Energy Efficiency for Your Home

Understanding R-value

Building materials are assigned an R-value according to the product's ability to resist heat movement. The higher the R-value the better it insulates your home. Most windows have an R-value of 0.9 to 3.0 and can be responsible for 40% to 70% of heat or cold transfer for an entire home. The heat loss or gain at your home's windows is impacted by the following:

Window Properties - Window frames can be metal, wood or vinyl. The R-value of a metal frame can be 5 to 20% lower than a wood or vinyl framed window. A single paned uncovered window has an R-value of 1.75. Advances in glass coatings have improved the energy performance of new windows, but a window's age, quality and condition of weather stripping and caulking will impact how much air infiltrates or escapes from your home.

Window Square Footage - Windows make up 20% of the typical home exterior and 40% in contemporary construction. Numerous large, uncovered windows can break your energy budget when they are on a cold north exposure in winter or a sun-saturated west wall in summer.

Window Coverings - Heat moves towards cold. In the winter it is drawn to cold glass to escape your home. In the summer outdoor heat moves toward the windows of your air-conditioned home. Using layers of solar film and putting window treatments at your windows can increase the R-value by 1 to 7 points. In extreme climates, that could save more dollars than you would have spent to install these items in a short time.

Window coverings of all kinds will help you save energy. With the warming of the Earth and the melting Artic ice we must all do whatever we can individually to help our planet by cutting down our energy use. Properly installed window film and cellular shades can be some of the best money you will spend to keep your home more comfortable and to help save our planet. For more information on solar film visit my website at www.winsbysungard.com and for information about window coverings visit www.drapesandmore.com. Remember, with just a little effort you and I CAN make a difference to help our planet!