Aesthetic Appeal and More – Part III: Window Replacement and Energy Efficiency

If you’re looking to your windows to help you save on your overall yearly heating and cooling costs, you have several options open to you. What’s even better is that you don’t have to compromise aesthetics to rake in energy savings.

Picture Windows

Picture windows are the most energy-efficient windows you can install, largely due to the fact that they neither open nor close. This means that, unless you have other sources of ventilation into your room, undesired or otherwise, then a room with picture windows installed will be more airtight than a similar room, all other things being equal.

The large expanse of glass on a picture window also has additional benefits in the way of light and heat. The light admitted through your picture windows can help offset the need for artificial lighting in a room; installed facing towards the east or the south, directions from which the most sunlight comes from during the day, they can even eliminate the need for electrical lighting entirely during the day.

Picture windows can also help offset the amount of heating a room needs. Again due to the large amount of glass in the window, during the colder months the amount of solar heat admitted through the window can help offset the cold even while it lets in the light, making rooms installed with a picture window particularly comfortable places to stay in during the cold winter daylight hours.

Live in an area where it’s generally warm? Opt for low-emissivity glass in your window replacements to filter out heat without impeding natural light, keeping passive heating at bay.

Casement Windows

Ranking just below the picture window in terms of energy efficiency is the casement window. In addition to being the second most energy-efficient window (by virtue of the way the window latches against the frame), the casement window also has the added advantage of providing better ventilation than most other window type.

This is because it’s the only window that opens to the size of its frame and its sash can be angled to catch side breezes that would otherwise just whistle past more conventional windows. With a casement window, you not only better control your home’s heating and cooling, but you also enhance and control the flow of fresh, ventilating air into your indoor spaces.

Window replacement has a lot to offer you and your home so don’t delay! Work only with a reputable window expert in your area and you’ll ensure top-notch product quality and reliable installation.