Choosing New Windows The Right Way | Fort Worth, TX
Photo By Kurgu128 at istock
When it comes to choosing new windows for your home you want to make sure you’re looking at the right features. While many people will look at things like the style of the windows and the color of the frames, it’s important to take a closer look at some of the other factors, like energy performance, condensation resistance, air leakage, and visible transmittance. All of these things will help you to find the right windows that are going to provide you with the best possible results.
Energy Performance
The energy performance of your windows is reliant on a number of factors, which we’re going to take a closer look at as well, but it’s important to think about all of the different things that go into getting a great window. Energy performance for new windows will make sure that you are getting the best possible price and that you don’t have to worry about as high of energy bills either. With the energy performance label you’ll be able to see all of the different things we’re going to talk about in a minute, including U-factor, visible transmittance, air leakage and solar heat gain coefficient.
Once you know all of these things you’ll be able to make the best decision about quality windows that are going to provide you with the best possible outcome and make sure that you have a great look. We’ll take a look at each one of them and what you need to know in order to make good choices about what your home needs and how to balance out each of these different things.
U-Factor
When you’re buying new windows you want to look at the U-Factor, which measures the heat loss from your window. When you sit next to a window and you can feel the cold air from outside that means there’s a lot of heat loss. But you definitely don’t want to experience that because it means you’re paying a whole lot more for your heating (and cooling when the weather gets warm outside). Instead, you want windows that have a high U-factor to keep the interior heat from getting outside. As long as you have at least 1.20 you’re doing okay, but the lower the number the better, which means you want to get closer to 0.20.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
This rating is about the heat gain, which means the amount of heat from the sun especially that is coming into your home. You want to keep this number low, because you want to make sure that whatever temperature you have the house set at is the temperature that it stays at. You don’t want to have too much heat from outside coming in because it creates hot spots in your house and it can also cause damage to the furniture and other belongings that you have there. You want to make sure that this number is between 0 and 1, with the lower the number the better.
Visibility Transmittance
You may think that when light passes through glass it’s automatically going to be bright, but that’s not always the case. It depends on the quality of the glass that your windows are made of. The better quality the more sunlight and daylight in Fort Worth, TX you’re going to get. It depends on what the glazing is made of or low-E coating and even tinting or colored glass. This value comes in between 0 and 1, with the higher number meaning that more daylight is being allowed to pass through.
Air Leakage
You don’t want the air from outside to be able to get into your home and that’s what the air leakage rating is going to tell you. This measures what is coming in around your window, and it means that your windows aren’t as airtight as you might think. Or they might be less energy efficient overall. If you’re getting new windows you want to get a rating between 0.1 and 0.3, with the lower number meaning that you’re getting a better result and a better level of energy efficiency.
Condensation Resistance
Another factor that you should consider but that isn’t on this label is the condensation resistance factor. This factor is just how much condensation is likely to form on the new windows, especially on the inside of the glass. You will see a rating between 1 and 100 when you look at this number, and you want to get the highest number that you can. That’s how you’re going to have less risk of condensation and that condensation can be a big problem because it can cause damage to your home as well as changing the humidity levels of your home, which affects overall energy efficiency.
When you look at all of these factors for your new windows you will definitely be able to choose better windows, because you’re going to have a much better rating and a much better chance of success for your energy efficiency. New windows are great for your home, and they’re going to make a big difference, if you know what you’re looking at and you choose the right thing. So, make sure you’re taking a close look at all of these factors and then make sure that you talk to the right team to help you pick out the windows you like best.
Energy Window Solutions in Fort Worth, TX will help you figure out exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to your windows. Whether you need new windows to improve your energy efficiency or just to get a better look and style for your home, you’re definitely going to be happy with what you get. Energy Window Solutions is ready for you. All you need to do is give us a call and we can come to you to take care of your window needs. New windows can be a great investment and they can make your home more enjoyable, if you know where to go.