I am glad to see news like this in the national press. The Washington Post reports that the FTC is coming down on home improvement companies that make exaggerated claims. The companies sited claim you will see a 50% savings on your energy bills this year — some even “guaranteed” the savings.

This kind of advertising hurts the industry and insults the American consumer. Why?

Well, first of all, claims that you will save, say, 50% on your energy bills this year over last year cannot be proven—there is no way that you can demonstrate that replacement windows can actually save you a specific percentage in your energy bills. There are just too many variables.

If you look at the fine print, you will see that the burden of proof rests on you, the homeowner, because you would have to supply bills as well as usage stats. Frankly, that’s hard for the homeowner to do because there are so many factors to consider.

Each home is going to be different— its location, its size, the number of residents at any given time, the insulation package, any existing windows—these are just some of the variables that will ultimately determine the savings a homeowner can truly realize.

And then there’s the temperature differentials! Just think about it — last winter, 2011, compared to this winter. Last year was unseasonably cold and in 2012 we’re experiencing one of the warmest winters on the continent in a decade. How can a homeowner start to account for the energy savings? Is it because of the windows? Or the mild weather?

That’s why Andersen replacement windows, Renewal by Andersen, and Mr. Rogers Windows have subscribed to a policy of integrity in advertising and integrity in pricing. The windows we carry are tested by Energy Star and certified by Energy Star – that means they have been proven to save you a minimum of 15% on your heating and cooling bills.

Andersen’s advanced technology and long standing research and development (since 1903) have allowed them to claim a 25% savings on heating and cooling costs. This is neither unrealistic or exaggerated, given the rigorous standards to which they adhere and the advancements they have achieved in the window industry.

So it comes down to a quality product plus substantiated and well-documented testing by an independent source, like the government’s Energy Star program and the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). In fact, the FTC’s suggestion that consumers look for the NFRC label when shopping for windows is a good one, or check their website, because the NFRC oversees the Energy Star program, and their ratings are the one to trust.

The numbers you find on the NFRC label will tell you what you need to know as a consumer, and the Energy Star label is your guarantee that the window has been tested and certified! Remember also that your new replacement windows should be sold, installed, supported and serviced by a company that subscribes to integrity in installation practices, pricing and advertising.

First of all, you are simply going to lose on energy efficiency. The reason being is that when you put blinds between glass you really cannot create a “sealed” space. The best energy-efficient windows still consist of two pieces of glass with a gas fill sandwiched in between to slow down heat loss. You lose the seal once you introduce another element in the space. And it’s valuable space too, being taken up by a blind!

So in order to achieve the same energy efficiency you enjoy with a regular energy-efficient window without blinds in between, you have to go to a triple pane window. Once you do that, your cost factor is going to soar. They’re expensive. And let’s not forget that they are still not sealed where the blind is! The triple pane construction is actually a storm panel butterfly-clipped on.

Other reasons? Plenty. If something goes wrong with the blinds between the glass, you are going to experience some difficulties in terms of repair, and if you ever decide to change the décor and you need to change the window treatments, you are stuck with the color and design. In both cases you are most likely looking at replacing the whole window.

Frankly, the whole blinds between the glass fad has become a bit of a dinosaur, thanks to all the problems and issues people have experienced with them.

A much better (cheaper in the long run) option I suggest is to hire a window treatment consultant or an interior decorator and just explore all the wonderful window treatment options you could possibly get for your windows. There is so much choice out there these days, why limit yourself with a blinds-between-the-glass window!

However, the key to understanding energy efficiency in windows is based on understanding window science. And really, that’s not hard, because it’s all about the glass—low-e glass and argon gas fill, to be exact!

Everyone who reads my blog probably knows by now what I mean by these two terms: Low-e glass, just to recap, is glass that has been coated with a very thin metallic (usually silver oxide) layer that deflects radiant heat away from your windows. And when argon gas is filled between the two panes of glass, it slows down the transfer of heat even more.

That’s the energy efficiency package – and it resides in the glass unit and in the construction of the window itself. Now, you go putting something inside that “glass sandwich” and you are effectively “compromising” your window’s energy efficiency, even if it is a pretty “mini blind”.

And here’s why. Some of these windows and doors are manufactured with two panes of glass and the blind is set inside, reducing the practicality for argon fill and simply eliminating the use of a low-e coating because silver oxide is easily scratched. (So you can see why the low-e would not be used in this construction.) No energy efficiency features here, just a blind.

To be fair, there is also a triple pane design available these days that is constructed so that the blinds sit in their own glass “sandwich” and a separate third pane, with low-e coating, is placed on top. Some argon gas is filled between the space, but that space, is now much smaller…

And then there is a popular snap-in design that cannot possibly contain argon gas, because every time you open it to clean or service the blind inside, the argon would vanish into thin air! And of course the low-e coating is not there either.

So bottom line—blinds inside the glass do affect the energy package on windows and sliding doors. A blind inside the glass can only eliminate heat the same way any curtain will—by blocking the transmission of light into the home. Sure some “heat” gets blocked when you draw your curtains, but low-e glass is absolutely essential for energy efficiency—it’s the only way to reflect radiant heat back to its source.

So if you really like the idea of blinds between the glass, just remember when you’re out shopping for them to ask the company or the manufacturer how they’re constructed—with a single insulated glass unit or with a third low-e coated pane? For more info before you shop, check out my article on blinds between the glass.

The panes were held together with a wooden frame and putty. The putty would dry out and crack every season, so it was a lot of work to maintain windows. Once larger sheets of glass could be manufactured they resolved the maintenance issue with the concept of “storm windows” that would protect primary windows from all that weather damage. So people didn’t have to reputty and repaint those little frames year in year out. It became popular quickly to add storm windows to your home.

Today we just don’t need storm windows. We have composite or “engineered wood” frames that are both highly insulating and maintenance-free. In fact, I would recommend that you NOT install storm windows over your new energy-efficient windows. What’s going to happen if you do is there’ll be a tremendous heat buildup inside, between the storm and the primary window. You can actually do more harm than good, because everything is just going to cook inside, including the seals, frames, spacers etc. Take your storms to the antique dealer—like I recommend in my article!

The bonus is that, unlike wood, the engineered wood composites won’t rot and they won’t need painting again and again. And because you want to keep the architectural appearance of the house, a “combination window” can be installed—the interior will be made with the real wood veneers and the exterior will be made of the wood composite.

Composite materials are really versatile too. They can be manufactured to match any style and come in a variety of colors to match your home. Even the hardware can be matched. Not sure if you have grilles and panes on your windows—but the common small panes in historical windows, called “divided light” can also be replicated in today’s low maintenance option — Andersen makes full divided light grilles that look like the originals. Take a look at my website for more information about composites and about grilles.

We are all feeling the heat this summer both temperature wise and in our wallets, so it is most important to get a window that is going to keep the heat outside and keep you cool inside while saving you money on your utility bills.

Be sure you get a window that has Low E glass and Argon gas in order to ensure the maximum efficiency. The E- stands for emissivity. Really what it means is that a thin coating, usually silver or tin, is sprayed on the glass to reflect heat back to its source. This will keep the majority of that heat outside in the summer… which is where it belongs. I recommend the silver oxide coating. The tin is cheaper, but silver lasts. As my grandfather used to say “cheap ain’t good, and good ain’t cheap”.

In addition to the coating on the glass, a quality window will have an inert gas between the 2 panes of glass that is heavier than air, usually Argon or Krypton.

Here is a great way to understand how that works. If you took 2 glasses same size and filled 1 with water and 1 with dishwashing liquid and then you took 2 marbles the same size and dropped them into the glasses at the same time, which one do you think would reach the bottom the quickest?

Well if you guessed the one with the water you are correct because the dishwashing liquid is slowing that marble down. That is exactly what the Argon or Krypton gas does, it slows down the flow of your air-conditioned air thru that glass to the outside.

You need to ensure your window is Energy Star tested and rated. The Department of Energy through Energy Star has designed standard energy efficiency testing that will score a window and keep the results third party verified.

For a bit more information on “cool” window science and on the Energy Star rating system check out my article on Beat the Heat. And you might be interested in taking a look at the maps on The Lower My Energy Bill site. It will help you make the best window choice according to your region and state.

Hope this helps~
Gerry

“My wife asked me the other day how many times did I think the
sliding door going from our bedroom to the deck had been opened since it
was installed. I got to thinking about it. It is a Great Lakes door that
was installed at least 15 years ago. It goes from our bedroom onto the
deck. It is the main door we use for going to the back yard and deck and
to let our dogs outside. I counted openings this AM but quit when I got
to 20. I wasn’t happy paying what I did for the door and two other
windows at the time but we really got our moneys worth. If this isn’t
the right place to send this please forward to the right one. Thanks”

Thank you Mr. Blakeney! We appreciate your continued feedback after all these years.
This is the same wish I have for all my clients.

As it stands now, the bill provides two types of consumer incentives:

1)   Silver Star – this provides up-front rebates at the time of purchase for insulation, duct sealing, windows and doors, air sealing and water heaters. Homeowners may receive up to $1500 per improvement, with a total rebate of up to $3,000 or 50% of the total project cost.

2)  Gold Star – rewards homeowners that undertake a comprehensive energy audit and document their energy savings. Consumers may receive $3,000 for a demonstrated energy savings of 20%. For every 5% energy savings after that, they can receive $1,000. The cap is $8,000 or 50% of the project cost.

To make sure homeowners will be able to afford the home renovations, the bill includes $324 million for state and local governments to provide financing options to consumers to manage their share of the cost. This can be a powerful program for homeowners that can take advantage of it before the money runs out.

Projects must be installed by qualified contractors, and the states will have independent quality assurance providers auditing installations in the field to ensure the energy savings will be achieved.

President Obama strongly supports the Act, and agrees that it will not only reduce greenhouse emissions and help consumers lower their energy bills, but it will also stimulate the creation of green jobs (estimated at about 170,000) in construction and manufacturing. The administration views it as a key element of the economic recovery and green job agendas, and it has widespread support.

We have yet to clarify what this will mean in terms of real savings on windows and doors until the bill is finalized. However, upon first review of the bill it is very favorable to window and door replacement.

There is additional concern about the Home Star program being negatively affected by the recent passage of the EPA’s Lead Paint Rule which targets homes built before 1978. I expect to have more details on this in the next few weeks. If you have questions, please make a comment.

So let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon.

Warping vinyl siding has occurred before. In fact, the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) issued a warning about such distortion over 8 years ago. The Institute reported that a number of other variables can contribute to siding distortion:

• outdoor temperature and wind speed
• how close other heat sources are, such as air conditioning compressors
• color and solar absorption of the vinyl siding (darker colors absorb more heat)
• the heat distortion temperature of the vinyl siding (cheap siding has a low distortion temp)
• architectural designs that block wind and trap heat
• angle of the sun and orientation of the glass relative to the vinyl siding
• distance of the window to the vinyl siding

It’s usually a combination of one or more contributing factors that occur before the siding “melts”. Even home-builders are reluctant to blame the neighbor’s windows, and point to a variety of factors that could affect the intensity of the reflected sunlight.

Each case needs to be investigated on an individual basis.

For example, melting can occur from the reflection and radiant heat of a dark roof, or the pavement, or some underlayments. And crazy at it may seem, even an interior vapor barrier installed behind drywall can trap enough heat under the right conditions to affect siding. Alcoves that block the wind, overhangs that trap convected heat, and inside corners that capture glass reflections…these can all contribute to the problem.

A home inspector friend of mine agrees—there are other contributing factors that can cause vinyl siding to warp, buckle and melt. He’s observed it mostly in newer neighborhoods, where the homes are built really close to one another.

And it could be the quality of the siding.

According to current manufacturing standards, normal grade vinyl siding begins to distort at 160 – 165 degrees. That’s pretty low to begin with. Now consider that newer homes and retrofits have darker siding options—grays and beiges—which absorb considerably more heat than white siding when exposed to reflected or even direct sunlight.

Research from Cardinal Glass Industries shows that vinyl siding with high solar absorbency can distort from solar reflections from all glass products, including clear glass as well as glass with one or multiple Low-E coatings.

In my opinion, Low-E windows are not the problem.

Local building codes all over the country now require installation of energy-efficient windows with Low-E coatings. Low-E glass and energy-efficient construction make good sense for your home and for the environment. We’ve saved millions of dollars in energy because of these requirements, plus we substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the lower energy consumption. Low-E windows are here to stay.

I think what’s happening is more indicative of the cheap, lower grade siding commonly used by tract builders. Maybe you’ve heard toe saying, “Cheap is the most expensive price to pay.” Wood and metal siding products, which cost more, react to reflected solar radiation at much higher temperatures. Inferior products just can’t be trusted to hold up under extreme conditions.

So what’s a homeowner to do? Choose siding with a high heat distortion rating, high solar reflectivity, and a light color. If you already have vinyl siding that may be affected by heat distortion, plant shrubbery or trees to deflect heat, and in some cases screens or awnings can help.

For more technical information about vinyl siding distortion, you can read the Cardinal IG technical bulletin here.