Why Your Home Needs Energy Efficient Windows | Southlake, TX
Photo By Aleksandra Zlatkovic at istock
If you’ve noticed soaring energy bills, you’ve probably wondered if there are ways that you can cut back on the energy that your home is using. However, there might be an even easier solution than turning off lights and reducing your use of the air conditioner: switching to energy efficient windows.
When you opt for newer windows, you aren’t just plugging up holes in the windows where air might have escaped in the past. You’re also making your home look better, feel more comfortable and work more efficiently, all of which can be major benefits whether you decide to continue to live in your home or eventually sell it for a nice profit. Here are a few reasons why you should replace your existing windows with energy efficient windows!
More Efficient HVAC
Have you ever noticed that your home’s temperature fluctuates throughout the day? That’s because your HVAC is set to either heat or cool your home based on the temperature that exists outside, which naturally changes during the day as temperature fluctuates and the HVAC either enters or exits shade.
Although you can’t control the weather and you usually can’t control where your HVAC is located, there’s another factor you can control: the heat loss through your windows. When your home has older windows, it’s going to heat up on a hot day because cool air slips out of your home and matches the outdoor air temperature. In turn, that forces your HVAC to work harder to get the home to the temperature that’s most comfortable for you and your family.
Switching to energy efficient windows for your home can keep air from escaping as easily, which means that your home doesn’t have to work anywhere near as hard to maintain your desired temperature — and that puts more money in your pocket!
Better Protected Furniture and Pictures
If you have colored furniture, such as a couch or a recliner, you’ve probably had to close off the windows in order to prevent ultraviolet light from the sun from hitting your furniture and causing it to fade. The same is true if you’ve got a treasured piece of artwork that’s directly in the path of the sun’s rays.
Unfortunately, such a situation really is a catch-22 if you don’t have energy efficient windows, because if you do shade your furniture from the sun, you miss out on the benefits of free light and heat from the sun. Turning the lights on is an easy thing to do, but it’s an expensive thing to do because it increases your electric bill at the end of the month when you could have been going about your day with the natural light of the sun.
Switching to these kinds of windows gives your furniture and artwork an extra layer of protection from the sun because they’re both coated with a layer that reduces UV light and because they’re made in such a way that the glass is made up of multiple panels. Three panes of glass can dilute harmful UV rays, keeping your furniture in top shape on those days when you want to let the sunlight into your home!
More Comfortable Seating
If you’ve ever sat next to an older window in your home, you’ve probably noticed the drafts that come into your home during the day. For example, when the glass is cold on a cool morning day, you’re going to notice colder blasts of air that either require you to move your seat, reach for a blanket or crank up the heat in your home.
When you close off the holes that come with older windows by switching to energy efficient windows, you’re naturally going to reduce the drafts that come into your home, which allows you to sit wherever you want in total comfort.
Less Condensation
Here’s something that anyone who has lived in the Metroplex for more than a few years knows all too well: Dallas-Fort Worth is humid. Unlike the dry heat of Arizona or New Mexico, the air in Southlake, TX is consistently humid as well as hot throughout the summer, which means that your windows are constantly facing warm, moist air from the outside and dry, cool air from the inside.
When you don’t have energy efficient windows, the two blasts of air combine to create layers of condensation on your windows. Over time, that condensation can drip onto your window sills, which creates an ideal climate for mold spores. Leave those alone for too long, and you’ll need to call in an expert to clean up that area and eradicate the mold before someone gets sick.
With three panels of glass, energy efficient windows can drastically reduce the condensation from the humid air of a Metroplex summer, which can help keep your air quality as high as it should be. That can make a world of difference on those days when it’s far too hot to be outside!
Lower Energy Costs
By far the best reason to switch your windows is the lower cost that comes with using energy efficient ones over older ones. When you update your windows, you don’t have to worry about air leakage, which keeps your home operating at the temperature that you find most comfortable with little effort on your part.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you’re likely to save between $126 and $465 per year on your energy costs by switching from single-pane windows to energy efficient windows. Because Texas is such a warm state, you’ll likely be on the higher end of that scale, which means new windows can often pay for themselves in two years or less.
At Energy Window Solutions, we’re always happy to help homeowners in Southlake, TX bring their homes into the 20th century by updating to energy efficient windows. If you’re ready to make the switch, give us a call to get information about installation; we’re here to help!