The hot summer season is finally here, bringing with it long days spent outdoors enjoying the weather. When you’re not enjoying yourself outside, you want to be comfortable in your home without having to crank the air conditioner and run up your hydro bill – no matter how hot it may be outside. Luckily for North Bay area homeowners, it’s possible to keep your house cooler this summer by choosing the right windows in your next home improvement project and outfitting your current windows with energy-conserving window treatments.
Make the Switch to Energy Efficient Windows
Windows are one of the most important elements of your home, affecting your overall comfort by influencing room temperature, light, ventilation, and sound. Energy efficient windows are designed to stand up to the elements and regulate the temperature inside your home, whether it’s extremely hot or freezing cold outside your home. Energy efficient windows limit the escape of cold and heat through the glass, keeping your home cooler in the summertime and warmer in the wintertime. Not only are these windows better for keeping your home comfortable, but they also save on utility costs by reducing the amount of cold and hot air being lost through leakage, limiting the amount of air conditioning and heating needed and saving you money year-round.
Look For Low-E 366 Glass Windows
Cardinal LoĒ³-366® glass is designed to reflect heat from the sun away from your home without losing visibility through tinting, keeping heat out of your home in the hot summer months and letting more light in to make your home brighter. Windows made with regular window glass are not designed to help your home beat the heat in the summertime, making high-performance Low-E 366 glass a much more attractive option for homeowners. This higher-performing glass is featured in all windows offered by Northwood Window and Door Centre, making your home more comfortable even in the warmest summer weather. Low-E windows are also designed to be resistant to fading caused by ultraviolet rays, meaning that the sun’s rays will be mostly blocked, lessening the affect your windows or the furniture and items inside your home.
Upgrading to Triple Glazed Windows
Triple glazed windows are insulated windows made up of three glass panes, offering a variety of benefits for your home including reducing sound pollution and condensation, increasing energy efficiency, and helping your home withstand the hot summer sun. Triple glazed windows help your home stay cooler by keeping the cool air inside your home more effectively, and complementing your home’s air conditioning – reducing air loss, keeping unwanted heat away from your home, and keeping your home at a constant internal temperature. This technology also works to better insulate your home in the winter.
Recommended Window Treatments
If your home is already outfitted with high performing, energy efficient windows and you’re looking for another way to beat the heat this summer, window treatments can also be highly effective. Combining high performance windows with treatments like blinds, curtains, and shades can reduce the amount of heat gain in your home caused by the sun, leading to more comfortable temperatures in your house. It’s recommended that you keep curtains and blinds closed during the day to keep the heat out of your home, and properly installed shades will be able to reflect light from the sun away from your house. Another recommended way to keep the heat out of your house is through properly installed window films, which can protect your home from ultraviolet light exposure without obscuring your home’s view like other window treatments do.
Keeping your home cool in the summertime is as easy as making the switch to windows that work harder for your home and keep the hot summer sun out of your house. Energy efficient high performance windows will keep your home more comfortable year-round, and save money on utilities. Supplementing these higher performing windows with properly installed window treatments will help you beat the heat this summer, keeping the scorching temperature outside where it belongs. Just remember to leave the curtains open in the winter to prevent condensation issues.
Contact the team at the Northwood Window and Door Centre today to find out how you can partner with us on your next build or renovation.