Energy Efficiency Is The
Goal Of Replacement Windows
 With
the high cost of utility bills these
days, and the environmentalists
lobbying for ways to save energy,
the replacement window industry has
stepped up to the plate and produced
many ways to please everybody
involved. Energy-efficient windows
are becoming the norm today and the
methods of accomplishing this are
quite interesting.
If you stand by your window, it’s
easy to understand why changes are
being sought. In the summer, it’s
hot; in the winter, it’s cold. So
there’s a drive to build a wall
between you and the outdoors – a
wall you can still see through. And
that’s what technology has created.
They’ve found a way to keep your
house comfortable, no matter what
the season or climate.
You want your home to be warm in the
winter and cool in the summer. If
your windows are there just to allow
you to see outside, then they’re
doing their job. But if you want
them to be instrumental in keeping
your house at a constant comfortable
temperature, then you need more. You
need the new technology of
replacement windows.
One of the first methods of
insulating your windows was to
double them – that is, put two panes
of glass in the window frame, with
an airspace between the two. The
idea behind this is that the air
between the panes will keep the
outside window at the outside
temperature, and the inside window
at the inside temperature, and
“ne’er the twain shall meet”. This
worked fine, but not as well as
people wanted.
The next innovation was to cover the
window with a clear coating that
would improve heat loss without
decreasing light. That improvement
came in the form of low-emissivity
(Low-E) glass. It improved heat loss
by 40%-70%. But people wanted still
more.
So heat-absorbing glass was
developed. This glass absorbs up to
45% of sunlight, keeping indoors
cooler. However, some heat was still
getting through. So on to the next
development – reflective glass.
Reflective glass is coated with a
film that reflects sunlight instead
of absorbing it. So now the heat
stays out, or in, depending on what
time of year it is, and on what you
need to make you comfortable.
If you are looking for
replacement windows in the Charlotte area
please
call us today at 704-821-6353 or
complete our
online request form.
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