Old, drafty windows can be one of the biggest sources of energy loss in a home. But, you may not nice this until you get that first bill after a new installation.
With fall creeping up and heating season around the corner, right now is a good time to think about what your windows are actually doing for your home.
What Makes a Window Energy Efficient
Only a few specific things separate standard windows from high-performing ones:
- The U-factor measures how well a window keeps heat from escaping. The lower the number the better at doing this. An older standard window could have a U-factor of 0.50 or higher. A quality energy efficient window gets that number down significantly, which means less heat escaping duringthe winter and less heat coming in during the summer.
- Low-E glass is another key component. Low-E stands for low emissivity. It's a thin coating on the glass that is able to reflect infrared heat while still letting natural light through. In winter it will reflect heat back into your home. In summer it will reflect the sun's heat away. It also blocks a significant portion of UV rays which is what causes furniture, flooring, and window treatments to fade over time.
- Double pane windows have two layers of glass with an insulating gas - typically argon - sealed between them. The gas layer acts as a thermal barrier that a single pane window can't replicate. If your home still has original single pane windows you are losing a significant amount of conditioned air through them every single day.
What Your Current Windows Might Be Costing You
Windows account for a meaningful percentage of a home's total heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. In a climate like we have here in Chicagoland - cold winters, hot humid summers, and all the temperature swings in between - that percentage easily adds up.
Drafty windows mean your furnace and air conditioner are working harder than they should to maintain a comfortable temperature. You feel it in certain rooms that never seem to get warm enough in January or cool enough in July. You see it in energy bills that keep climbing without a clear reason.
The same gaps that let air through your windows let moisture in too and over time that moisture can do real damage to the surrounding framing and interior finishes. The energy loss may be the most visible cost but it certainly isn't the only one.
Why It Matters in Chicagoland Especially
Illinois puts homes through genuine extremes. The freeze thaw cycles through late winter, the subzero stretches in January, the stretches of 90 degree humidity in July. That kind of climate demands more from a window than a mild weather market would.
Older windows that might hold up acceptably in a more moderate climate deteriorate faster around here. Seals fail from repeated expansion and contraction. Frames warp. The insulating gas between panes leaks out over time. A window that tested fine ten years ago may be performing at a fraction of its original efficiency today. Homes across Naperville, Aurora, Batavia, St. Charles, and Geneva all deal with the same conditions and the same accelerated wear on windows that may not have been built to handle it indefinitely.
Great Style Options
Energy efficiency also doesn't mean you are stuck with only one look. D-Wing installs energy efficient windows across a full range of styles so the performance upgrade does not come at the expense of how your home looks.
- Double hung windows are one of, if not the, the most popular choice - classic look, versatile, easy to clean, and available in high performance configurations.
- Casement windows offer excellent ventilation and a tight seal when closed that makes them one of the most energy efficient window styles available.
- Sliding windows work well in modern homes and provide easy operation with solid thermal performance. Whatever style fits your home, the energy saving technology is available in it.
Installation Quality
A high performance window installed poorly is not a high performance window. Gaps in the installation, improper flashing, insufficient insulation around the frame - any of these undermine the benefits the window was designed to deliver.
The same principles that apply when evaluating any contractor apply when you are choosing someone to install your windows. The installation is where the long term performance of the window actually gets determined and it is not somewhere to cut corners to save a few dollars on a quote.
D-Wing has been installing energy efficient windows across the Fox Valley since 2001. We carry a 10-year labor warranty on our window installations and financing starting as low as $51 a month so the upgrade does not have to be an all-at-once expense. If your windows are not performing the way they should, we are happy to come take a look and give you a straight estimate.
📞 (630) 556-8099 | Learn more about energy efficient windows at dwingconstruction.com →
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