Hot or Cold about Double-Paned Windows?
Perhaps you haven’t made a decision yet about double-paned windows. Talk about hot or cold! Southern Arizona is an area of extremes – and especially extreme weather. For example, Tucson temperatures range from a low of 6º in 1913 to a high of 117º in 1990. There’s not much defense against 111º of difference, but double-paned windows sure can help. Let’s take a look at the reasons why.
What is Double-Paned Glass?
Most windows are made from a single sheet of glass. Just as it sounds, double-paned windows are two pieces of glass in one frame. It’s not as simple as all that, though. When the two pieces are fitted together, there is a spacer that keeps them apart with an invisible, inert gas – either Argon, Xenon, or Krypton – filling that gap. This gas is an important element, because it creates an invisible, non-toxic, thermal barrier. Should the gap only be air, the windows would not insulate the house as well.
Most often, Argon is the gas used for the insulation between the two sheets of glass. This colorless, odorless gas is denser than the air trapped between the glass, providing thermal insulation. In order to keep the windows cooler and closer to the temperature inside your house, a special low emissivity (Low-E) coating on the glass helps.
What are the Benefits of Installing Double-Paned Glass?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the kind of windows you have definitely have an impact on reducing the cost of energy for your home. For instance, heat gain and loss through your windows affect up to half of the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling. Considering that we generally have 100 days of 100-degree weather in the Sonoran Desert, the savings for improving the window design of your home can be significant.
Double-paned glass has another benefit that most consumers do not realize. Noise reduction. The ambient noise from outside your residence, such as traffic, rain, or noisy neighbors, will not be heard as loudly as when the windows are made of a single sheet.
What about the Cost?
The initial investment of the replacement of single-paned windows with double-paned ones is significantly higher. On the other hand, the long-term benefits of the installation of double-paned windows make it worthwhile. Energy Star windows can save you hundreds of dollars annually on your energy bill. In fact, statistics show that this investment will pay for itself within several years.
When the glass is coated on one side of the dual-pane window, the surface of the glass can absorb or reflect radiant energy. During the winter, heat loss is greatly reduced when the windows are Low-E and Gas Filled. This glass can keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
What’s the Next Step?
Should you need to replace your window glass, contact us at Glassworks of Tucson. We’d be glad to explain why it’s well worth it to consider double-paned glass. This type of window will act as a barrier against the extremes of temperature throughout the year. Remember, too, that these windows will reduce the ambient noise heard from outside your home.
Single-paned glass can actually add to the cost of your annual energy bill, so it’s prudent to invest in the quality and the efficiency of new dual-paned windows. Give us a call at (520) 721-7893 to book an appointment or visit our Showroom at 3847 N Oracle Road in Tucson. We look forward to seeing you!