Windows are an important aspect of your house. They’re part of the building envelope that keeps the interior of the house separate from whatever’s happening outside. However, they’re also sources of transference — of heat, light, and air. If you’re on the fence about replacing old windows with modern ones, here are ways the old windows are negatively impacting your home.
1. Conditioned Air Escapes
The whole point of air conditioning units is to condition your home’s interior for comfort. On warm days, you turn on the air conditioning, and on cold days, it’s the heat.
Older windows aren’t as airtight as new ones. Wooden frames may be buckling or warping. Even if the change isn’t too noticeable, it may affect how the glass sits in the frame, causing leaks. Such buckling or warping can also affect how the frame sits in the casing, also causing leaks. Old weatherstripping is another area of potential air leakage.
So if your older window features any of the above defects, the conditioned air escapes through the space. Either your home’s temperature isn’t as comfortable anymore, or your air conditioning unit has to work harder.
2. Heat Transfers the Wrong Way
Even if an older window doesn’t feature any cracks in the seals, it can still negatively impact your preferred indoor temperature. Older windows often feature a single pane of untreated glass. Such glass is inefficient by modern standards in keeping your home warm or cool.
Most new windows feature at least two panes of glass, providing an extra layer of protection between your conditioned environment inside and the weather outside. If heating or cooling is a big problem in certain parts of the house, you can also choose windows with an inert gas injected between the multiple panes. The gas further slows the transfer of heat energy.
Another way that glass has been modernized is with low-emissivity, or low-E, coatings. Manufacturers apply a coating that doesn’t affect the glass’s transparency but does reflect infrared light out. So the heat energy doesn’t enter your home.
3. UV Rays Damage Your Belongings
Infrared rays aren’t the only light you need to worry about. Sunlight also consists of ultraviolet radiation. UV rays can have a negative impact on your belongings. UV rays fade items in your home. Fabrics, paint, and even wood or plastic will lose color over time if exposed to UV rays for an extended period. UV rays can also affect your health, causing sunburns and prematurely aging your skin.
Old windows typically feature untreated glass. When you buy new windows, you can specify you want coatings that not only reflect heat but also UV rays. These coatings feature a microscopically thin layer of metal which reflects the UV rays back out, thus protecting your belongings and health from their harmful effects.
4. Old Windows Decrease Home Value
Old windows can age the overall appearance of your home. If wooden frames are buckling or even falling apart, this damage is visible. Likewise, old glass can become stained or otherwise opaque over time. These sights will have a negative impact on your house’s curb appeal.
Even if the damage isn’t so clearly visible, old windows impact how much your home is worth. Savvy homebuyers will be looking for updated windows. If they see old models, they might have a negative impression of what your home is worth. Conversely, new, energy-efficient windows are a selling point.
Improve your home and even your lifestyle with new windows. Talk to the window experts at Pella Windows and Doors of Wisconsin about the window options that best fit your home.
