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Showing The Light
On Windows
With the thick of winter coming, you may be experiencing leaking or
drafty windows. Maybe it's time to replace those old single-pane
windows. Or maybe the winter blahs have taken hold and you're ready
for a new look. Replacing your windows can help you save on your
energy bill, provide a stylish new look to your home, and can be a
strong lure when it comes time to sell.
Remodeler Magazine says that changes in technology, including
alterations designed to increase energy efficiency and convenience
features such as tilt-out hardware, can make recently installed
windows a prime selling point for prospective buyers.
The magazine's 2002 Cost vs.Value Report says an upscale window
replacement project (replacing 10 existing 3-by-5-foot double-hung
windows with double-glazed divided-light windows with interior
finish of alder or cherry and exterior finish of copper or aluminum
cladding) cost a national average of $15,502 installed and yielded a
slightly higher return of 77 percent over replacement windows at a
mid-range price point.
The mid-range job (replacing 10 existing 3-by-5-foot double-hung
windows with vinyl-clad double-glazed replacement windows and not
disturbing existing interior or exterior trim) had a national
average cost of $9,424 and the cost was recouped at 74 percent.
But new windows do more than just look good. They're also a source
of heat, and need to be tinted or shaded to reduce heat, but those
options also reduce natural light. And not only do windows increase
a room's temperature fluctuation, but incoming light can also cause
fading of carpets, fabric, wallpaper, paint and wood.
By using energy efficient replacement windows, you can reduce light
and heat transfer, as well as heating and cooling costs.
Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, which began
in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and
promote energy-efficient products, the average household spends more
than 40 percent of its annual energy budget on heating and cooling
costs. You can save 15 percent of that with Energy Star-qualified
windows.
The Efficient Windows Collaborative, a group that manufactures and
promotes energy-efficient windows and receives support from the U.S.
Department of Energy's Windows and Glazings Program, says the most
harmful sunlight rays are ultraviolet (UV), which are the most
energetic and most likely to break chemical bonds, leading to fading
and degradation of materials with which the light comes in contact.
The EPA says that windows with Energy Star labels are energy
efficient all year long and are twice as efficient as the average
window produced 10 years ago. They're available in aluminum,
fiberglass, vinyl and wood, and include design styles such as
single-hung, double-hung, casement, horizontal slider, fixed and
picture, as well as patio slider.
All Energy Star windows are labeled by the National Fenestration
Rating Council, a non-profit, public/private organization created by
the window, door and skylight industry and comprised of
manufacturers, suppliers, builders, architects and designers,
specifiers, code officials, utilities and government agencies. The
NFRC provides unbiased energy performance ratings on window, door
and skylight products.
The NFRC suggests looking for the following when choosing
replacement windows:
U-factor, or how well a window keeps heat inside a building. The
lower the U-Factor, the greater a window resists heat transfer. A
good U-Factor to look for is 0.35 or lower.
Solar heat gain co-efficient (SHGC), or a window's ability to block
warming caused by sunlight. The lower an SHGC number, the less UV
rays that cause heat gain are coming through a window. Look for an
SHGC number of 0.40 or lower.
Visible transmittance (VT), or how much light gets through a
product. A VT number is a direct percentage of available light
coming through a window - the higher, the more light coming through.
A good percentage is about 55 percent.
Air leakage, or heat loss and gain by infiltration through cracks in
the window assembly.
Low-E coatings, a microscopically thin, virtually invisible metal or
metallic oxide layer deposited on the glass during manufacturing.
Low-E coatings reduce heat transfer through the glass, and can
reduce UV rays that cause heat gain by up to 75 percent and reduce
fading of interior furnishings.
And of course windows offer style as well as function. Design
options from manufacturers include Pella's integrated crank that
features a fold-away handle for casement windows, KML by Andersen
architectural windows in radius-top casements and double-hungs, and
Andersen Art Glass in 11 original patterns including Frank Lloyd
Wright series designs.
Window manufacturer Owens Corning suggests choosing a window style
that complements your home's current window system. And keep in mind
that the windows you select express your personality and can give
your home a great new look.
New windows are a feature of your home you're sure to enjoy. And
with products like Energy Star windows, you'll save money now by
reducing heating and cooling costs, and in the future by using the
windows as a selling point when you're home's on the market.
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