Double Pane Window Repair
Your home's windows are an important part of its exterior. They allow light to enter the home and for you to view the outside through panes of clear glass. Being made from glass, though, windows can be highly conductive of heat and cold if not made to be energy efficient. Here at Glass Doctor® of Northwest Arkansas in Springdale, we specialize in the installation and replacement of energy efficient windows, also known as insulated glass units (IGUs).
When called to a client's home to repair an existing single pane window, we normally will take the time to explain the benefits of upgrading to double pane units. We also do double pane window assessments, and in many cases can do the job without replacing the entire window, but just the insulated glass portion. By utilizing the existing window frame, we'll help you save both time and money.
Why Double Pane Windows Are Better
Insulated, double pane windows provide an impressive list of benefits when compared to inefficient, single pane windows. In a home fitted with IGUs, your utility bills for home heating and cooling should be reduced while, at the same time, occupant comfort levels in your living space should be noticeably increased. Not only will inside temperatures be easier to control but you should also experience a perceptible reduction in noise coming in from outside.
Because glass is a good conductor of heat and cold, a home's windows are the main avenue for the transference of heat and cold into your home's interior. Insulated windows, which contain two or more panes of glass separated by an insulating spacer and with an air space between the multiple panes, significantly reduce this temperature transference. What that means to you is that your home will stay warmer in winter, cooler in summer and that your heating and cooling equipment won't have to work as much to keep you comfortable. This translates out to:
- Lower energy bills
- Longer life expectancy on heating and cooling equipment
- Increased level of occupant comfort
- Smaller carbon footprint for your home
The Anatomy of an Insulated Glass Unit
If you stand next to a single pane window on a cold winter's day you'll feel the chill radiating from the glass surface. In summer, the opposite happens. Heat from the outside air is transferred right into your home through the pane.
With a double pane window, the two panes of glass are separated by a void that acts as an insulating barrier. Sometimes this space is filled with an inert gas such as argon, which further heightens its insulation capabilities. An insulating spacer is used to keep the glass panes separated and then the entire perimeter of the unit is sealed in a tough, high-quality sealant meant to keep it airtight. Sometimes spacers contain a special material, called a desiccant, used for absorbing moisture.
Double Pane Window Repair
If an IGU in your home gets broken, the entire glass unit must be replaced. Fortunately, the existing window frame can often still be used with the new glass unit, making the cost of window replacement less than you might think.
Even if the glass hasn't been broken, however, if the interior seal is no longer functioning properly the window glass must be replaced. An IGU with a broken seal has lost its insulating capabilities. Broken seals are most noticeable by a window exhibiting a milky-white appearance or showing visible moisture condensation in between the glass panes. Our glass specialists here at Glass Doctor of Northwest Arkansas in Springdale are experts at performing double pane window repair and new IGU installations. Give us a call for more information.
