The more someone researches windows, the more often they may become confused by some of the things done in the industry. As I explained in a prior blog, there are some windows with laminated glass, this may seem a little different at first, but once the advantages are laid out, it makes perfect sense. There are other practices in window construction that seem strange, but are very useful. One of these such practices is putting gas in between panes of glass as invisible insulation.
The gases found between glass panes are Argon or Krypton. These are naturally found in the environment and are non-toxic, so there is no need to worry about a window breaking and there being the possibility of someone getting sick. There are a few reason that these gases are put between glass panes, one of which being to increase energy efficiency. This happens because these gases are denser than normal air. In fact, argon is six times denser than oxygen, and krypton is twelve times denser! Because of this these gases insulate and keep a more steady temperature. This also makes these windows greener than ones without gases in between the panes. More steady temperature means less work for your air conditioning.
The other reason for trapping argon or krypton between the panes is to reduce sound. These heavy gases are effective in keeping those outside noises outside, and not disturbing you. When combined with low-e coated, laminated glass, there is a dramatic change in sound transfer. So not only are you more comfortable with steady temperatures, you’re more comfortable with a quite environment, and most importantly, saving money as you do it.
Always make sure of the percentage of argon or krypton being used as an insulator. By federal mandate, for a company to advertise that they are using these gases as insulation they only need to have a 10% to 15% fill. And remember, these gases are DENSER than air, meaning they sink to the bottom. If you only had 10% to 15% of the insulation in your walls sitting at the bottom, you would be spending a fortune on air conditioning and heating. So don’t let someone try to sell you that they have argon or krypton insulation in their window when they are only offering the bare minimum. While it is impossible to have a 100% fill of argon or krypton, it is possible to get as much as 98% of the air between the panes to be insulation. FAS Windows and Doors offers companies such as Wincore that reach for this maximum, and won’t settle for any federal minimums.
Many of the brands that FAS Windows & Doors carry offer these options on their windows. To get these ultimately installed, call us at 888- 422-1960 for a FREE in-home consultation so that we can show you what we have to offer.
Brett Roth 8/14/2009