There are different types of insulated windows, and they can all have the same life expectancy as a normal single pane window when no damage is caused to them. Many of the better insulated windows have the following structure: pane of glass; gas, film, gas, and another pane of glass. This sits in a frame with a seal. The biggest problem for insulated windows is that the seal breaks letting the gas escape, reducing the effectiveness of the window. This seal can break with damage to the frame.