First off there are 3 main reasons why you should consider installing energy efficient windows in your home.
- They will save energy which is good for your bank account and the environment
- You will save money because it allows you to use less air conditioning or heat, by properly insulating your home
- Protection for your home
Now I am sure you will agree these are 3 great reasons and they are the reason energy efficient windows are so popular today. Whether or not your existing windows need to be replaced or repaired you should definitely consider purchasing and installing energy efficient windows in your house.
How to choose energy efficient windows?
When shopping for energy efficient windows, you will want to make sure that the windows you purchase are Energy Star Certified. The Department Of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, created the Energy Star Certification. It is a government program that was developed to help consumers and businesses to better protect the environment by means of energy efficiency. You will find this standard on appliances, windows and other products.
Today we will be focusing solely on Energy Star Certified windows. For windows to be certified by Energy Star it must meet all of the following criteria’s:
- They must have a label from the National Fenestration Rating Council or NFRC. What the NFRC does is they test the quality of the insulation on windows.
- They must be 40 percent more efficient that standard windows
- Must reduce your monthly energy bill by a maximum of 15%
While the Energy Star Certificate provides a good indication of the type of window you are receiving, this should not be the only criteria for purchasing a good energy efficient window. Another critical criterion is for homeowners to choose windows that are most appropriate for their specific area of the country where they reside.
There are 3 ways in which Energy Star Labels impact windows:
- Northern regions are rated “N”
- Central regions are rated “C”
- Southern regions are rated “S”
These 3 types of window ratings are used to address the different cooling and heating concerns that are appropriate to each region’s climate. The Northern region is focused more on heating since they experience colder climates, the southern region is focused more on cooling since they experience warmer climates and the central region is focused on both heat and cooling since they get a mix of both climates. Outside of being energy efficient and saving energy, these windows can be very beneficial in both warmer climates and colder climates as they will help to keep your home warmer in the winter months and cooler in the summer months.
Residents that experience extreme cold weather in the winter as well as residents that experience very hot summers will appreciate these impact resistant windows more, especially because these windows will help consumers to reduce the amount they spend on air conditioning and heating bills, because of the way they properly insulates a home. While all these hurricane windows are not the same, consumers will have the choice when it comes to spacers, panes and the frame.
What does this type of window consist of?
Frame
When it comes to frames you want to pick the option that will give you the best insulation, so you should pick a window frame that is either vinyl, wood composites or fiberglass. The downside of picking a wood frame is that it is the hardest to maintain, as you will have to paint it every few years. However, if you are stuck on getting a wood frame, then at least try to get either an aluminum cladding or exterior vinyl to cover it.
Window Pane
You can choose to have a single pane or multiple panes, just remember, the more panes you have, the more durable your impact resistant window will be. For example, if you have 2 panes of glass and in between those 2 panes you have it filled with either argon, krypton or air, then that windows will definitely provide better insulation than if you just had one pane of glass. It is not uncommon to find Energy Star Windows that have 3 or more panes of glass, which each additional pane of glass you will get better energy efficiency, improved impact resistance and the greatest insulation. Multiple panes are also great if noise reduction is a concern for you, as the more panes then the better the window will be a noise reduction.
Low-E Coating
Low-E glass coating is a great option to have on your windows as they can reflect infrared light which will help to keep the heat outside your home in the summer months and keep the heat inside your home in the winter months. Another benefit of Low-E is that it can keep out ultraviolet light which will help to extend the life of your flooring and furniture.
Warm Edge Spacers
The reason you want to consider these spacers is that they are excellent for minimizing the flow of heat and reducing condensation. These warm edge spacers are made of vinyl, fiberglass, steel or foam and their main function is to keep the window panes at the right distance from each other.
Once you start shopping you will quickly find out that there are so many brands and some of the more popular manufacturers that you will see are:
- Alside
- Andersen
- Accent Windows
- Certain Teed
- Cascade Windows
- Marvin
- Gorell
- Winstorm
Each home improvement company will select only a few manufacturers to work with, so don’t be surprised if the brand you see at one store is different in another.
Other Miami-Dade Cities We Service:
Golden Beach FL, Miami Beach FL, Bal Harbour FL, Miami Lakes FL, Palmetto Bay FL, Cutler Bay FL, Opa Locka FL, Coral Gables FL, Florida City FL, Doral FL, Miami Gardens FL, Pinecrest FL, Sweet Water FL, Miami Shores FL, Hialeah FL, Homestead FL, South Miami FL, Key Biscayne FL, North Miami Beach FL, Kendall FL, Aventura FL, Coconut Grove FL