development application. The NSW Government’s exempt development rules set out the conditions, and like for like replacement usually sits within them.
The picture changes when the opening is enlarged, a new window is cut into a wall, the home is in a heritage area, or the glass must meet bushfire construction requirements because of the block’s rating. Some parts of Silverdale that back onto bush near the W6A Firetrail and W6 Firetrail North fall into mapped bushfire prone land, and glazing there has specific requirements that a certifier will check.
Newage advises on this at the measure stage and will tell you plainly whether a certifier needs to be involved before anything is ordered. You can read more about the people behind the workshop on the About Us page.
Newage advises Silverdale homeowners on certifier and bushfire glazing requirements before any double glazed windows are ordered. Ask at the measure.
How does a double glazing upgrade usually run?
From first call to final clean up, a typical whole house replacement follows a clear sequence, and the longest part is the manufacturing lead time rather than the installation itself.
- Site measure A Newage measurer visits, checks every opening and talks through which elevations carry the heat load.
- Written quote You receive a written quote with the glass and frame specification set out for each window.
- Approval check The team confirms whether any opening or bushfire rating needs a certifier before the order goes ahead.
- Manufacture Each unit is made to measure in the Smeaton Grange workshop.
- Installation The Newage install team removes the old windows, fits the new ones and seals each opening, usually a room at a time.
- Handover Locks, operation and the workmanship warranty are explained before the team leaves.
If you are also considering new glazed doors to the alfresco, the double glazed doors can be made in the same frame colour and glass so the whole west wall performs together.
Can you double glaze an older home with big single pane windows?
Yes, and it is one of the more common jobs on the larger blocks around here. Many homes in this part of Silverdale from the 1980s and 1990s were built with wide single glazed sliding windows in plain aluminium frames, and those openings can take a new double glazed window without changing the brickwork.
The main consideration is weight. A double glazed unit is heavier than the single pane it replaces, so the frame and the rollers on a sliding window need to be specified for it, which is part of why Newage builds each one to measure rather than adapting a stock size. Awning windows are a popular swap for wide sliders in bedrooms, since they seal tightly and can be left open in a shower, and you can see them on the awning windows page.
What homeowners near Warragamba Recreation Reserve usually run into
The first thing installers tend to find on blocks around the reserve and the firetrails is that the west wall has been living hard. Seals on older sliding windows have shrunk, the frames have faded from sun, and there is often a visible gap between sash and frame that lets hot air and dust straight in. Double glazed windows made in Smeaton Grange close that gap because the whole frame and sash are new, not just the glass.
The second is that homes were often built to the view rather than to the sun. Big glass to the west looks wonderful at dusk but puts the hottest hours of the day on the most used rooms. Installers usually suggest keeping the glass but changing its specification rather than shrinking the openings.
Third, on the larger lots there is frequently a mix of window types from different decades, including a timber sash or two that no longer closes properly. Bringing everything to one modern aluminium system with the same glass is simpler to live with and easier to clean, and it removes the one leaky window that was undoing the rest.
Finally, bushfire mapping catches some owners by surprise. Where a block near the W6D Firetrail has a bushfire attack level, the glazing on exposed elevations may need toughened glass or screens. That is not a reason to put the job off; it is a reason to have it measured by a team that works on the fringe of the bush regularly and can advise before quoting.
Planning new double glazing in Silverdale?
The Newage workshop at Unit 2/16 Blackmore Rd, Smeaton Grange, is about 21.2 km from this part of Silverdale, close enough that the same team measures, makes and installs your windows. Newage has been building aluminium windows and doors in its own workshop since 2009, with more than 2,500 projects completed and a 4.7 star rating on Google.
If your afternoons are too hot in the rooms you use most, start with a free on site measure and a written quote for double glazed windows made to measure in Smeaton Grange. The team also services the wider area through the Glenmore Park and surrounds page, and you can read a companion piece on which glass works on a large open block in Silverdale.
Every double glazed window is built to measure in the Newage workshop about 21 km away and fitted by the Newage team. Book your free on site measure today.
Call 0408 585 846, Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm and Sat 8am to 1pm, and a Newage measurer will walk the house with you. Which rooms are hot and which way they face decides the glass, and Newage double glazed windows for Silverdale homes are built around that.
FAQ
Does double glazing keep a house cooler in summer?
Yes, but the degree depends on the glass. A sealed double glazed unit slows heat conducting through the window, and a low emissivity or tinted coating cuts the direct solar heat that enters a room. Clear double glazing alone helps less on a west wall than a coated unit does, so the specification matters.
Which windows in a Silverdale home should be double glazed first?
Start with the west and north west facing rooms, which take the low afternoon sun on the hottest part of the day. In many Silverdale homes that is the living area or main bedroom built toward the view. South facing windows gain less in summer and can usually be done in a later stage.
Is low E glass the same as double glazing?
No. Low emissivity glass has a thin coating that reflects heat, and it can be used in single or double glazed windows. Double glazing is two panes with a sealed gap. Combining a low E coating with a double glazed unit gives the best result for summer heat and winter warmth together.
Do I need council approval to replace my windows?
Like for like replacement in a house usually falls within exempt development in NSW and needs no application. Enlarging an opening, heritage listing or a bushfire attack level on the block can change that and may need a certifier. Newage advises on this at the free measure before anything is ordered.
How long does a double glazing upgrade take?
The longest part is manufacturing, since each unit is made to measure in the Newage workshop after the site measure and written quote. Installation of a typical home is then done room by room by the Newage team, with old windows removed and new ones sealed in place before handover.
