Minnesota summers and winters can both be brutal in their own ways, so installing energy-efficient windows is extra important to comfort in your home as well as saving money on your energy bills.
Are Your Windows Already Efficient Enough?
Although cold spots are usually blamed on drafts, they can also result from poorly-insulated windows. If you sit next to an older window during the colder months, the temperature around you may seem cooler, because the thin sheen of heat closest to your skin is actually gravitating to the cold glass of the windows. During the summer, the reverse is true, which means the heat coming in through the glass is actually warming the air your air conditioner is trying to cool.
Poorly insulated windows are also more likely to have condensation on them. Grade school science taught us that when warm, moist air hits a cool surface, the humidity in the air turns into water droplets on the surface. That’s why water forms on mirrors in the bathroom and on older windows when there’s a dramatic difference between inside and outside temperatures. If you notice cool or warm spots and moisture on your windows, it’s time to replace them.
Which Window is Best For Providing Good Insulation?
When it comes time to shopping for the most energy efficient window, it can be hard finding the best option, since there are so many different ways windows are rated. The best way to get around this is to look for labeling by the National Fenestration Council, or NFRC. This nonprofit group is formed by window manufacturers and experts who rate different types of windows on the U-factor of the entire window, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and visible transmittance (VT). Most window companies will have the label in direct view, but if it’s not, ask to see it. You can also request it directly from the NFRC at a cost of $15.
By installing properly-insulated windows, you’ll be saving yourself money in the long run, while increasing the comfort of your home.
Window Outfitters installs a wide range of energy-efficient windows for Minnesota home and business owners. If you’d like to see for yourself, please contact us to make an appointment at our showroom.
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
