Gone are the days when windows were limited to providing aesthetic appeal and natural lighting alone. Today, these structures also come with qualities like acoustics, energy-efficiency, etc. Installing energy-efficient glass windows is not only suitable for a homeowner because they help save on hefty energy bills, but it is also great for the environment and helps one reduce their carbon footprint.
What are Energy-Efficient Glass Windows?
As the name suggests, energy-efficient or energy-saving windows are specially designed to prevent hot or cold air from escaping your home or office. These structures, through increased insulation, reduce your energy usage and, thus, bring down the stress exerted on your heating and cooling devices along with their running costs. Since energy-efficient glass windows are capable of maintaining optimal interior temperatures, they award any space high thermal comfort.
How to Choose Energy-Efficient Glass Windows?
Energy-saving windows are a result of specialised glazing as well as framing solutions. Here are the top tips to help you figure out the process behind choosing energy-efficient glass windows.
Pro Tip #1 Understand Glazing to Choose the Correct Type
In a nutshell, glazing is nothing but the glass that you install in a window. Glaziers are professionals who work with a host of glass surfaces and framing materials. Common types of glazing used particularly in architectural applications include tempered, annealed, laminated, low-E, and other variety of coated glass surfaces that can be single, double, or triple-glazed.
Single glazing means affixing just one pane of glass inside a frame, whereas double and triple-glazing stands for inserting two and three panes in a frame respectively. Generally, low-E or low-Emissivity glass is a preferred option to make windows more energy-efficient. You can go for double-glazed energy-saving glass windows if shelling out big bucks is not in your budget that year. However, if you are seriously considering a fenestration improvement project, and live in a hot or cold climate, get triple-glazed energy-efficient glass windows for higher efficacy.
Pro Tip #2 Choose a Suitable Framing Material
Let’s face it! It is ultimately the frame of your window that is responsible for holding the glass panes together. Ergo, choose your framing material only after studying the available market options. Don’t merely settle for what is readily available. A fenestration system is also responsible for you and your family’s safety and security. Therefore, before zeroing in on a frame, figure out its durability, weather and corrosion-resistance, along with longevity.
uPVC, aluminium, and timber window frames are all great options to choose from. And what’s more is that each of these framing materials is ideal from the perspective of energy-efficiency. Why? All because of technological advancements! For instance – thermal break technology has made modern-day aluminium a low thermal conductor. Moreover, timber treatment methods have made wood rot and termite-resistant. So, depending upon your aesthetic tastes, you can choose any framing material you want.
Pro Tip #3 Learn about Different Window Types and Their Performance
Windows come in several designs, styles, and functionalities. You can choose from an array of sliding French windows, fixed windows, picture windows, casement windows, double-hung windows and much more before arriving at the one you wish to install in your home or office. Whichever design you shortlist, remember that from an energy-efficiency standpoint, casements, awning, and tilt-and–turn windows are the best. These structures, in this case, have a distinct advantage as they are pulled or pushed tightly against their weather-stripping, sealing them shut.
Sliding windows glide along a horizontal track and have an easy-to-operate opening and closing mechanism – they simply need to be pushed from one side to the other along the track. Casement windows are a classic design that swings open outwards or inwards from the middle, much like double doors, and is hinged from one side. Tilt-and-turn windows are usually pulled free from the top, and they offer exceptional insulation. Awning windows are hinged from the top and can only be pushed open outwards. These structures are often installed higher up on walls and work as conduits for enhanced privacy and natural light.
The Bottom Line
Finally, the biggest pro tip of all is never to overlook the vitality of proper installation. Even the most efficient window structure will fail to perform at its best if you don’t choose a well-seasoned window installation expert. Are you looking for a reputed and experienced fenestration company? If yes, then look no further than AIS Windows! We offer a world of stunning and practical window and door solutions that are bound to suit all your home improvement needs.
Our squad of professionally trained technicians is well-equipped and eager to offer help in every step of the way – from selection to installation to after-sales support. So, what are you waiting for? Step into the world of AIS Windows and choose top-notch energy-efficient glass windows. To know more, get in touch with us today!