Information About Vinyl Windows

Vinyl window can be one of your homes most attractive features. They also provide ventilation and let natural light into your home. Vinyl windows save on the average thirty percent of your heating and cooling bills. It is also a big selling point when putting your home on the market.

• Insulated glass units have three individual panes of glass that are chemically bonded by a sealant. When comparing vinyl windows you should ask about this unit.


• Low emittance coatings are a thin, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on a window surface to reduce the heat flow through the glazed window. Low emittance windows are used on the side of the home the sun shines throughout the day.


• Low conductive gas filled units filled with air or dry nitrogen prior to sealing the windowpanes together. By filling the space with a less conductive gas it transfers the heat between the inside and outside of the window.  


• The U factor of a window is a windows resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value. Winter nighttime u values are calculated using the outdoor air temperature to determine the correct window for the region in which you live.


• Solar heat gain determines the total amount of solar energy that passes through the glass. Lower values indicate better performance in reducing summer heat and in turn help air conditioning loads.


• Visible transmittance indicates the amount of visible light transmitted. It is the whole window rating and includes the frame, which does not transmit any light.