The team at All American Window & Door know that our Wisconsin winters are no joke! The snowy, frigid conditions don’t just put us in a gloomy mood – they can be downright dangerous. It is important we all have much-needed shelter from winter’s heavy hand. And the warmth and comfort of your home is supposed to provide just that – a break from the cold. But with rapidly increasing energy costs and ever-present extreme weather patterns, staying warm in the winter months may not be as easy as it seems.
Energy costs are rising nationally and the impact of these rising costs can hit us particularly hard around here. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average monthly residential electricity bill increased 13% from 2021 to 2022 – even after adjusting for inflation, this increase was significant and the pocket books of hundreds of thousands of Americans have been impacted. Especially today, a few small home improvement changes can make a huge difference to your bottom dollar. The best way to start saving is by considering energy-efficient windows for your home.
Why You Should Replace Older, More Traditional Windows
There are a number of more temporary solutions that can aid in reducing energy costs in your home, such as sealing off windows in the winter months. However, if you are trying to use these temporary fixes on really old and out-dated windows, you are unlikely to see the results you’re hoping for. By replacing old and out-dated windows with energy-efficient windows, you are taking crucial steps to improve your windows’ insulating performance, ultimately reducing your energy output and carbon footprint while saving precious dollars along the way.
Precious heat can be lost in a number of ways when you’re dealing with more traditional windows – all of which can result in a colder home and a higher utility bill.
- Heat can be lost due to air freely flowing and leaking from poorly insulated areas.
- Single pane windows often allow cold air to pass straight through the glass.
- When the warm air pumping inside your home meets the cold window, a natural draft often occurs.
- Traditional windows are more likely to radiate cold air directly.
With the average surface area of a wall being around 15-20% window, there could be a lot of room for cost savings in your home when you replace or upgrade to energy-efficient windows with All American Window & Door.
How Energy-Efficient Windows Can Help
Energy-efficient windows can help improve your home’s year-round insulating performance in a number of ways.
- Low-emissivity, or low-e, window glass has a thin coating that allows natural light in while deflecting the sun’s UV rays, protecting your home and furniture from light damage.
- Multi-pane windows trap cool air before it has a chance to reach the inside of your home while also keeping the warmer inside air from leaking out through the glass – there is often a heat conducting gas between these panes.
- Upgrading framing materials can also impact a window’s insulation value.
Not only will better insulation help your home stay warmer in the winter months, it will also help keep the cool air sealed in your home and cool things off more effectively in the summer months!
Energy-efficient windows have two factors that can help inform you as a homeowner just how energy efficient they really are – the U-Factor and the R-Value. The U-Factor measures the rate of heat transfer and how well the window insulates. The lower the U-Factor, the more effective the window is at insulating heat. The R-Value refers to a building’s insulation level based on the material used. Your home’s ideal R-Value is dependent on your region and climate.
All American Window & Door is Here to Help!
The expert team here at All American Window & Door is eager to help you understand what your home needs to become more energy efficient and save you money in the long run! We are committed to getting to know your budget and individual home needs so we can break down some of your fears about up-front costs and help you clearly see the long-term benefits of replacing or upgrading your windows to be more energy efficient.
For the comfort of your family and the betterment of your pocket book, contact All American Window & Door today to get started.
