It’s officially fall. Trees are starting to turn colors, the air is starting to become crisp and cool, and football is on TV.
But fall also means something is looming: winter. Frigid cold air, snow, and even ice is on its way. Soon, you’ll be curled up on the coach watching your favorite show, or sitting in front of the fireplace, or perhaps even snuggling under a heated blanket.
In the Midwest, our furnaces work a little harder, which as many of you know, leads to high bills from your neighborhood utility company.
But there are some ways to reduce costs. One of the big ones is getting yourself some new, high efficiency windows. According to government studies, heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25%–30% of residential heating and cooling energy use.
If you decide to replace your windows, you will have to make several decisions about the type of windows you purchase and the type of replacement you will make: You may have the option of replacing the windows in their existing frame, though rare today. We can help you in deciding if that’s an option. You will also need to think about what features you want in your windows. You will need to decide on frame type, glazing type, gas fills, spacers, and operation types.
Here are some recommendations we have to help the money in your wallet rise as the temperature falls:
Look for Energy Star and NFRC labels
Consider selecting gas-filled windows with low-e coatings to reduce heat loss
Choose a low U-factor for better thermal resistance in colder climates (the U-factor is the rate at which a window conducts non-solar heat flow)
Look for whole-unit U-factors and SHGCs (SHGC is a measure of solar radiation admitted through a window), rather than center-of-glass U-factors and SHGCs. Whole-unit numbers more accurately reflect the energy performance of the entire product
At Nelson-Young, we recommend Andersen Windows. Not only have we been working with Andersen for decades, but they offer many of these features listed above. They have great warranties and they’re made in Minnesota, right in the heart of the snow and cold they’ll need to stand up to.
So if you want to make the switch to improve the efficiency of your house, or you just want to upgrade your look, stop by Nelson-Young or visit or website to learn more: https://www.nylumber.com/windows
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