Thoughts on Low-E coatings on windows?
Yolanda
12 days ago
last modified: 12 days ago
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oberon476
12 days agolast modified: 12 days agomillworkman
11 days agoRelated Discussions
Validating Low-E coating
Comments (3)Not sure why you would want windows with a green tint. Some manufacturers use an extra UV coating for windows that receive a lot of sun. I'm a little confused about the window stickers. All of my windows that are not solid large windows are double hung. What brand of windows do you have?...See MoreDifference between low-E low-E4, SunCoat low-E
Comments (3)There are basically five types of LowE coatings currently on the market. Three are "sputter" or softcoats and two are "pyrolytic" or hardcoats. Of the three softcoat products, basic LowE would be considered a high solar heat gain product. LowE2 would be considered a low solar heat gain product, and LowE3 would be considered an even lower solar heat gain product. Andersen's LoE4 has a standard LowE2 coating between the lites and argon gas for energy performance, but it also includes a titanium dioxide coating on the exterior of the window that makes the glass "self-cleaning". Although some folks might cringe at the term self-cleaning, the coating does work quite nicely and you will notice a difference in how they look and in how often you will have to clean the glass. Finally, the "4th" feature of the LoE4 is a plastic film that is applied to the glass in the factory that protects it from dirt and debris and even minor scratches during shipping and handling and install. Andersen's SunII glass is a tinted LowE2 that has very nice solar heat gain blocking ability and also it is nice because it cuts down on glare as well. Milgard's SunCoat is a standard LowE2 product - much the same as the LowE2 that Andersen offers as their standard. SunCoatMax is a LowE3 product. The LowE3 product is very new and has only been around for maybe 3 or 4 months - this doesn't mean avoid it because it is new - it means that it is an advancement of a proven technology and it works really well. LowE3 has the same heat blocking ability as a tinted LowE2 (such as SunII), but with visible light transmittance very similar to a standard LowE2 product - without tint. In the case of a west-facing door that has both heat and glare issues, then you may prefer a tinted LowE but with the understanding that the view thru the door will be less. SunII has either 38% or 40% visible light transmittance (I forget which version they use) and SunCoatMax has 66% visible light transmittance - again with very comparable solar heat blocking capability. Standard LowE2 (including SunCoat) has about a 70-72% visible light transmittance. Standard LowE has about a 78% visible light transmittance, but it also passes significant solar heat which is an advantage in places other than where you live. I didn't mention anything about hardcoat coatings because none of the products you mentioned use them. Also, they are much less appropriate in your environment (primarily cooling) than are sputter coats. No LowE coating has an affect on sound propagation thru the glass....See MoreLow-e vs solar gain vs window treatments
Comments (22)Hi ZIns, Oberon offered professional technical details so I will chime in with homeowner experience. Yes, even with Low-E, there will be fading. Depending on the amount and intensity of exposure and the finish, it is a matter of how much and how soon. In a situation where the sun is very mild and light, by the time fading is noticeable, it may also be time to refinish the floor. My guess is the floor is not receiving year-round exposure, true? The sun is stronger and deeper during some time of the year and weaker and less intense at other times, is that so? We have seasonal sun intensity problem too and solve it with a combination of solution. We use rugs to protect several sections of our floor during mid-Spring through late Summer. The rugs are removed to prevent tripping when we have visitors. The rugs are also removed around Autumn when the sun is low and the exposure is much less intense and shortening each day. We have old furniture in one area by our French doors and my wife made knitted coverings to cover the furniture. As necessary, we remove the covering when appropriate. Outside the French doors, we installed retractable awning so that during extremely hot summer days, the awning extends to provide cover without blocking natural light. Our goal is to not use any window treatment because we enjoy natural light and the views. Hope this helps a bit....See MoreWindow World, argon & low-E windows?
Comments (21)earthwormies, Heat enters and leaves thru your windows in three different ways - conduction, radiation, and convection. When dealing with west-facing windows that are cooking you when the sun is shining on them your primary concern is radiation. You need to block the direct solar gain. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient or SHGC represents the percentage of solar heat that is directly passed (radiated) thru your window when the sun is shining directly on it. The lower the number the less direct solar heat gain. In your case you need a very low SHGC number. When the windows arrived they should have had an NFRC tag on the glass that listed the SHGC (as well as U-value and other ratings). Do you still have the tags or did anyone note what the ratings were? Using argon, or krypton, or any other gas between the two lites of glass does nothing to block solar heat gain; you need a low solar heat gain LowE coating to block radiant heat. I am very curious about Window World's claim that they couldn't gas-fill one window because it was too big? How big is that window? Do you know if your windows were manufactured using LowE glass?...See MoreWindows on Washington Ltd
11 days agoWilliam Rossman
11 days agochispa
11 days agoBeverlyFLADeziner
11 days agochloebud
11 days agoYolanda
10 days agoYolanda
10 days agoShadyWillowFarm
10 days agooberon476
10 days agojane__ny
10 days ago
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