How to Do Air Sealing at Your Home to Prevent Energy Loss
For most residential Syracuse homes simple air leaks are a major contributor to energy loss. This lost energy leads to uncomfortable living and higher utility bills. The typical home can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% on annual energy costs) by sealing air leaks. For certain areas around the country that experience extreme weather, the savings could even be more.
Some of the most common air leaks are found around doors and Syracuse windows, electric receptacles on exterior walls, attic hatches, duct registers in floors, walls and ceilings. On exterior doors check the weather seal around the opening. Simply replacing old and worn weatherstrip is a cost effective way to weather seal this area. Using polyurethane foam in 12 oz cans to seal duct registers and other air gaps is a very inexpensive and effective way to seal leaks in these areas.
Foam tape which comes in a variety of sizes is a great way to gasket the area around attic access hatches. This helps keep the conditioned air out of the attic. This is the air you pay each month to heat or cool. One of the most cost effective ways to seal air leaks is by installing gaskets around electric receptacles on exterior walls. These gaskets are made from polyurethane foam and fit outlet and light switches.
Understanding Energy-Efficiency in Replacement Windows
Syracuse window replacement for improved energy efficiency is one of the most popular remodeling projects undertaken by homeowners today. Replacing your windows could result in energy savings of 30% or more in any region of the U.S. Your choices for replacement windows will consider the style of the window as well as the efficiency and safety of the window. To help you understand the energy-efficiency qualities of various replacement windows, here are some facts to help you make decisions.
Some window materials conduct heat and cold. The result is some energy loss through the window materials. The material that loses the most heat or cold is Aluminum. Steel conducts about one-third the amount of heat and cold. Stainless steel conducts about one-third the amount of heat and cold lost with steel. The most efficient material for windows is wood, conducting 1/1000 the amount lost through aluminum. And just a fraction behind wood is vinyl. The bottom line is that the most energy-efficient window materials are wood and vinyl. Vinyl, of course, requires less maintenance.
The next consideration is about the glass in the windows. Heat and cooling loss through glass can be reduced by adding a second pane of glass and leaving space between the panes to trap the outside air which is at a different temperature from the inside air. These double-paned or double-glazed windows are more efficient than single panes. Double-paned windows can also have a fill of gas between the panes to further reduce heat exchange. Filling the space between panes of a double-paned window with Argon gas will make it twice as effective. Filling the space between the panes with Krypton gas increases the R-value of the window from 4.0 to 4.55. Triple-paned or triple-glazed windows filled with Argon gas have an R-value of 6.25, and choosing a triple-paned window filled with Krypton gas provides an R-value of 10.0.
Windows can also be coated with screening finishes of various kinds to block UV (Ultraviolet) rays and IR (infrared) rays. These screening finishes protect window treatments and furniture and carpeting from fading and reflect back some of the heating effect of the sun.
Windows of any style, size and shape can be chosen in several colors of vinyl and can be painted any color if your choice of window material is wood. Windows can be purchased with various styles of dividers within the window and even with blinds attached in enclosed compartments or with blinds placed within the window itself.
No matter what style or type of window you need for an energy-efficient window replacement project, you will do well to look for the “Energy Star” seal first. These windows will meet minimum standards established by the Federal Government.
Replacement Windows Are a Smart Home Improvement
In times of rising costs for home heating and cooling and the need to reduce energy consumption, replacement windows are a very smart home improvement investment. Not only will Syracuse replacement windows make your home more energy efficient, they will reduce your heating and cooling costs by as much as 50%. This energy efficiency will also reduce the amount of energy you use and reduce your demand for petroleum products (electricity, natural gas, heating oil, etc.). The investment in replacement windows will also increase the value of your home.
Heat is transferred through solid surfaces from the warmer side to the colder side through a process called “conduction”. Metal is a good conductors of heat. This means that your windows themselves could be causing your heating and cooling bills to be higher than the cost would be with new insulated windows. In addition, any cracks or gaps around your windows and window frames allow heated or cooled air to escape from the house to the outside and vice versa. Sealing around windows and doors and installing adequate insulation around them is the first step in improving the energy efficiency of your home. New windows, however, will probably result in a far greater savings.
The best insulators (preventing conduction) are wood, vinyl, fiberglass and foam. Metals, such as aluminum, are the worst insulators. Double-paned windows have a space between the two panes of glass. This space provides insulation by allowing air in the space to absorb some of the heat and some of the cooler air to create a mid-range temperature inside the window. If the space between the two panes is filled with a gas, it becomes even more effective in insulating your home. Argon gas in the space between the panes will make your windows twice as effective in insulating your home as simple single-paned windows. If the gas used is Krypton, the effect of the insulating space between panes is 50% more effective than the Argon.
The next alternative is to choose triple-paned windows. This creates two neutralizing spaces in the window, and better insulates your home. With Argon gas in both of the spaces between panes, the triple-paned window will be 50% more effective than the double-paned window filled with Argon. A triple-paned window with Krypton gas in both spaces between panes will be 2.5 times more effective in insulating the home than a double-paned window filled with Argon. The amount of space allowed between the panes is also a factor in the conductivity of the windows.
These energy-efficient windows are easy to identify. They all carry the “EnergyStar” logo, indicating that they meet federal guidelines for efficiency. Talk with your window dealer about the amount of insulation you need in various parts of your Syracuse home, and you can choose the right window for your specific needs.