However, I’m going to start breaking down some common and even uncommon reasons (that we’ll learn about as we go) for turning to replacement windows for your home.

The first replacement reason that we will explore is a problem many homeowners in Atlanta face: Single Pane Windows.

A Single Pane Window Provides No Insulation

Now if you’re looking at this blog, chances are you’ve already become fed up with your single pane windows. Today, we’ll look at one major reason why you would want to get these windows out of your home.

Insulation

If there is no other reason to replace your windows, I would suggest that this in itself is enough to prompt a a change. Single pane windows provide minimal insulation for your home from the elements outside. They are great to see out of, providing maximum visibility, but one layer of glass will not cut down on the massive heat gain you experience in the summer or the great heat loss in the winter.

The Switch to Double Pane

Double pane windows on the other hand provide so much more than just another layer of glass. Here’s a breakdown of what you get when you replace the single pane energy eaters to energy saving vinyl double pane windows.

• The vinyl frame and sash components are much more thermal than what you will find on a wood or aluminum window (which is what every single pane window employs). Often times, vinyl window manufacturers will even fill their windows’ frames and sashes with an insulated foam to further reduce heat loss/gain.
• Glass thickness is much greater in double pane windows thus slowing down heat transference.
• The space between the two panes of glass in a double pane vinyl window is filled with a dense, inert, gas (usually either argon or the much denser krypton) to slow down heat as either enters or leaves your home. Don’t be fooled, even with double pane insulated vinyl windows, you will still gain or lose heat, (just as you still will in every other area of your home… heat is active!). But the point is to reduce the rate at which heat is gained and lost in your home every year and a dense gas between the panes reduces that rate by large margins.
• Low-e and spacer systems. Both of these elements are also common in a vinyl double pane window. Low-e (low emissivity) is a coating that actually goes on the glass in the windows to reflect heat back to its warmer side or its source. A spacer system, simply put, is the material that is between the two panes of glass that also reduces heat transference and heat loss because of it’s non-conductive properties. On that note, make sure you avoid spacers that are metallic, particularly aluminum. Though they do not rust,  they are one of the most conductive substances you can have in a window. “Warm-edge” spacers are used in vinyl windows and some recognizable, reliable names are Super Spacer, Intercept, Dura-Seal.

Believe it or not replacement windows and doors with lifetime warranties are the kind of investments that you know will last for many years to come. And it’s not just because they’re built to last.

Vinyl replacement windows that are energy efficient and use the most advanced technology of the day reduce energy usage, reduce C02 emissions, and help you save money year after year for a lifetime. When you replace a thermally inefficient single paned window, which does nothing to keep heat from transferring in and out of the house, you upgrade to a window that will ensure a reduction in heating and cooling usage.

Wouldn’t it be nice to put an investment in your home that not only helps your home become more beautiful but take a step toward going green? And wouldn’t it be nice to invest a feature on your home that not only has a lifetime warranty but comes with a lifetime warranty to cover the installation and service? Green, energy efficient, replacement windows are a step in the right direction.

There are very few investments you can make on your home in Atlanta that will last a lifetime. Not only that but there are very few investments that will increase your energy efficiency like a replacement window so that you can contribute to something positive that will help the next generation keep Atlanta going green!