Acrylic Triple

by admin on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 | No Comments

Acrylic Triple

With a stalling economy appearing to rebound more slowly than people had hoped, many homeowners are looking for ways to save money on heating costs moving into the winter. Budgetary restraints are a stark reality for almost everyone, however, meaning that homeowners are seeking out home improvement projects that offer a return on their investment, while at the same time keeping that investment to a minimum. With limited money available for home improvement ruling out window replacement, the installation of storm windows is a half-measure that provides homeowners significant energy savings while not requiring a prohibitive investment.

In cold-weather climates, the installation of storm windows can reduce heating and cooling costs by between 15 and 20 percent, and additionally, exterior storm windows seal out moisture from wooden window frames, therefore preventing wood rot. Storm windows are available for almost any type of window, and can be installed on the inside or the outside of an exterior window. They range from plastic coatings designed to last a single winter, or triple-pane glass windows that include low-emissivity coatings, and can be used for many years of continuous use.

Interior storm windows are the most commonly used storm windows, as they are much easier to install and remove, require almost no maintenance due to the fact that they are not exposed to the elements, and are much more inexpensive than exterior storm windows. Plastic interior storm windows are by far the most economical of the options available, and are easy to install, sealing to the inside of exterior windows. These are very popular in apartments and condominiums as well, however, because they are sometimes little more than a plastic film, plastic storm windows are easily damaged. Glass interior storm windows provide the best visibility and longest life of interior storm windows, but are more expensive than the other options and are easily breakable. Also worthy of consideration are Plexiglas and acrylic-paned interior storm windows, which provide more durability than glass or plastic, but are easily scratched, and can yellow over time if exposed to extensive sunlight.

Exterior storm windows are almost exclusively glass, and provide excellent insulation and energy-efficiency. Many exterior storm windows are double or even triple-paned, and include special low-emissivity (“Low-E”) coatings designed to maximize their energy-efficiency. However, the drawback to such windows is that in many cases, they are as expensive as replacement energy-efficient exterior windows, which will provide homeowners a great deal more thermal insulation.

Once homeowners have selected the type of storm window that they need, as well as the material of the window panes themselves, they will want to consider the material utilized in the frame of the storm windows. Wood, aluminum, and vinyl are the most commonly used frame materials, with aluminum proving the most durable of the three, but the least efficient insulator, vinyl providing a temporary solution that will eventually fade in color or crack, and wood, traditionally the most commonly used, proving the best insulator, and although less durable than aluminum, likely the best all-around option for a storm window frame.

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Homeowners with questions about the purchase or installation of storm windows can visit their local Sears. The home improvement professionals at Sears can help homeowners with any window questions, and the full line of sears replacement windows can help homeowners make an informed window purchase, whether storm windows or replacements windows.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Energy-Efficient Storm Windows

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