Quality windows have features carefully designed to improve your home. This technology can help you save money on energy costs – and keep your home more comfortable and secure. As you shop for home windows, here are some features you may see.
- Double or triple panes. When you look through a window, you’re often looking through more than one pane of glass. As you can guess, double-pane windows have two panes and triple-pane windows have three panes. This is all in the name of energy efficiency.
- Argon gas. Sometimes panes of glass will have Argon gas between them.
This makes your window an even better insulator. - Low-E coatings. Low-E refers to low emmisivity. A Low-E coating is a layer over the windowpane. This layer helps return heat where it came from – in other words, it helps indoor heat stay inside and outdoor heat stay outside. And, Low-E coatings can also help reduce UV rays.
- Warm-edge spacers. Spacers separate panes on double- or triple-paned windows. Warm-edge spacers cause less of a long-term issue with condensation than older versions did.
- Interlock. When sashes and frames interlock, they have a system to fit together especially well.
- Extrusions. When you see the term “extrusions” or “extruded”, it means pieces were formed by pushing material through a “die”, a cut-out mold.
Another term you’ll encounter as you shop for windows is: U-factor. U-factor refers to the transfer of heat. It has to do with a window’s ability to insulate. A lower U-factor means better insulation.
Some features may be useful for your family; others may not. We’re here to help you decide which kinds of windows would be helpful for you. Give us a call, schedule an appointment, or visit us in our Osseo showroom. We’ll walk you through your options and help you find the windows that are right for you. A third-generation, family-owned company, we want you to be happy with your choice for the long term.