As tightly as we might insulate our homes, caulking every little draft and crack, and filling every crack with environmentally friendly insulation, windows still remain a major drain on heating and energy bills. So outfitting your home with insulated windows presents a great opportunity to considerably reduce energy consumption and consecutively reduce the cost of heating and cooling your home.
Insulated windows also known as double glazing windows are energy efficient and versatile, and offer a number of advantages for homeowners. If your home has inefficient or old windows, it may be a good idea to replace them with insulated windows to improve their energy efficiency.
The only pitfall of insulated windows is that they can cost twice as much as other types of windows. But apart from the high initial costs of buying and installation, insulated windows are an unrivaled long term investment, and generally pay themselves off in a few years.
Insulated windows are less likely to have problems with condensation. This generally occurs when moist or warm air comes in contact with a cold surface such as non-insulated windows. You will notice these better insulating values as soon as you replace your old windows with insulated windows. For example, when the temperatures outside are in the range of 0°F, you being inside your home will be able to snuggle up to 44°F.
Insulated windows are available in several different variants such as double or triple paned, but regardless of which one you choose, they make outside noises literally inaudible from the inside. This is due to the fact that the air between the panes doesn’t permit as much noise to stream through, and if you’d like reduce outdoor noises even further, installing argon or krypton gas between panes will do the trick.
As mentioned before, insulated windows are available in several variants most commonly double and triple paned, and are equipped with more than a few low-emittance (low-e) coatings to provide insulation against cold and heat. Insulated windows are compatible with all materials particularly vinyl, wood and fiberglass. If you’re still on the fence of whether or not to get insulated windows installed, the above mentioned benefits should help ease your buying decision.