As discussed in our prior posts about replacement window frames, there are four key pillars to ensure you have a great replacement window experience. Like a table with a missing leg, your satisfaction will collapse if you are missing one of these supports. In this two-part series, we will discuss the importance of the glass in your windows.
The windows in your home are mostly glass. It’s clearly the defining element of your window. It’s the reason we have windows in our homes. Without glass, your window would simply be a big hole in the wall through which heat and cold, precipitation, debris, insects and other intruders would enter your home. And, in fact, at one time, that’s all a window was — a hole in the wall to let in light.
Window glass has come a long way since transparent glass was invented, some say back in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia. Whatever its origins, the original transparent glass used in windows was a very expensive custom-made product available only to the most wealthy. And even then, it was a far cry from what we know today as window glass. Fortunately, the price availability and performance of window glass has changed dramatically from those early days.
Modern Insulated Window glass is a relatively new invention. Not so long ago, all windows used single-pane glass. To help reduce heat loss through the windows, storm windows were developed. A precursor to today’s insulated glass, storm windows were an additional piece of glass added to the inside or outside of a window to create a pocket of air that helped reduce extreme thermal transfer in winter. Although they added some thermal efficiency, storm windows were not air tight and allowed drafts through the windows. In some cases these storm windows did little to eliminate icing on the interior window surfaces.
In about the 1930s, primitive insulated glass was developed. Then, in the 1950s, more advanced insulated glass started to be widely commonly used in the United States. An Insulated Glass Unit is known in the industry as an IGU, and consists of two pieces of glass separated by a spacer. The two pieces of glass are sealed to the spacer to create “Dead Space” insulating air between them. This single unit is then mounted in the window frame or “sash”. The IGU is further sealed to the window, preventing drafts, air and moisture infiltration between the panes. As a sealed part of the window, the modern IGU prevents air movement between the glass and window frame and sash and provides the insulating properties we’ve come to expect from today’s high performance windows.
In our next post in this series, we’ll discuss the creation technological advances in the Insulated Glass Units that provide additional comfort, convenience and durability in today’s high performance windows.
For more information about the glass used in Renewal by Andersen of Long Island replacement windows, contact us at (866) 609-5033 or fill out the short form on the top of this page. Our friendly representatives will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Our last post in this series on the Four Pillars of a Superior Replacement Window Experience, we gave a short history of glass including the use of insulated glass in windows. In this post, we discuss some of the advances made over the last few decades to improve both the performance and durability of the high performacne insulated glass used in better replacement windows today.
Since the first iterations of insulated glass was used in windows, a number of improvements have been made to spacer materials, bonding agents, desiccants and seals. All of these advances have been designed to improve the performance and durability of the glass and window.
One of the biggest enemies of IGUs (Insulated Glass Units) is what’s referred to “seal failure”. Seal failure occurs when the bond of the glue-like materials that adheres and seals the glass panes to the spacer is broken. This allows outside air and moisture into the insulated glass air space, reducing the thermal efficiency of the window and causing the glass to “fog” with condensation, which reduces your visibility through the glass.
Over the past several decades, a great deal of scientific research and testing with different sealant materials has made tremendous advances in the durability and performance of window sealant technology. The best performing insulated glass today uses two different types of sealants to ensure the strength, durability and performance longevity of the Insulated Glass Unit or IGU.
Although insulated glass has traditionally been constructed with normal clean air trapped between the two panes of glass, new high performance insulated glass windows have been developed that use inert gasses such as Argon or Krypton in the air space. These gasses, which are denser than air, improve the thermal efficiency of the window considerably, reducing heat loss through the window and improving the energy efficiency of the home. More energy efficient windows creates a more comfortable living space and reduces the heating and cooling expense for you.
In addition to inert gasses in the air space, additional high-tech glass coatings have been developed to further improve the energy efficiency of high performance insulated glass windows.
If you’ve ever spent any time in a car on a sunny day with the windows closed and the air conditioning off, you’ve experienced how much solar heat can be transferred through glass from the sun. To combat solar heat gain through glass windows, the most energy efficient insulated glass today use what are known as spectrally selective glass coatings. These coatings, made of exotic metals and compounds, reflect and reduce the heat gain through the glass and also help reduce the ultraviolet light that can fade carpets and draperies.
Renewal by Andersen replacement windows use High-Performance Low-E4® SmartSunTM glass that use both energy efficient inert gasses in the air space and spectrally selective glass coatings to reduce heat gain and keep you more comfortable year-round. Low-E4® SmartSunTM is Renewal by Andersen’s most energy-efficient glass ever and is up to 70 percent more energy efficient in summer as compared to ordinary dual pane glass. This glass has Renewal by Andersen’s highest energy efficiency rating in cool weather. SmartSunTM glass also blocks an amazing 95% of harmful UV rays, helping to protect furniture, carpets and wall coverings.
Andersen High-PerformanceTM Low-E4® glass is standard on all Renewal by Andersen windows and Frenchwood® patio doors.
•Up to 56% more energy-efficient in summer and 45% more efficient in winter compared to ordinary dual-pane glass.
•Innovative coating reduces water spots and makes cleaning easier
•Blocks 83% of UV rays that can fade fabric and damage furniture
•Significantly reduces the level of sound coming into your home
Renewal by Andersen products are rated, certified, and labeled by the National Fenestration Rating Council® (NFRC) – a non-profit organization that provides fair, accurate and credible energy performance ratings for windows and doors.
As one of the main pillars in your Replacement Window satisfaction, your choice of window glass will have one of the largest impacts on your long-term happiness with your new windows. Be sure to consider all the features and benefits of your replacement window glass choices before making your final selection.
Your Renewal by Andersen of Long Island design consultant will be happy to demonstrate the performance of our glass at a free, no obligation in home design consultation. Call us at (866) 609-5033 or fill out the short form on this page to schedule your appointment today.
Check out this post for more information on replacement window glass.
