A living room with great natural light from the windows.

When it comes to home improvements and upgrades, energy efficiency has been the name of the game for years now. We all want a more comfortable, less costly home!  

But do modern technologies hold the benefits you’re looking for? Do insulated glass windows make a difference? Find out why they do it now with the experts at Shanco Companies! 

Interested in gaining the benefits of insulated or energy-efficient windows for your MD, VA, or DC area home? Contact Shanco to get your free estimate started! 

What Are Insulated Windows? 

Before we get into all the benefits of insulated windows, we want to give you a brief breakdown of each type of window.  

  • Single Pane Windows- single pane glass windows are increasingly uncommon due to window manufacturers focusing on optimizing energy savings in their window construction. A single-pane window is exactly what it sounds like, one pane of glass that separates your interior from the outside. Some common problems of single pane glass are they are known for heat loss in the wintertime. Single-pane windows are not insulated with any type of gas, unlike their double and triple counterparts.  

  • Dual Pane Windows- these are also known as double pane windows. Double-pane windows have two panes of glass. The space in between each pane is gas-filled with argon or krypton. Replacing single with double-pane windows will quickly make a positive change to your energy bills.  

  • Triple Pane Glass is also known as triple-glazed windows. Triple pane glass provides some of the most efficient windows for your home. Not only will it help reduce your HVAC bills, but the insulated glass unit helps with noise reduction. Much like dual pane, triple pane glass has gas between the panes.  

Benefits of Insulated Windows 

An insulated window, also called a double/triple pane window or IGU, assists your home through a few important features. Additional panes, aided by an inert gas infill, glazing techniques, and high-quality frames that resist thermal transfer, can benefit you by: 

  • Reducing energy costs. By keeping your indoor air in and the outdoor air out, you better control temperatures and lessen the burden on your heating and cooling equipment. By extension, this means the unit must use fewer resources to get the job done, saving money in one simple stroke. 

  • Improving the comfort level in your home. Products like the clear oxides painted onto modern ENERGY STAR® rated windows reflect heat, and the effect works both ways. During the summer, the coating will reflect the summer sun, reducing the heat gain that accumulates naturally by direct UV exposure. And during the winter, the coat works the opposite way, bouncing furnace or boiler heat back into the home and keeping it in place. 

  • Blocking UV radiation. The word radiation can be scary, but by now most of us know that UV radiation isn’t that much of a concern for humans. For your furniture, on the other hand, it could be a different story. Sun-fading can impact carpets, wood flooring, cloth, and wood furniture, and can even fade the paint on your walls. Coatings remove some of this issue as well since the oxide coatings reflect UV rays as well as thermal energy. 

  • Reducing noise. Noise pollution can often break the peace, especially in city areas. The inert gas infill in an insulated window can do more than just reduce thermal transfer, though. They dampen sound as well, helping you filter out all the honking, yelling, and construction work that might be going on nearby. 

Energy-Efficient Window Frames 

An additional choice that homeowners have is what material to choose for replacement window frames. Some of the most common types of window frame materials are vinyl, wood, and fiberglass. Each type of frame material has different benefits. 

  • Vinyl window frames are energy efficient and have a lower price point than fiberglass and wood. Vinyl is a softer material and requires more frame around the windows than fiberglass. Vinyl can come in baked-in color options but cannot be painted.  

  • Wood window frames have unparalleled natural beauty. Wood insulates well but there is yearly maintenance required to make sure they are in top shape.  Wood requires regular resealing, repainting, and patching. The ability to paint them makes wood window frames a desirable choice for homeowners seeking flexibility in their color choices.  

  • Fiberglass frames are mold and rot-resistant. They work well in all climates and are incredibly sturdy. Their sturdiness allows a larger window space. They can be painted and come in different colors to provide homeowners with a ton of flexibility.  

Window Installation Services in MD, VA & DC 

If you’re looking to replace your outdated windows, or are simply ready to enjoy the energy, home, and cost benefits of insulated windows, then you’ve come to the right team! At Shanco, our certified window experts have the skills and training needed to outfit your home with the very best. Want to work with window experts that put your goals and needs first? Contact us to speak to a trained window expert near you!