Window Tips

Posted on 28. Apr, 2010 by Anna in Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficient Homes, General Articles

Your windows help shield you from the sun and protect you from cold weather as well. However, without taking the proper measures, your windows may also be a great source of air loss resulting in higher energy consumption and a more costly utility bill. Here are some tips you can follow to help get the most out of your home’s cooling and heating system.

Window tips for cold weather:

• During the winter season, use clear heavy-duty tape on the inside frames of your windows. Make sure that the tape or plastic sheets are sealed tightly to help prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from infiltrating through the window frames.
• Install insulating shades on your windows.
• Open your shades and curtains during the daytime. You can close them during the night to help keep cold drafts from entering.
• Before and during winter, see to it that the windows located on the south side of the house are clean. This helps allow the winter sun to pass through during the day.
• Put in storm windows, which can be placed on the interior or the exterior of the home. Storm windows may actually help you prevent heat loss by as much as 50%. However, the storm windows should have weather-stripping on the joints that shift.

Window tips for the hot season:

• Reflect heat away from your house by putting up blinds, window shades, or draperies.
• During the day, when the sun is at its peak, close all curtains on the windows facing west and the windows facing south.
• You may also install reflective film on the south-facing windows to reduce the amount of sunlight affecting the temperature of your home.

Whether you’re building a home or renovating it, you can save money by opting to install the new types of windows that can help you maximize energy performance in your home. Although it takes time to see the energy savings, the advantages of that added comfort, not to mention the added aesthetic value, can be more than worth the price. Energy-saving windows can also be regarded as a form of investment.