Are Your New Windows Sustainable?

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Windmills in the back yard, rain barrels under gutters, and concrete front lawns, it’s looking like more homeowners are joining the sustainability movement. Sometimes these obvious efforts to do the right thing can seem extreme. When it comes to home building or remodeling, sustainability starts by critically thinking about how windows affect a home’s overall climate.

Windows typically comprise 10-25% of a home’s exterior wall area, and in a climate like ours, they can account for 35-50% of the heating and cooling needs of the home.

When you’re ready to remodel or build a new home talk to architects and builders who understand sustainable design and enlist them to help you create a three step balanced approach to sustainability.

            Step One: Start with Design Principles

            Step Two: Select High Performance Windows

            Step Three: Build with Integrity

Design Principles

Marvin Windows

A good architect or designer will focus on your thermal comfort, in our case, living in an extreme climate. A good design reduces the need for heating and air conditioning and uses construction materials, especially windows that help balance the thermal load. In other words, flooring, ceilings, window sizes and framing materials, shading and other choices interact in ways that lower thermal loads. The goal is for your home to require less heating and cooling to maintain comfortable conditions.

Designers who understand these principles will choose designs and products that are best suited for your home. They will orient windows so as to optimize light and the warmth, while neutralizing the suns overall affect on your home’s temperature. For example, sparingly place windows on the east and west facades, and maximize the window placement on the south side of your home. The design will provide natural ventilation by strategically placing windows on both sides of the house to create cross-ventilation or layouts, like ceiling level hoppers that capture cooling breezes in the summer.

High Performance Windows

Marvin Windows for Ventilation

Advances in window technology, such as double pane and low-e coatings, substantially reduce heat loss and control heat gain. The performance contrast between new windows and the original single glass panes that you may have in your old home is drastic. Imagine that all these years, all you had separating you from the Chicago winter was a single pane of quarter-inch glass. Whether you choose wood, fiberglass, vinyl or aluminum, modern window frame conductivity outperforms anything you’ve known before.

Consult the standardized ratings for Solar heat gain coefficients (SHGC) and U-values provided by the NationalFenestration Rating Council (NFRC) and Energy Star Labels, but remember that while ratings are important, they shouldn’t be the driving factor for the window choices. Features like thermal performance can add to condensation problems for instance, so that interior humidity and climate also need to be considered. Don’t rely on one value over all others; rather take the entire balanced design into consideration when choosing new windows.

Build Smart

Marvin Upper Transoms

The success of your design and product choices relies on building and installation techniques. High performance windows need to be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions so as not to diminish the energy performance, not to mention, damage the window unit or surrounding walls. Homeowners should expect the builder to follow key guidelines to the highest standards.

• Meet all codes
• Properly size rough opening allowing for expansion and movement
• Install window unit level, plumb, and square
• Maintain the continuity of the weather-resistant barrier
• Insulate all voids between the window and wall with expanding foam (minimum rate)
• Maintain the integrity of air and vapor retarders
• Only apply caulks and sealants that are compatible with the substrate

The best measure of sustainability is building something right the first time.

Bring the Outdoors In on a Budget

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Today’s major trend in home building and remodeling are home designs that connect the outdoors with the indoor. These new wide-span doors from Marvin, Andersen, and others, create expansive openings, while engineered to slide easily and make a perfect seamless connection between the indoors and outdoors. A traditional slider can be up to 10 foot wide, while these doors can be up to 16 feet wide. The design significantly opens the view and allows for natural ventilation into your home.

Marvin Integrity Sliding Doors

These beautifully designed and engineered doors can take a big bite out of your budget. Before you rule out creating oversized openings between your home and the outside, consider other alternatives that will give you essentially the same result for a smaller investment.

Creating oversized door openings and expansive window walls can be achieved on a budget by using standard sized windows and doors put together in a modular way to achieve the look you want. Depending on the overall size you need, your options for creating the look you want are limitless.

Sliding patio doors have evolved and can now be selected in one-two-or three panel doors, up to eight feet tall, creating a wide opening. Add sidelights or a transom to expand your views even more. You can also use multiple sliding doors side by side to open the space even wider. Sliding patio doors can be very versatile system if designed where immense areas of glass are desirable.

French doors are a classic favorite that adds architectural detail to any space. Although these hinged doors require less wall space than sliding doors, if they are in-swing doors you’ll need to plan your furniture arrangement to accommodate them. The pair of doors are typically about six feet wide, although you can pair the doors with sidelights and even place two sets of French doors side by side to fill an entire wall.

Andersen 100 Series Sliding Doors

The French slider has the appearance of a classic French door with wider stiles and rails, while functioning as a sliding glass door. It’s a nice hybrid between the sliding patio door and the French hinged door. Typically, French sliders have four panels, two of which remain stationary. When closed, the center panels look like a pair of French doors – a classically beautiful look.

Sidelights, Transoms and Awnings can be mixed and matched with sliding, French doors, or French sliders to create an expansive opening. Traditionally, sidelights were narrow picture windows, which were more decorative than functional. Transoms over interior and exterior doors adorned old homes. Awnings were used, prior to air conditioning to ventilate a home. In the 1950’s when ceilings were lowered these functional windows largely disappeared from home designs. Today, these styles are making a comeback to ventilate spaces, as modern homes are built with higher ceilings, large glass windows and glass doors.

Andersen French Doors

The new expansive doors that connect the outdoors with the indoor are magnificent – lift and slides create an uninterrupted wall of glass – spanning 16 feet tall, which disappears into a wall. Folding glass doors achieve a similar look but don’t require pockets in an adjacent wall. Or Pivot doors that swing open to a perfect 90º are all the rage because of their architectural beauty. Now you can create the same look on your budget with a little imagination.

Marvin, Andersen, Pella and other Woodlandselected window and door manufacturers offer unlimited choices to create oversized openings – you dream and we’ll help you put the components together to bring the outside in.

3 Things to Know About Passive Solar Heat

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Soaring costs for heating and cooling our homes, energy efficiency becomes a priority. Homes are becoming better insulated and sealed allowing the heating and cooling systems to operate at peak efficiencies, reducing usage and costs. The next leap in efficient home design and maintenance is maximizing passive solar heating and natural ventilation. Windows play an invaluable role in the performance of our houses and today’s window options can provide a custom energy efficient solution for your unique house. 

Wikipedia

As a child, before air conditioning was built into most homes, I remember summertime when my mother would open all the windows at night or the very early morning to cool off the house. Then, about 10:00 am she’d close them and pull the drapes to keep the house cool the entire day. Granted the house was dark and stuffy, but compared to the 100º temperatures outside it was a haven.

Today we hear about home energy assessments to measure airtightness, or dual pane low-e windows to manage solar heat, or low U factors to measure performance, but do we really know what these mean for our own home?

Most people don’t know how to remodel or design a new home applying energy efficient principles. While there are multiple things that go into making a house energy efficient, there are three basic principles when selecting your windows: the orientation, the glass, and ventilation.

Window Orientation

If you are remodeling your home or designing a new one the sizes and locations of windows should be based on the cardinal directions of the house – north, south, east, and west.

North/south oriented windows are the best option for visual and thermal comfort and accommodate larger glass openings without over heating, compared to east/west facing windows.

• North-facing windows admit even, natural light with little glare and almost no unwanted summer heat gain

• South-facing windows provide the most winter sunlight but little direct sun during the summer

East/West facing windows receive direct daylight at certain times of the day, which is often preferred for breakfast rooms or sunrooms and should be equipped with shading options.

• East-facing windows provide morning sun, but sunlight entering at low angles often leads to blinds down and lights on and offers little heating in the winter

• West-facing windows allow the afternoon and summer evening light to lengthen the day, may require blinds to cut the glare and invites little heat in winter

Glass

Robert G McArthur Studios

Selecting the right glass depends on the location of your windows and the geographical region of your home. Low-e has become a universal term for energy efficient coating applied to the window glass. Actually, advances in glass coatings and new regional energy codes, Low-e options can be customized to your home’s requirements. Whether you need high light and low heat or greater protection from fading – there’s a Low-e for your requirement. Next week’s blog will explain your glass options in detail.

Ventilation

When remodeling or designing a new home select window styles and window locations that optimize ventilation for added comfort and efficiency.

Fresh air circulation makes a huge difference in your well being while indoors. Educate your self on the many options including skylights with automatic sensors for opening and closing or awning transom windows above interior doors to circulate fresh air throughout your home.

With so many options available to customize window energy performance throughout your home it can be confusing. Remember this, select the right type of window style for the window location and specify the finish and size of the glass. If you do these things, you can improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.

When you’re planning a remodel don’t get caught in the trap of assigning less importance to these aspects of your home. Instead, know that there are unlimited possibilities for managing the light and climate in your home and build these options into your plans.

When Replacing Windows Enhance - Don’t Just Replace

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

We should have changed our windows rather than simply replace them when we had the chance. We’ve all heard this lament at sometime from a homeowner who completed a major remodeling project. Today, more than ever, homeowners contemplating a window replacement or general remodel project need to listen to this cautionary tale. When it’s time to replace your windows, seize the opportunity to enhance the look of your home, do not just replace your windows.

Marvin Ultimate Casement

Be Strategic

It’s likely that 75% of the windows in your home as they were originally installed are still functionally adequate for your lifestyle. However, it’s likely that there are rooms, which could be visibly enhanced with a different style window. Consider casements to replace double hung windows, so you don’t have to climb on your kitchen counters to open a few windows over the sink? Maybe, the stationary transom window above the entry door could be replaced with an awning inviting fresh air to flow through your home? Or maybe it’s time to update your home’s curb appeal with a more contemporary look by selecting new windows that have minimal detailing and integrated window coverings? Simple changes can yield dramatic results.

Pinterest Sarah Sarna

Ask

Enlarging or changing a window style is likely going to cost more than simply replacing the exact window, but don’t be afraid to know the facts. Ask how much it would cost to modify a window opening and compare the price of the window you want versus an identical replacement to the ones you have now. Could you replace a non-operable bathroom window with the same size awning window fitted with privacy glass? Or could you replace an old double hung with a tilt-and-turn window? With a side hinge, tilt-and-turn windows lets the sash swing horizontally and with a bottom hinge that permits the window to be opened like an awning window are ideal for maintenance and increased air flow.

Educate Yourself

The more you understand your options, the better decisions you can make. Let’s say you want to make the window opening bigger. If your window is in a wall that’s not masonry you can make changes pretty easily. If you’re remodeling, including replacing the homes siding, you may have the option of using new construction windows in addition to replacement windows, opening up a wider selection of prices and styles to choose from. Additionally, understand that it’s usually easier to enlarge the window opening vertically, by cutting downward because it enables you to use the existing header. With a little understanding and planning you may be able to avoid custom sizes by enlarging the space to fit a standard window of your choosing.

Pinterest Hilary Ward

Make a Budget

As Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire cat said, “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will get you there.” When it comes to home improvements the cardinal rule to remember is to have a budget that gets you to the end of the project you envision. If you follow the simple formula above you’ll get the windows you want at the price you can afford. Begin with a clear strategy outlining the kind and number of windows to be replaced. Refine your list based on the construction feasibility; weighing the cost versus the return and you now have a plan. With your plan in hand, visit window showrooms, home shows and the Web to see what products are available and the cost of those options - you can now build a budget.

If you want to change your home to reflect your modern sensibilities for design, energy efficiency and convenience a great time to do this is when your windows need replacing.