How to Choose the Right Windows for Your Home (Part 1)

As energy prices continue to soar and more consumers become conscious of energy efficiency, many homeowners are trading in their old, drafty windows and upgrading to new ones in a effort to go green and save some green too.

Most people look at new windows as an expense, which costs money, but they really should be looked at as an investment, which is defined as a thing worth buying because it will be profitable or useful in the future. If you choose the right windows, the value and comfort of your home will increase, and your energy bills  and maintenance costs will decrease. Like any investment decision you need to educate yourself so you really understand what you are getting for your money. Here are 2 of the critical components to consider when selecting new windows:

Glasses and Gasses: It represents the largest area of the window so glass obviously has the biggest impact on energy loss.  Newer technology such as low conductivity spacers, Low-E coatings and gas filling have been able to cut the amount of energy that flows through the glass. Low-E is a metallic coating that works like a one-way mirror. The almost-invisible coating reflects heat back into your home during the winter and reflects it out during the summer. There are a variety of Low-E coatings with different performance levels and price points. Titanium is one of the more expensive, yet better performing coatings, and is well worth the money. 

Inert gasses like argon and krypton are also used to improve the energy efficiency of glass. Because they are less conductive than normal air, they reduce the energy that can be lost across the air space between two panes of glass. Look for windows that have warm edge spacers that separate the panes of glass. These will decrease heat loss and reduce condensation on the edges of the glass more effectively than conventional metal spacers.

Framing Materials: Windows are available in a variety of different framing materials, but vinyl is the most widely used for today’s replacement windows.  Vinyl weathers well, cleans easily and is virtually maintenance free. Because vinyl features low thermal conductivity, it’s a great material for minimizing heat loss. Some critics are concerned with the strength of vinyl, but look for vinyl windows that are designed with hollow cavities for stiffness, and reinforced with aluminum in all the major structural areas to ensure a sturdy vinyl window.