This Summer, You Protect Your Home From Heat With Better Windows

Summer is here, and if you’re the type who dreads the heat more than you look forward to the seaside, you’re probably already thinking about how to keep your home cool over the next couple of months without sending your energy bills soaring. Most people go straight to the air conditioning or the insulation and skip right past the windows, even though they play a major role in regulating indoor temperatures. If your house has older or inefficient windows, they could be letting a serious amount of outdoor heat inside, which forces your cooling system to work harder than it should. The U.S. Department of Energy states that windows account for 25 to 30% of a home’s total heating and cooling costs, and if you’re living in Lafayette, there’s a good chance your house has single-pane glass, so those numbers could be even worse for you.

So maybe the priority shouldn’t be the AC at all. Maybe it should be switching the existing windows for high-quality alternatives, so you get improved comfort, lower energy costs, and better protection against Indiana’s summer weather.

How Windows Affect Your Comfort During The Summer

This one crosses most people’s minds, because unless you’re an architect or a builder, you might not fully understand how windows actually work. The windows are one of the main pathways through which outdoor heat gets into your house. When sunlight shines through the glass, the solar heat gain can quickly raise the temperature inside. If you have older windows with single-pane glass or worn seals, they’re badly vulnerable during the summer, and it goes both ways, they let the heat in and they let your cool air escape.

You can imagine how uncomfortable that gets on the hottest days, especially if you spend time sitting near a window. On top of that, your HVAC system ends up running far more often, which means higher energy consumption and more wear and tear on your cooling unit.

When you switch to modern energy-efficient windows, those problems tend to shrink, because the windows control solar heat gain and give you much better insulation.

What You Get With Low-E Glass

By now you’ve probably figured out that your windows need replacing, but you might not be sure which type to go for. We spoke with the team at Pella Windows & Doors of Lafayette, and they’ve seen a real jump in popularity for Low-Emissivity glass, which has a special coating designed to reflect heat while still letting natural light through, which is a nice bonus because it means your plants actually survive the summer. The Low-E coating earns its keep in summer because it blocks a big portion of the sun’s infrared rays, the part responsible for heat building up indoors. You still get the natural light, just without the excessive warmth that usually comes with it. Go with Low-E glass and you end up with a more comfortable interior through the summer and lower energy bills to go with it.

How Double And Triple-Pane Windows Improve Insulation

You might not have paid your windows much attention until now, but chances are they’re single-pane, especially in an older home. Unfortunately that means they give you barely any insulation, and if you want to get through the next couple of months without feeling like you’re melting like ice cream, it’s worth upgrading to double-pane or triple-pane windows, because they add an extra barrier between the outdoor and indoor temperatures. They’ve got insulating spaces filled with inert gases or air that cut down on air transfer, so the cool stays in even on the hottest days. And they pull the same trick in reverse during winter, keeping the warm air inside.

Here’s a short comparison between the different types, going by U-factor:

• Single pane, no coating: 0.90 to 1.10
• Double pane, no coating, air filled: 0.40 to 0.50
• Double pane, Low-E coating, argon filled: 0.25 to 0.30
• Triple pane, two Low-E coatings, krypton filled: 0.15 to 0.20

Because Lafayette sits in ENERGY STAR’s North Central zone, you’ll want windows with a U-factor of 0.25 or lower to be in good shape.

New Windows Cut Down The UV Damage To Your Interior

Everyone’s wary of UV rays in summer, but people only really fear them outdoors, they don’t stop to think UV can do damage inside the house too. Prolonged exposure can cause your flooring, furniture, curtains, and even valuable artwork to fade and deteriorate over time. So there’s another reason to invest in modern energy-efficient windows, the good ones come with coatings that block a large percentage of harmful UV. Go with high-performance windows and you protect everything you own inside without having to keep the blinds shut all summer long.

A Small Guide To Choosing The Right Window Style

The windows you pick will shape how comfortable you are through the summer, because some styles offer better ventilation, letting air move through naturally during the cooler parts of the day, the evening and the early morning.

Casement windows open outward and catch the passing breeze, funnelling fresh air into the house. Kept closed, they’ve got a tight seal that stops unwanted hot air from sneaking in.

Double-hung windows give you flexible ventilation by letting both the upper and lower sashes open, which promotes airflow and releases the warm air trapped inside.

Picture windows maximise natural light and the view while being extremely energy efficient, because they don’t open, so there are far fewer chances for air to leak.

Depending on the room and how much fresh air you want moving through it, you can use one style or mix several. Plenty of homeowners combine all three to get the most out of each.

And Here’s How You Stay Comfortable This Summer

Turns out the trick to protecting your home from summer heat starts with the windows. Go with modern options and you bring in real improvements, more comfort, better energy efficiency, and windows that last a good long while.