Back to the Future – Traditional Old homes and Sustainable Remodeling

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

The building industry has transformed over the past decade because of new technologies and designs that make our homes more comfortable and more economical. Traditional homes valued for their quality craftsmanship or architectural significance can now undergo renovations to bring them up to modern building standards without compromising the beauty of the original home.

Remodel with Marvin Casements

The benefits of remodeling or building a new home using modern windows, skylights, doors, siding, sunrooms and other building products means you can create sustainable designs that enhance your life and support the environment.

Keep the vintage façade of your traditional home while upgrading everything else. Windows and doors are indisputably one of the most important elements to focus on in order to improve the efficiency of your home. Marvin Windows and other manufacturer’s can replicate the scale, proportion, profile, configuration, and appearance of the old windows in your traditional home.

Begin by focusing on insulation, draught proofing, ventilation, and the orientation of windows and doors, and you can create the efficiency of a modern home without loosing the beauty of a traditional home.

Insulation

Wood is still the best insulating material for window frames and with Argon gas filled double pane glass makes the biggest insulation impact. Today’s high-end windows such as Marvin and Andersen use warm-edge spacers and weather stripping materials to further insulate their products. Lastly, professional installers,like Woodland, install the windows using high-grade insulation, caulk and weather stripping, and their years of experience to ensure an airtight fit before they close up the space.

Transoms For Air Flow - Marvin Windows

Draught proofing

All windows are not created equal when it comes to draught proofing your home. Pay attention to good-quality detailing around the window, which includes the window design, the fit, and the quality of the installation. Another important consideration is how the windows operate because some operating types have lower air leakage rates than others. Consider how that north wind whistles through your old windows in the winter and replace those windows with awning windows that hinge at the top and open outward. Since the sash closes by pressing against the frame, they generally have lower air leakage rates than sliding windows do for example. Casements also have better leakage rates than double or single hung windows.

Ventilation

Operable vents are back. Remember your grandparent’s old home with the dusty louver windows? Natural ventilation is a key design principle of modern sustainable homes because; who can argue that the simplest form of ventilation is as simple as opening a window. Select from a wide assortment of awnings, hoppers, and other operable venting solutions that allow you to have a cross breeze through your home, while keeping out the elements. Worried about security by leaving windows open at night? The added benefit of the new louver and awning window solutions is that you can leave vents or high awnings open overnight to cool down your entire home during the hot summers.

Orientation of windows

Louver Windows are Back - Australian Home

Carefully planning the location of your windows to allow more natural light to flow in, while at the same time reducing intense heat gains, is the art and science of passive solar design methods. Don’t just replace your windows with new, but identical window sizes or locations. Rather, use this opportunity to make larger window openings on the north side of your home to let more light into dark areas and add a special low-e coating or laminated glass to a south-facing window to prevent overheating a room. Conversely, use your south facing windows to collect heat to warm your house in the winter. If you hear too much street noise, remodeling is the perfect time to select custom windows designed to dampen sound.

You can have the perfect house by remodeling with the new technologies and designs. Preserve the visible beauty of your traditional home while completely upgrading your windows, doors and other elements of your home with cutting-edge products and sustainable design practices. Love your old home and enjoy the conveniences of a new home.

Argon Gas and Replacement Windows in Your Chicago Home

Argon is one of the group eight elements in the periodic table alongside other gases like neon and krypton. Its atomic radius is 18. Argon gas has so many advantages when it comes to modern replacement windows, as well as a few downsides. To begin with, let’s look at the positive side of this gas.
 

Argon gas improves the energy efficiency of replacement windows. Its density is higher when compared to that of oxygen, thus the argon gas between the layers of double or triple paned windows is not easily affected by air currents and drafts. The windows will consequently have a higher insulation property. This saves on energy costs. 
 

Argon gas may also have some not so great effects on your window panes. For example, it will leak out of your window after awhile. This will make it less efficient and therefore not as useful. The argon gas is also not found at higher altitudes, 2500 and above, according to researchers. Should you be living in high altitude areas, it is advisable that the dealer makes your window at that exact altitude to avoid any problems.
 

Argon gas can never prevent transmission of rays of the sun into the room. Infrared rays will always make your furniture and drapes lose their original color over time when exposed to a lot of sunlight.
 

Just keep these things in mind when choosing new replacement windows for your Chicago area home.

Argon Gas and Its Impact on Replacement Windows

Argon is one of the group eight elements in the periodic table. It has an atomic number of 18. Argon gas makes windows more energy efficient. Argon has a higher density when compared to that of oxygen. This means that the Argon gas between the layers of double or triple paned windows is less affected by convectional currents and drafts .The windows will therefore have a higher insulation value. This saves on the cost of energy since the homeowner will not have to spend so much on heating and air conditioning during summer and winter.  
 

Argon gas also reflects excess heat better when compared to plain air. Un-welcomed heat is inhibited from entering your home, leaving you only with the desired warmth. This is a much needed property, especially during hot weather.
 

On the other hand, Argon gas may have adverse effect on your window panes. Argon gas will dissipate out of your window after some time; this results in its reduced efficiency. This problem can be easily taken care of by using nonmetallic spaces that seal better and will not allow your gas to escape. Argon gas replacement windows are not available at higher altitudes (i.e. at 2500 and above). 
 

Improper sealing can also cause leakage of your Argon gas. Manufacturers normally use two methods to seal gas into your replacement window panes, namely, the one-holed method and two-holed method. The former is thought to be the best as it minimizes the possibilities of the gas escaping.

Argon Gas Replacement Windows for Chicago Homeowners

Argon gas replacement windows are usually filled with gas between panes to boost energy efficiency. Some window manufacturers use Krypton gas, as it is a little heavier than Argon. Krypton, however, is more expensive than Argon. And that’s why Argon filled replacement windows have gained more in popularity than Krypton gas windows.
 

Why Argon Gas?
 

According to window experts, Argon gas is one of the single most important components in a replacement window. The gas is capable of improving a home's energy efficiency and saving you lots of money on heating and cooling costs.
 

Argon windows work best in areas that have cold weather during the winter. These windows are intended to reduce the U-Value of a window. The U-Value refers to a thermal rating, tested and certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC).The U-Value is used to determine the performance of a window in cold weather. Typically, the testing rule for U-Value begins at zero degrees.
 

Argon is an odorless, colorless, harmless, and inexpensive gas that is used to increase the insulating properties of a window. More and more homeowners are opting for this type of windows as they offer better insulation than normal windows.
 

There are also triple-glazed argon-filled windows that feature two layers of insulation. It should be noted that Low-E Windows aren’t the same as Argon gas filled windows. Although they are designed using a similar concept, materials placed in between the panes are different. 
 

Benefits of Argon Gas Windows

• Minimizes heat transfer through the window
• Minimizes the chances of frost and condensation 
• Suitable for both hot and cold climate 
• Minimizes the effects of UV-rays 
• Increased R-value 
• The high cost of purchasing and installing argon windows will be recovered on very short time
• Triple glazed windows offer greater benefits than even duel pane argon filled windows 
• Unlike oxygen, argon is harmless and won’t oxidize the window material  
• With argon windows, expect your heating and cooling system to work more efficiently
• Argon gas won’t expand or contract 
• Can increase the value of your home  

If you are thinking of replacing your existing windows with new efficient replacement windows, opt for Argon windows. They come in double or triple pane glass, which is an added benefit in terms of preventing leakages and condensation.