Window Film Or Triple-Pane Windows
Posted on: 15 June 2016
When you are choosing new windows for your home, it is easy to get sticker shock simply based on the cost of new windows. On the other hand, choosing less costly windows typically means buying less energy-efficient windows. Thus, saving money on installation means losing money on utility costs for heating and cooling your home. If you understand what makes windows energy-efficient, then you are equipped to choose windows that will help you save windows both initially and down the road.
Triple-Pane Windows
Double-pane windows have been on the market for decades, but triple-pane windows are relatively new to the market. The basic principle behind multi-pane windows is not that more layers of glass will decrease heat transfer from the inside to the outside of your home. Instead, it is the layer of gas between the panes of glass that decreases heat transfer. If you have a single pane of glass, it will be warmed by the heat inside your home during the winter and chilled by the wind moving across the outside of the pane, and thus you lose heat. When you have one or more layers of gas between panes of glass, the gas acts to isolate the inside pane from the outside world. While triple-pane windows can improve your home's energy efficiency, the more panes of glass you have in a window, the more the window costs.
Low-E Window Film
A second way to make a window energy efficient is to coat the window with a layer of low-e window film. The film reflects heat back into a home in the same way that a layer of metal foil would, and it reflects the sun's UV rays back into the atmosphere before they have a chance to enter your home through your windows and heat it up. These same UV rays could easily pass through triple-pane windows. Thus, window film will decrease your cooling costs by up to 23% and your heating costs by up to 25%.
If you have a lot of money to spend on windows, you should look for triple-pane windows that are coated with a low-e film. This will give you the best chance to protect your home against the money-sapping effects of heat transfer. However, if you don't have a large budget to spend on your windows, then you should look for double-pane windows that are coated with low-e film. Because window film costs significantly less than a pane of glass, they will still help to keep your utility costs low and help to offset the cost of the windows.
Contact a local outlet, such as Innovations Siding & Windows, for further assistance.
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