 | Bob Crager of Lewis Street Glass is a 26 year veteran in the glass business. Lewis Street Glass is a leading Wichita Glass company, serving the entire Wichita/Sedgwick County area since 1919. They do anything and everything having to do with glass, both residential and commercial. They also do Auto glass. They are located at 743 South Market, facing Kellogg on the South, and you can reach them by phone at (316) 263-8259. You can email Bob Crager at bcrager@lewisstreetglass.com |
Glass
2008-08-01 09:35:00
Old windows costing you more money?
Question: Are my old windows costing me a lot more for heating and cooling?
Answer: Windows can be one of your home or business’s most attractive features. Windows provide views, day lighting the interior spaces, ventilation, as well as solar heating advantages in the wintertime. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10 to 25 percent of your heating bill. And during the summer, sun exposed windows will make your air conditioner work two to three times harder. If you live in the Sun Belt, you should look into the new solar control spectrally selective windows, which can cut the cooling load by more than half. Also, if your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of the homes in the U.S. do, consider the advantages of replacing them. New double-pane windows with high-performance glass (e.g., low-e or spectrally selective) are available on the market today. In colder climates, you should select windows that are gas filled with low-emissivity (low-e) coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain. If you are building a new home, you can offset some of the cost of installing more efficient windows because doing so allows you to buy smaller, less expensive heating and cooling equipment, thereby having a much lower run time on that equipment to achieve the inside temperatures for your family’s comfort, winter or summer. Also in the warmer climates, you can install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows. Install awnings on south- and west-facing windows. Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.
Now, if you decide not to replace your windows, there are some less costly measures listed here that can improve the performance of your existing windows. In cold climates, you can install exterior or interior storm windows. These storm windows can reduce your heat loss through the windows by as much as 25 to 50 percent. Storm windows should have weather stripping at all the moveable joints, and should be made of strong, durable materials. They should have interlocking or overlapping joints. Low-e storm windows can save even more energy, cutting your costs of operating your mechanical systems. Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if necessary. Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing. Close your curtains and shades at night, and open them during the daytime. Keep the windows on the south side of your house, facing the sun, clean to maximize your solar gains in the cold.
Speaking of colder climates, you should know that double-pane windows with low-e coating on the glass reflect heat back into the room during the winter months.
In the summertime, the sun shining through your windows heats up the room. Windows with spectrally selective coatings on the glass reflect some of the sunlight, keeping your rooms cooler.
New windows are long-term investments that have a large impact on your home’s energy systems. Today, there are many new window technologies available that are worth considering. Glazing materials now come with a variety of selective coatings and other features. Window frames are available in aluminum, wood, vinyl, fiber glass, or combinations of these materials. Each type of glazing material and frame has advantages and disadvantages. In temperate climates with both heating and cooling seasons, select windows with both low U-values and low solar heat gain co-efficiency (SHGC) to maximize your energy benefits. So, whether you upgrade to new state of the art technology windows, or try to get by with the ones you have now, pay close attention to your windows, because they could be costing you substantially in energy losses. You can stop those losses by having someone come out and make recommendations for repairing or replacing your windows, whether it is in your home, or your business. More next month…
