What's the deal with gas?

You may have heard people talking about argon and krypton gas when discussing replacement windows lately. When these mentions of gas and windows come up do you scratch your head and reply "I didn't windows had gas!"?

It's a fairly new feature that replacement windows have nowadays to include some kind of slow moving gas in the space between the two panes in a modern replacement window. And though now it has become common to find on almost any vinyl window these days, questions still arise as to why people are even talking about gas when referring to their windows.

Let's start with argon gas. Almost any double paned replacement window on the market will have this gas as a standard feature. Along with low-e, argon gas is pretty much a non-issue when selecting a vinyl replacement double hung window because every insulated window has it. But what is argon gas, what does it do, and why should you make sure your window have it?

Argon is a very dense, slow moving, inert gas. The reason it is pumped in between the panes of replacement windows is because of its unique ability to slow down heat from entering into your home. It works along with the low-e coating replacement windows have to keep a high insulation value in your home (measured by U-values and R-values). Typically, a replacement window with argon gas and low-e will have a U-value somewhere around .25 to .30 (remember, the lower the better!). Again, argon gas is standard in most replacement windows and if it's not included as part of the insulation package it's not worth looking into.

Now there's also Krypton gas. No, Superman has nothing to do with this one. Much like its cousin argon, Krypton is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas that is used for its inert, dense qualities. However, Krypton is much denser and has better insulation qualities than argon. Krypton is not typically offered as a standard item in insulated glass packages and with most windows is an upgraded or added option. Many vinyl window manufacturers offer Krypton gas as an option or even a krypton and argon blend for a better insulation value.

Typically, adding Krypton or a Krypton/Argon blend will provide your glass with a .16 to .10 U value (don't forget less is more).

There you have it. A little crash course in krypton and argon gas and why you should be sure it's a part of any replacement window you install in your home.

For more information visit us at Atlantawindows.com

Heat Wave-Are Your Windows Helping or Hurting?

For the next week, we'll see temperatures in the 90's and even up to 100 by this Thursday! That's right, it's August in Atlanta. And as if the many smog alerts, weren't enough to make you want to stay indoors, our recent heat wave may be enough to make Atlantans take up permanent residence in their air conditioned residences.

Believe it our not, energy effcient replacement windows can do a lot to help keep your home cool in the summer time. Why is that? Because all replacement windows today are insulated with a low-e (low emissivity) coating that keeps heat from passing through the glass in your windows.

Clear glass windows, even in a double paned window, have a very low heat resistance and allow heat to pass freely into your home in the summer. Thus, cooling costs go through the roof as your system tries to counter the heat that pours into your home.

That's why replacement windows are such a smart choice when looking for ways to beat the heat of Atlanta's summertime. Installing energy efficient replacement windows can increase your energy efficiency up to 10 times what you may have now!

Atlanta Area Window and Door Co will be glad to see that you get properly installed, energy efficient replacement windows to help keep your home very cool this summer.