Window replacement is a big decision to make. The process of choosing windows for your home should take many critical factors into consideration. But when you are doing your research and making that selection for a home located in a region of the country known for seeing colder temperatures, the choice of options can start to grow a bit narrow.
You first priority is to find a window that will help keep your energy bills in check. Colder climates mean reliance on energy for heating the home and those electrical and gas bills can start to get out of hand. Your window should be ready to handle the demands of a chillier climate and these are some of the things you should seek out in order to find just the right one for your particular home.
Your Window’s U-Factor
One of the first things you need to ask your window dealer about is U-Factor. It’s a rating that informs you as to that make and model’s capability for preventing heat loss. The lower your window’s U-Factor, the more resistant it will be to allowing heat to escape.
Your ideal U-Factor should be at or near the lower end of the spectrum, around 0.14. A higher U-Factor means that more heat will be able to slip out through your window.
Low Emissivity
Otherwise known in the parlance as “Low-E”, this is a coating that is placed on the interior of the windowpane as another means of keeping heat from escaping away to the outside. When a window has been designed and manufactured with Low-E tech, it can mean a reduction in heat loss of up to 50%.
Getting a Low-E window might cost you a bit more, but you can weigh those costs against how much you could end up spending on your utility bills and find that your upfront expense is less in the long run.
Your Window’s Argon and Krypton
Both of these are inert and invisible gases that are thicker and denser than regular oxygen. The gas acts and a secondary barrier that is placed inside of the window as another means of reducing heat loss from inside the home when you’re running your heating system.
You can find argon or krypton gases in some of the most energy efficient windows on the market as they make it a whole lot harder for heat to pass through. Common glass is not an effective solution for insulation, inert gas can act as that all-important insulator.
Your Window Panes
Finally, windows housing multiple panes are far more efficient at conserving energy than single pane alternatives. You’ll find fewer new houses built with single pane windows as architects and builders opt instead for double or even triple pane options instead.
The multiple layers of glass are also very effective at lowering heat loss and, combined with argon or krypton, can be far more successful at helping you save money on your heating costs. Yes, these windows will cost more than their single pane counterparts.
