Installing double pane replacement window is probably the single best way to increase the energy efficiency of your home. If you replace single pane windows in your home with double pane replacement windows, you can drastically improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce your utility bills. This is because it is estimated that about one quarter of a home’s energy bills (for heating and cooling) can be attributed to energy loss through its windows.
Benefits of Double Pane Replacement Window
There are numerous benefits to replacing your old windows with double pane replacement window. These benefits include:
• Reduce energy consumption – Double pane replacement window will reduce your energy consumption because they offer greater energy efficiency than single pane windows. Different windows and window features will determine how much energy your new windows truly save.
• Save money – Saving energy means saving money. Again, your monetary savings will depend on how efficient your new double pane replacement windows truly are, as well as how inefficient your old windows were.
• Block out noise – Aside from making your home feel more comfortable, double pane replacement window can also make your home quieter by blocking out more exterior noise.
• Protect the environment – Using less energy is not only good for your wallet, but it is good for the environment. If you require less heating and cooling in your home, you are burning less fossil fuels. This reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Make cleaning easy – If you have double pane windows with false muntins set between the panes of glass, it makes the windows much easier to clean than a single window with exterior muntins.
Quality Matters With Double Pane Replacement Window
Although just about any double paned replacement window will provide better insulation, reduced energy usage and increased noise-proofing (in comparison to single pane windows) this is one case where quality does matter. If you are going to spend the money to replace the windows in your home, it is worth spending a little more to ensure that you choose windows with quality manufacturing, tight seals and well-made frames. There are also many added features that will improve your windows’ energy efficiency even more, such as gas fills, UV coatings and low-E glass, among others.
Construction Factors
Double pane replacement window are constructed from two glass panels that are set into the same frame with space between them. The space, generally from ½ – ¾” wide, can be filled with air or inert gas, such as argon or krypton. Gas filled panes offer higher energy efficiency that air filled ones. These windows have two to three times the R-value of single pane windows. Double pane replacement window can also have muntins, or dividers, within the space between the panes that make it look like the glass is made up of smaller panes of glass. Frames can be constructed from wood, vinyl, PVC, fiberglass, metal or aluminum, although the most popular option for double pane replacement window is vinyl.
Improving Energy Efficiency
Although double pane replacement window already offer superior energy efficiency as compared to single pane windows, there are a number of options that can increase that efficiency. These include:
• Framing – Wood, fiberglass or vinyl offer superior energy efficiency compared with aluminum or metal frames.
• Fills – Gas filled windows will provide increased efficiency in comparison to air filled windows.
• Coatings – The type of coatings used on windows should vary based on the climate. For homes in warm climates, coatings should allow as much solar energy as possible to penetrate through the windows, heating up the home and thus reducing heating bills. In warmer climates, coatings should be added to reflect or block out solar rays that warm the home, while still maximizing light infiltration, so that air conditioning bills remain in check. Selective spectrum coatings can allow visible light transmittance while reducing the solar heat gain – this is another good option in warm climates.
Double Pane Replacement Window Costs
As with many other products, the cost of double pane replacement window will vary greatly based on such factors as size, manufacturer, the type of frame (wood, vinyl, aluminum, etc), the thickness of the glass, and whether the windows include added features such as coatings or gas fills. As a very general average, you can expect to pay about $500 – $850 per window for a decent to exceptional quality window. Although when you multiply that per window price by the number of windows in your home it can add up quickly, keep in mind the energy savings the replacement windows will cost. Within a few years, you should be able to recoup a lot of your initial cost outlay. New double pane replacement window will also increase the overall value of your home when it’s time to sell.
Related Topics:
Single Pane Replacement Windows
Window Hardware
Window Glass
