Cold in Winter! Warm in Summer! The battle of the climates and keeping our homes at a comfortable temperature is a year-long issue.
Climate concerns are foremost on everyone’s mind and the need to preserve our environment is paramount. Many of us do what we can for the benefit of the environment and making our homes energy efficient goes a long way to helping.
One of the best ways to make a home energy efficient is with window glazing. Did you know, homes can lose up to 40% of their cooling and heating through windows? But, by installing energy efficient windows this can be reduced by up to 80%.
How can energy efficient windows help?
Double glazed windows are one of the best solutions when it comes reducing energy usage in your home. Double glazed windows are made using two panels of glass separated by a gap of 6 – 20mm which is filled with gas, providing a layer of insulation between the two panes of glass.
Installing double glazed windows in your home provides increased insulation so in winter they keep the warm air inside and then in summer, that warm air is kept outside. These insulating properties mean your heating and cooling systems don’t need to work as hard to keep your home at a comfortable climate. That’s a win for the environment and a win for your hip pocket!
But that’s not all!
While double glazed windows offer great environmental benefits there are also some other advantages to having them in your home.
Double glazed windows offer added security to your home as they are stronger and let’s face it, two panes of glass are harder to break through than one! They also reduce the level of noise that enters your home so if you live on a busy street or your neighbours have a dog that continually barks, double glazed windows will help block out some of that noise.
Given the energy efficiency of double glazed windows combined with the added security and noise reduction properties, double glazed windows will increase the value of your home.
While double glazed windows are one of the most popular and effective solutions, there are other options.
Coated or tinted glass can be used to improve the performance of single-pane windows or to add to the performance of double glazed windows.
Low-E glass is a treated glassed designed to control the passage of heat. This energy efficient glass allows lights to pass through while blocking UV light which generates heat. Blocking the UV light coming in keeps the home cooler. Unfortunately, Low-E glass reduces solar gain so it’s not suitable for cooler climates as it reduces the natural heat generated from the winter sun.
If you’re looking to replace your current windows with energy efficient windows or would like some advice on the options available, call Lateral Building Design today.
