The Importance Of Window Glass

One of the main reasons people replace their windows is to improve energy efficiency, resulting in lower heating and cooling costs and more comfortable living year-round.

To provide optimal energy efficiency, meaning your home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with the Glass Coatings available to you and their benefits.

Not all windows are created equal. Selecting the wrong glass for your home is as helpful as selecting eyeglasses that have the wrong prescription. The windows might look great, but they won’t get the job done.

Examples of Glass Coatings that Benefit You

Below are a few examples of the glass coatings that we offer on our windows, and some of the scenarios when you would want to apply the coatings to your windows.

LoE 270 coating = Provides advanced climate-controlling performance in all seasons. This coating is standard on all Centra windows.

Neat Glass coating = Designed to provide lower maintenance glass that “virtually” cleans itself and is very low maintenance.

LoE 366 coating = Recommended for windows that have high sun exposure. This coating will prevent excess heat from coming into your home, without affecting natural light entering. A scenario to consider this coating would be on any of your South-facing windows in your home because they face frequent and direct sunlight.

LoE 366 + i89 coating = Specifically in warm climates with high sun exposure. For example, if you live in a warm region of British Columbia’s interior like Kelowna, you may want to consider this coating on select windows in your home.

4mm and 6mm Glass (Asymmetric Glass) = A great way to improve sound reduction for a window is with the asymmetric double glazing method. To put it in simpler terms, different thickness of glass impacts the reduction of noise across a wide range of frequencies. When a sound wave travels through the window and passes through the first pane of glass, it will change direction. Then it hits the second pane of a different thickness and it will change direction again. Asymmetric double glazing is where we use different thicknesses of glass to reduce the acoustic noise passing through the window into your home. Using 4mm and 6mm glass in this method is a cost-effective and high-performance choice. Another great reason for 4mm and 6mm glass is that you retain the full functionality of LoE coatings on your window, which makes them eligible for Government Rebates. The key takeaway from this workshop is the thickness of the glass.

Example of a Misleading Glass Coating

We suggest watching out for “Car 180/Clear” glass coatings on your window quote. It’s a sneaky way for window manufacturers to trick Energy Star ratings and sell you glass that appears to be energy efficient, but it’s far from it. What does that mean?

Energy Star ratings reward the ability for glass to allow heat into the home easily. This is referred to as “High” Solar Heat Gain. This can be a problem in the summer season, because the glass will be allowing in excess amounts of heat into your living space, making it difficult to keep your home cool and energy bills low.

Centra Windows’ building science expert, Anton Van Dyk, breaks down the importance of purchasing the right glass for your windows.

“If you replace your windows with glass that has high Solar Heat Gain, the heat from the sun will travel through the glass and get trapped in your home. As a result, your home will be even hotter than it was before you replaced your windows. A reputable window company will work with you, display various options and help you make the right decision. You may end up selecting different glass for different rooms, depending if your home has southern exposure, shade, street noise or large windows, among other variables,” Van Dyk says. “Do your research, ask questions and make sure the glass you bring into your home serves its purpose throughout the year.”

Summary 

Seemingly simple decisions like what glass coatings to choose for your new windows can have a long-lasting impact on energy efficiency and home comfort. We want you to be better equipped with the knowledge to set your home renovation up for success!

We are your certified Window Geeks

Centra Windows is not only the manufacturer but also the installer of its product, which enables us to offer a full warranty, eliminating any confusion between product performance and installation. We view the house as a system and understand how each of the elements must work correctly to maximize the comfort and energy efficiency of your home. Contact our local Employee Owners at 1-888-534-3333 or send us an email at info@centra.ca for more information about this topic and many more. You can also sign up for our biweekly newsletter for all the tips and tricks about the window industry.