Cold Wet Winter Inside? Are Your Old Windows Letting the Winter in?

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Today.com

Tired of a drafty house?

Tired of taping gaps around your windows?

Tired of winter already when it’s only January?

Can’t see out your windows?

Condensation dripping down your windows?

Tired of winter already when it’s only January?

The weather outside shouldn’t appear on the inside. If you’re constantly chilly the culprit may be your old windows. If your windows are letting the winter in - it may be time to replace your old windows. Inefficient windows leak cold air and moisture.

There are many ways to temporarily fix the problems, but the permanent solution to drafts and cold wet windows is to replace your old and leaky windows with new energy-efficient products.

Drafty windows or cold windows are chief among the reasons to replace windows. When you sit next to your window in winter it’s colder than the rest of the house and the HVAC system works overtime. Simply put, your old windows probably provide little to no insulating value.

Andersen 400 Series

Double-paned glazing with insulating argon gas eliminates uncomfortable, expensive drafts. Todays technology also includes warm-edge spacers and new weather stripping materials to further insulate. Understanding the SHGC (solar heat gain co-efficient) of the glass options, allows you to further control how much heat enters and leaves your home during the winter. For example, in our northern climate you can choose a high SHGC glazing, which means the window will reflect heat back into the home, collecting more solar heat, for your south facing windows.

Condensation or frost build up can naturally be worse in the winter when the outside temperature is below the dew point of the indoor air. Water or frost appears when warm moist air comes in contact with colder dry air.  Older single pane windows provide no insulation allowing condensation to form on the cold surface creating water droplets or ice on the glass. Even early double-pane windows with aluminum spacers can experience condensation. If this describes your windows, like the drafty or cold windows above, upgrading your windows to today’s technologies will make a significant difference.

Today’s windows are engineered differently. Frankly, the most important part of the window to resist condensation is that spacer that keeps the panes of glass apart and seals in the gas. Today’s spacers are made of less conductive stainless steel, U-shaped tin steel, and foam polymers. Low-E and glass filled glass panes reduce temperature transfer between the inside and outside. With improved window frame technologies as well, new windows are sure to significantly improve if not eliminate condensation woes.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer through another winter because winter is a great time to replace you windows. Come to our showroom to see replacement windows by Andersen, Marvin, Pella and more.

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.