Well-placed windows can add light and interest to your Pine Mountain, Georgia, home. While you enjoy the view or morning rays through your windows, you also want your windows to be as energy-efficient as possible. Through sealing, weatherstripping, glass upgrades, and other techniques, you can improve the energy efficiency of your windows.
Shade With Awnings
One way to boost the energy efficiency for your windows is to start on the outside of the building. When you install awnings on south-facing windows, you can reduce solar heat gain by 65 percent. Do the same on west-facing windows to reduce heat gain by 77 percent.
The most durable awnings are ones constructed from acrylic or polyvinyl laminates. Choose a light color to reflect the greatest amount of sunlight.
A retractable awning can improve your windows’ energy efficiency in every season, not just during warm weather months only. When you pull back the awning in cold weather to allow the sunlight inside, you can naturally warm your home without increasing your need for heating.
Seal and Weatherstrip Your Windows
If you haven’t sealed your windows recently or added new weatherstripping, give each window some time and attention. Weatherstripping lasts only for a few years and may be good only for a single season depending on the product quality you use. If the weatherstripping tears or cracks, replace it. Weatherstrip around moving parts for all your doors and windows.
Carefully inspect your door and window frames for cracks or holes. Since air can seep in through these small spaces, seal any openings around nonmoving parts with caulk.
Upgrade Your Glass
If you’re interested in making a major home upgrade for energy efficiency, consider replacing your standard window panes with low-E (low emissivity) glass. Low-E coatings lower the ultraviolet and infrared light rays that penetrate the glass.
These coatings also work to improve energy efficiency in all seasons. In winter, when warm air tries to escape through the windows, the low-E coating reflects that air back into the home so your heating doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain inside temperatures.
In summer, low-E windows work in the opposite way. The glass directs warm air away from the home to lower heat gain and put less strain on your air conditioner.
Use Reflective Blinds
Most homeowners have blinds on their windows, but you may not have given much thought to what type of covering you’re using on your windows. With the right product, you can significantly reduce summer heat gain with your window blinds.
Choose highly reflective blinds that will redirect the sunlight when the sun’s rays meet them. Close the blinds fully to send the heat and sunlight away from the windows. If the blinds are partly open, their reflective surfaces can let the sunlight in but direct the heat from the sun’s rays toward the ceiling. A light-colored ceiling will then diffuse the light so you enjoy the brightness with minimal heat gain.
Adjust the Drapes at the Right Time
The best drapes for energy efficiency feature a medium shade on the front with a white plastic backing. Hang two drapes for better temperature control. The interior fabric will stay closer to your inside room temperature, while the layer closer to the window handles most of the heat gain.
This dual pairing of drapes can make the area around your windows more comfortable, so hang your drapes as close to the window as possible.
Open drapes to let in sunlight when you want to naturally warm a room. If you’re trying to lower heat gain and keep the environment naturally cool, close any drapes that are receiving direct sunlight. Remember, simply hanging drapes won’t do anything for your home’s energy efficiency if you’re not adjusting them throughout the day and with the season.
Looking for more energy-efficient solutions for your home? Contact one of our home services specialists at Indoor Solutions at 706-225-8241. We can help tune up your heating and air conditioning systems and make sure your home maximizes energy efficiency this spring and summer.
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