It's a fact that your house leaks most of its heat through its windows. Poor seals on cheap windows allow drafts to intrude which lead you to turn the heating higher. It's also true that common or garden glass is not a particularly good insulator. Ok, you probably know a lot of this already but the problem is you balk at the price of energy-efficient windows, right? What you have to bear in mind is that the right windows can reduce your house's energy usage by up to 25 per cent.
The US Federal Government certainly wants to encourage you to install energy-saving windows by offering you as a home owner a tax credit to cover 10 per cent of the windows' price up to a limit of $500 per year. So you can see that this is effectively a discount on the purchase price making energy-saving windows and doors much more affordable - and don't forget to factor in the reduced energy bills you'll enjoy too. This particular tax credit is called the Existing Home Tax Credit for Fenestration and covers windows installed from 31st December 2005 to 1st January 2008.
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) rates windows' energy-saving capabilities. They use two measures to rate windows: the U-factor shows how well the window keeps heat in your house (the lower this number, the better); and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient shows how well the window keeps your house cool (again, the lower the better). You will need to save the NFRC stickers that come with your windows, along with your purchase receipt, in order to qualify for the tax credit. Any other pertinent documentation can only help.
What should you look for in a window, besides an Energy Star rating? The market supplies many choices, but here are some guidelines.
Most windows that have an insulating function come with two or sometimes three panes of glass. Very often the space between panes is filled with an inert, insulating gas like argon or krypton.
There's also a film or reflective metal coating that manufacturers can put on the glass which helps to achieve lower U-Factor ratings. Some treatments of this sort can even help to filter out damaging UV radiation. It's a good idea if you are installing a west-facing window to attempt to obtain glass that has a really low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. This is useful because rooms with west-facing windows often have overheating problems in the afternoons. Your dealer should be able to help you with this.
Another very important consideration is the window seal. It's imperative that any window you are contemplating buying has a tight seal. You can check this by noting the resistence felt when opening and closing the window in the showroom. The higher the resistence, the better the seal.
Look at your heating and cooling bills, and take off ten percent. Price out your windows, and take ten percent off the price of the energy-efficient ones. Now, can you afford not replace your drafty old non-insulating windows?
About the Author
If you're looking for some energy conservation in the home advice then Graham Tasker, the Webmaster of Green Home Website at http://www.greenhome.no1-source.com has plenty that you'll find interesting and informative.
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