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Bob Crager
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
2009-11-01 15:55:00
What causes condensation on windows?
Answer: There are several things that can cause that condensation of water on the inside of your windows. First, everyone who has lived in a cold climate has, at one time or another, seen this moisture situation develop. Sometimes, it’s even in the form of frost or ice. When warm indoor air cools below its dewpoint, then liquid water will condense on the glass. Normally it starts out looking like the glass is fogged over, but left unchecked, it will complete the cycle and evolve into water droplets, sliding down the glass. It usually develops around the edges of your window glass, because that’s where most of the multiple pane glazing is held apart by conductive spacers. The material the spacer is made from has an effect on the rate that heat moves through the edge of the window. A lot of window makers now offer “warm edge spacers” as standard equipment. Aluminum spacers are not as acceptable. The best windows use less conductive materials, such as thin stainless steel, plastic, foam, or rubber. Warm edge spacers can improve the U value of a window by 10%, while boosting the edge temperature by around 5 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby reducing or eliminating that condensation from your glass. On the older wood windows, it’s very important not to allow condensation to run down and accumulate on the sill or the window frame all winter long. Wood rot doesn’t care where it lives, and it will live at your house if you don’t pay close enough attention to this advice. Vinyl windows have been around since being introduced in the 1960’s. Originally, these windows were actually vinyl clad, meaning that they were wood windows with a vinyl covering. As manufacturing processes developed, the true vinyl window came about. Vinyl windows today are formed from dies, and cut and welded together. The frame and sash components are completely vinyl. The vinyl can be dyed during the manufacturing process to produce a virtual rainbow of colors, although the most common ones are white and tan. Good vinyl is very weather resistant and lasts years longer than the aluminum or wood models. Replacement windows can also offer some substantial savings in your energy usage. As always, you get what you pay for, and your local glass dealer can help instruct you as to what glass or windows will accomplish your goals for your house. Ask your glass dealer about the ratings that you need to be aware of so you can be sure to get the right windows. The U factor of a window indicates the heat loss of that window assembly. The lower the U factor, the better the insulating value. On the other hand, SHGC stands for the solar heat gain rating, and indicates how much solar energy passes through the window. Again, a lower number is better. Vinyl replacement windows can achieve up to three times better ratings than standard wood windows. Vinyl is energy efficient, durable, rot proof, insect proof and weather resistant. It’s made with chemicals that inhibit UV-degradation. Vinyl is colored throughout and requires no painting. If you choose vinyl frames, specify light colors and heat-welded corners. Heat-welded corners hold up best over time. The pigments that are used in paint are almost identical to those used in vinyl, but vinyl’s color goes all the way through. It can still fade a little, but a little rubdown with Soft Scrub or one of recommended cleaners will bring vinyl back to its original brilliance. Fiberglass-frame windows are showing up in a few product lines. Fiberglass is extremely strong, and because it is made of glass fibers, the frames and the glass expand at the same rate. Fiberglass must be painted and is more expensive than vinyl. Owens Corning, Andersen and Marvin are three major manufacturers that produce fiberglass windows. Owens Corning is the only manufacturer that makes fiberglass windows with insulated frames. But before you get too excited, the whole-window U-value for a low-E argon-filled casement window carries the same 0.32 rating for both an uninsulated vinyl and an insulated fiberglass unit. Aluminum-frame windows are durable, requiring little maintenance. However, they are energy siphons and shouldn’t be used where energy efficiency is a consideration. Another cause of condensation on the window glass can be your humidifier. You can’t just turn some older humidifiers on in the fall and let them run without attention. If you have a water supply valve, controlling the flow of water to your humidifier, you might have to adjust that water flow to slow down the condensation on the glass surfaces in your home. Too much water flowing through the unit can add to the condensation you’ll see on your windows. Also, there are filters in some humidifiers that require some maintenance or replacement. The range of window options available today is staggering. But a working knowledge of the terms and these few guidelines should make choosing windows a little less intimidating. See your local glass dealer for help in buying and installing the best windows for your home or office building. Happy Holidays! More next month...
 
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