Tips for Choosing Energy Saving Windows

As the New Year approaches, most people set goals for themselves, and most homeowners set goals for any improvements, repairs or replacements their home might need in the upcoming year.

Depending on the age or condition of your home, purchasing new Energy Saving Windows might be at the top of your to-do list.

What can Energy Saving Windows do for you?

• They can reduce your heating and cooling costs
• You will be more comfortable in your home by eliminating the cold drafts and the hot air that has been creeping into the house through leaky windows
• You will enjoy reduced frost and condensation on your windows
• Energy efficient windows can help reduce fading from the sun on your carpets, furniture, wood floors and other materials in your home
• Installing new energy efficient windows may help you earn federal tax credits for qualifying windows

Your windows play an important part and have a big impact on the energy efficiency of your home…either costing you money or saving you money. So it’s important to make an informed decision when you’re…

Choosing new windows for your home

1. Understand the types of window frames:
   1. Wooden frames – The look of wood has a warm cozy appearance, they can be painted for decoating purposes, but there is a certain amount of maintenance that comes with wooden window frames. They are relatively energy efficient, but because of the fact that with the hot and cold of the weather, these frames will expand and contract, which may cause leaks to develop unless you make sure they are sealed up tight.
   2. Vinyl frames – Because they are typically made from PVC that has a UV coating, they are protected them from sunlight which can cause decay. They also have hollow spaces in their core that can be filled with energy efficient insulation.
   3. Composite frames – Because they are made of laminated lumber and particle board, these frames are cousins to the wooden frames, but because they are moisture resistant, they are more energy efficient.
   4. Metal frames – Because most of them are made from aluminum, they are strong, light weight and basically maintenance free. They do require extra insulation, due to the fact that they do conduct heat, and without the added insulation, you will be heating the outside.
   5. Fiberglass frames – These frames do not expand and contract with the weather, they do not conduct heat, they can hold large pieces of glass and they can be painted.
2. Choosing the right glass/glazing is a critical choice…double pane, insulated window packages are pretty much the standard today. They reduce the amount of heat, going either in or out, that gets through your window. You can add a 3rd pane which will reduce the heat movement by 50%.
   1. Gas fill between the panes is a great way of blocking the heat from leaving or entering.
3. Window type is an important consideration:
   1. Awning windows provide good protection against air moving in or out of your home, and also provide good ventialtion when they are opened.
   2. Casement windows, similar to awning windows, also provide good protection against air movement.
   3. Double or single hung windows have a tendancey to allow air leaks at the point where the windows and sashes come together. Also they must be weatherstripped to prevent air movement along the edges or tracks at the point the 2 sashes come together.
   4. Sliding windows, because they must be weatherstipped are similar to double or single hung windows.
4. Window tinting is another option that can prevent heat moving in or out of your home. You have several tinting choices from slightly to more heavily tinted windows. The problem with this is that you have to remember that tinting your windows will have an effect on how the light looks coming into your home.

Choose your new windows, to save on energy bills, to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, to weather the weather and endure for years.

Keeping your windows clean is more than cosmetic, it’s prevention, and should be done on a regular basis. If cleaning windows isn’t “your thing“, Contact me for a FREE Quote.

I have been cleaning windows in the Seattle area for nearly 30 years, and quite frankly, I enjoy it!  I will be happy to answer all of your questions, and I know the mistakes to avoid. I clean private homes or apartment complexes.