How Window Replacement Can Improve Your Property’s Energy Performance

Technology is getting advanced. And so are the people. Gone the good old days when people just wanted to look good and show their home good. Today’s generation is highly advanced and especially when it comes to save money and energy, there is no compromise. While all are busy in saving money and energy, windows are acting as a great supporter. There are various high energy –saving, efficient windows in market which people are buying to improve their property’s energy performance as well to add an attractive contrast to their home.

All properties lose heat through their windows. But energy-efficient glazing keeps your home warmer and quieter as well as reducing your energy bills. That might mean double or triple glazing! By installing such windows in an entirely single glazed house you could save about 10-15% of your current monthly energy bill. If you are still accompanied by those old-patterned windows, then you should replace it now. Replacing windows can be proved as an energy saver and you will get to see the results in first few months in your monthly electricity bill. There are some benefits which you can get by replacing windows. Apart from smaller energy bills, you get a smaller carbon footprint. A more comfortable home – energy-efficient glazing reduces heat loss through windows and means fewer draughts and cold spots.

Double-glazed windows have two sheets of glass with a gap between them to create an insulating barrier that keeps heat in. This is sometimes filled with gas. Triple-glazed windows have three sheets of glass, but aren’t always better than double-glazed windows. Energy-efficient windows come in a range of frame materials and styles.

Selecting the right window for a specific home invariably requires tradeoffs between different energy performance features, and with other non-energy issues. An understanding of some basic energy concepts is therefore essential to choosing appropriate windows and skylights. Studies suggest that only about 10 to 15 percent of a home’s energy is lost through its windows. If your windows predate about 1950, the wood itself is likely to be valuable and now scarce old-growth wood, which is denser, more rot- and warp-resistant, and holds paint better than modern, plantation-grown wood. Additionally, if a component is damaged it can be repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire window. But replacing it will give you surety of long lasting performance.

The insulating value of an entire window can be very different from that of the glazing alone. The whole-window U-factor includes the effects of the glazing, the frame, and, if present, the insulating glass spacer. Window frames can be made of aluminum, steel, wood, vinyl, fiberglass, or composites of these materials. Wood, fiberglass, and vinyl frames are better insulators than metal. Some aluminum frames are designed with internal thermal breaks, non-metal components that reduce heat flow through the frame. These thermally broken aluminum frames can resist heat flow considerably better than aluminum frames without thermal breaks.

Many windows, skylights, and glazed doors now bear energy ratings or labels, similar to those being placed on household appliances, to assist consumers in selecting energy-efficient products. Energy labels shows a variety of product performance attributes, enabling designers to compare and select products directly, based on each project’s specific energy performance needs.

Selecting the right window can be difficult because of the many factors involved and the great variations in climate, utility costs, and occupant needs. So you must have to be aware while the replacement of your windows. When you are shopping for windows and skylights, pay close attention to whether the U-factor listed by the manufacturer applies to the glazing only or to the entire unit. If it is for the glazing only, the overall U-factor may be considerably higher because of the frame and spacer effects. These effects increase with decreasing total window area.

Try to avoid aluminum-frame windows without thermal breaks if possible. Even in milder climates, these windows tend to have low inside surface temperatures during the heating season, giving rise to condensation problems. Single-pane windows are impractical in certain areas having climates like Toronto. In these regions, multiple-pane, low-E, and gas-filled window configurations are advisable. In most climates, glazing with low-E coatings and gas fills will be a choice that provides significant energy savings in a cost-effective product. Additional glazing layers provide more barriers to solar radiation, thus reducing the solar heat gain coefficient of a window. Thus try to get such windows. Or you can also ask a professional to help you in making such a window. This would cost high but it will be worth.

Manufactures know that now-a-days people prefer such energy-efficient windows instead of those old historical one. So they are manufacturing according to the needs of people. So you won’t face difficulty in finding such windows. Replacing your current window will effective reduce your electricity bills and will save energy with giving you satisfactory result.