How Can Replacing Your Windows Help Keep Your Colorado Home Cool?

The windows in your home can have a major impact in terms of indoor temperatures and how energy efficient your house is. If you often have issues with your home being too hot in the summer and your air conditioning struggling to keep up, replacing your windows can make a huge difference. In this article, we'll explain why that is and also look at some of the different factors to consider to help you choose the best replacement windows for your home.

Understanding How Windows Contribute to Heat Gain

In most homes, windows are one of the biggest, if not the biggest contributors to heat gain. All of the heat gain you get through your windows is a good thing during the winter since it helps keep your home warmer. In the summer, it's obviously not a good thing since the heat gain causes the temperature in your house to rise more quickly. The result is that your air conditioning has to do more to remove the additional heat coming in through the windows, meaning it ends up running more and using more energy.

There are a few different ways that windows contribute to heat gain. The first is simply due to warm sunlight streaming inside through the windows. This issue is something you can mostly prevent just by closing your curtains and blinds during the day to block out the sunlight. Taking this step is definitely recommended since it will help keep your home quite a bit cooler during the hottest parts of the day.

Another issue is that heat can penetrate straight through some windows. What happens here is that the panes of glass heat up, and the heat then radiates off the glass into the room. This issue is most pronounced with old single-pane windows since the pane is usually fairly thin and provides almost no insulating value.

Hot air can also easily get inside through window frames if they're old and in poor condition or the frame isn't fully sealed up on the inside and outside of the home. Similarly, if the weather strip on the window has started to deteriorate, it also prevents the window from fully sealing and results in hot air continually flowing inside.

Benefits of Replacing Your Windows

Windows typically only last for around 15 to 20 years. After this point, they usually start having issues where they don't fully seal and allow more heat to get inside. The window frames and the insulation between the frame and the wall also tend to deteriorate with age, leading to more gaps where hot air can leak inside.

If you have any single-pane windows in your home, replacing them with new windows will make a major difference in how hot the room the windows are in gets in the summer and how cold it is during the winter. In most double-pane windows, the gap between the two panes is filled with an inert gas, usually either argon or krypton. The purpose of filling the windows with gas is that it creates an insulating barrier that helps to block out heat and cold. Even though the outer pane is often nearly as hot or cold as the outdoor temperature, the gas prevents the heat or cold from penetrating through and causing the inner pane to become hotter or colder. Triple-pane windows are even better since they have gas on either side of the middle pane, which creates an additional insulating barrier. Some studies have shown that installing triple-pane windows can potentially lower a home's air conditioning costs by nearly 30% and make an even bigger difference in yearly heating costs.

The only issue with double-pane and triple-pane windows is that the gas tends to slowly leak out over time. The reason that argon and krypton are used to fill windows is that they have a fairly low thermal conductivity. That means they are fairly good at preventing heat transfer from inside to outside or outside to inside. Air has a much higher thermal conductivity, which means that windows lose much of their insulating value once the gas leaks out and is replaced by normal air. This leakage issue is one reason why even double-pane and triple-pane windows should eventually be replaced since the new windows will make the home more energy efficient.

In architectural and building terms, windows are considered "thermal holes." This term refers to the fact that windows are a hole in the exterior structure that is nowhere near as well insulated as the rest of the building's exterior. While you'll always have a thermal hole with even the best windows, replacing your old windows with new, high-quality windows greatly reduces the effect and provides a much better level of insulation.

Factors to Consider When Choosing New Windows

With so many different types of windows available, it can be difficult to determine which ones are the right choice and which provide the best performance. In terms of energy efficiency, one thing to pay attention to is R-values. R-values express the level of insulation the window provides, and more efficient windows have higher R-values.

Choosing between double-pane and triple-pane windows is mostly a matter of cost. Triple-pane windows provide a higher level of insulation but also cost quite a bit more. You'll almost always get a fairly decent return on your investment over time with double-pane windows, but triple-pane windows take a lot longer to pay off and may never fully pay off in some cases. Another thing to consider is what type of gas the windows are filled with. Argon-filled windows are usually less expensive, but krypton has a lower thermal conductivity and provides a higher level of insulation.

What materials the window frame is made of can also make a big difference in terms of price, energy efficiency, appearance and maintenance. Vinyl windows are usually the least expensive, but vinyl is a poor insulator unless the inside of the frame has additional insulation. Wood windows provide a nice aesthetic, and the wood frame is also very effective at soundproofing. On the other hand, wood frames require a lot more maintenance than the other types and aren't quite as good at insulating as some of the other options. One option most experts recommend staying from is any type of metal frame. That's because the metal can get extremely hot, which results in the windows having a fairly poor thermal performance. In terms of thermal performance, fiberglass windows are usually the best as long as the interior of the frame is insulated.

One other thing you may want to consider is looking for windows that have low-E glass. Low-E or low-emissivity glass has a thin, transparent coating that reflects heat. The coating on the outside pane reflects most of the heat so your home stays cooler in the summer. The coating on the interior pane also helps to reflect and keep heat in during the winter so your home stays warmer.

At Rise Renovation, we specialize in exterior remodeling and offer numerous solutions to help you improve your home's appearance and make it more energy efficient. Whether you need new siding, doors or roofing, you can count on our experts for help. We offer a wide range of American-made replacement windows and will work with you to ensure you get the best option for your home that fits your budget. To schedule a window replacement consultation in the Denver area and learn more about the options we offer, contact us today.