Can Double Glazing be Fitted from the Inside?

If you’re looking into having double glazed windows fitted, it’s worth reading up about how the process works. This can help you decide the best route to go down when upgrading your home or apartment.

Here’s our guide to whether double glazing should be fitted from the inside or outside. We’ll explain the ideal scenarios for fitting both from the inside and out, since the best way to do it can depend on a variety of factors. We’ll also describe how to tell which is the best option for you, depending on your windows and living situation.

Internal vs. External Beading

When considering whether you’ll need your double glazing fitted from the inside or the outside, you need to determine whether your frames are internally or externally beaded. What does this mean?

When glazing any window pane into a frame, the glass panel needs to be held in place under compression. This is what we call beading. With PVC windows, this is normally a plastic strip seen around the edges of the glass. This strip is what snaps the glass into place during installation, and runs all the way around the side of the window frame the glass was fitted from. You won’t find beading on the other side of the glass, since it’s already held in place from the direction it was fitted.

If you can see the beading line on the inside of your window frames, it means your glass was fitted from inside the home. If you see beading on the frames from the outside of the house, it means it was fitted externally.

The Pros and Cons

When fitting double glazing, it’s important to know whether your current frames are internally or externally beaded. If you’re going for entirely new frames they are all internally fitted as standard

Appearance

Some people prefer the appearance of externally beaded windows. Old, timber window frames usually feature external beading as it tends to look smarter. The side the glass is fitted on will feature more ridges and bumps in the frame design, so externally beaded windows can look neater. It’s usually down to personal preference – from the perspective of looking out from inside the home, internally beaded windows will look better.

Accessibility

If your frames are already fitted, or you live high up – you won’t have the hassle of deciding whether to have your windows internally or externally beaded. If you live high in a multi-storey building like an apartment block, your windows will naturally need to be fitted internally as they won’t otherwise be accessible.

Considering the Frame Design

Sometimes you won’t have the luxury of choosing between internally or externally beaded windows. If your frames are already fitted and you’re having double glazing installed, the glass panes must be fitted from the original side the beading was on anyway.

This is because frames have a glazing rebate. This is the area within the frame that the glazing panes need match up against. So externally beaded frames need to be fitted from outside the home, while internally beaded frames need to be fitted from inside the home.

Modern Fitting Options

PVC has been the standard material used in window frames for a while now. Many homeowners are in the process of upgrading to more modern options that provide greater security and durability. Aluminium windows are becoming popular within new builds and upgrade projects. They can use either internal or external beads, so you have the option to decide between which version you prefer most.

Whichever type of frame you have, the specialists fitting your double glazing will be able to identify whether it needs to be fitted internally or externally. It’s good for homeowners to understand the difference between internal and external beading, however, so they have more knowledge surrounding how their windows work to protect the home.

Efficient Double Glazing Solutions by Cloudy2Clear

If you’d like to have double glazing fitted or replaced affordably by experts, Cloudy2Clear can help. With us, you can have your double glazing fitted without having to endure long waiting times. Here’s how the process works:

1. Contact us to book your free consultation with our service engineers. We’ll try to fit your appointment in as soon as possible.
2. During your consultation, we will survey and measure your property so we can determine a quote for your double glazing needs. We’ll also make recommendations that will work in your best interests, as our experienced engineers can help you decide on the product that’s right for you.
3. It should only take around 20 minutes for you to receive your quote once everything’s been surveyed.
4. If you do want to go ahead, we’ll confirm this quote with you and place the order for your materials. We’ll then aim to book your fitting in within 5 – 10 days, though this timeframe can depend on the materials involved.
5. On fitting day, we’ll work efficiently to fit your double glazing without disrupting you or your neighbours. We keep mess and noise to a minimum, as our years of expertise mean we can complete the job smoothly.

To get started with Cloudy2Clear, contact us today. You can call our team now on 0800 61 21 119 to book in your consultation. You can also get in touch with us to request a callback from your local branch manager by filling out our contact form.