building a personal greenhouse
About Me
building a personal greenhouse

It has always been a dream of mine to have a greenhouse that I could use to grow my own produce during the winter. I love garden fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupes and a variety of other produce and it made me sad when I had to quit gardening for the season. I decided that it was time for me to invest in having a greenhouse built in my backyard so that I could continue to grow throughout the entire year. Learn all about the selection of the glass and how it needs to be cared for right here on my blog.

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building a personal greenhouse

What Makes A Window More Or Less Efficient

Lee Moerman

When considering new windows or repairing your existing ones, it can be tough to decide whether or not a specific window is worth the cost. One of the biggest factors in the price tag is how energy efficient a window will be. Understanding how a particular window will affect your energy usage will help you decide if it is worth the price.

Number of Panes

One of the biggest factors in how energy efficient a window will be is the number of panes of glass. Heat transfer is slowed every time it has to change materials, so the more layers of glass and air the slower the process will go. Most modern windows have two panes, but higher end models often have three. Unfortunately, you can't add additional panes to an existing window, but you can replace ones that fit badly or are broken to maximize the insulating affect of the glass.

Framing Material

Almost as important as the glass is the frame. A badly joined frame will leak, and you've probably felt that unpleasant breeze in older homes. Caulk can solve this problem temporarily, but you need to keep up on it if your windows are starting to leak.

The material is the other part of the window frame that can help or hurt the window's efficiency. Materials like aluminum are inexpensive but conduct heat easily. However, you shouldn't immediately dismiss a window because the frame is made with a poor insulator. Manufacturers will often fill aluminum or vinyl frames with insulation to counteract this very problem.

Filler Between the Panes

The last of the piece of the puzzle is what gas is between the panes of glass. Multipane windows without any filler are decent, but there are gases that are both clear and better insulators than the nitrogen that makes up most of the Earth's atmosphere. The most common gas filler is argon, but other options are available as well.

If you have this filling in your windows already, it is worth protecting. This means you'll need some assistance from a pro if the windows start to leak and the gas gets out. The same is true if you have the panes replaced. Refilling the space with argon is the only way to get that additional insulation back into your windows.

Understanding why windows work the way they do should help you make the right decision. Budget will always be a limiting factor, but you may find that the most expensive choice you can afford may not be the best one. For more information, contact companies like Allied Glass & Mirror.


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