Know anything about double paned windows? (1 Viewer)

[Eric_L]

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thread killed by poster
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[LewB]

If you trust your builder, then go with him. Having a contractor that you trust and can rely on is 90% of the battle.
Check out the web sites for andersen and pella windows they have some info about energy specs. Sounds like the contractor would be the way to go since he/she knows what kind of windows were used in the first place.

 

[John Giddens]

I'd be skeptical about retrofitting you old window frames with double pane glass. Your pictures wouldn't load for me, just says folder is empty, so without seeing your existing frames I'd say it shouldn't be done. The construction of the window frames is specific to what type of glass is to be installed so if your existing window frames are designed for single pane thickness I doubt you'll get the energy efficiency your looking for. Are the window frames wood, aluminum, or something else? If their wood then they might be thick enough but I would still have concerns.

The vinyl framed windows will have many advantages, less thermal transfer through the frames, and individual air pockets that are sealed which creates dead air space which is a good insulator. Check out this video from http://www.michaelholigan.com/. It shows a good cut away of a well built window.

Other options to consider would be solar screens like these. Or solar tint like this. Also good window treatments like thick curtains or plantation shutters would help.

The double pane vinyl windows will be the best out of all of these, but they will also be the most expensive.

 

[Eric_L]

John;
Thanks very much for the reply. I killed the thread for unrelated reasons. I very much appreciate the reply.

The frames of the windows are aluminum and double hung. The windows can be popped out for cleaning, and apprently the double paned ones just pop in place of the old ones. They are argon filled.

I'm not sure of the tinting, mostly due to the spouse factor. I'm not sure tint will help when the glass is hot to the touch.

Those solar screens however are VERY interesting. I am going to investigate those closely. Thank you VERY MUCH for shareing that link.