High-Performance Windows: How Low-E Coatings Work
Low-E (low-emissivity) coatings are super-thin layers of metallic oxide applied to window glass to boost the thermal properties of the unit. As a key innovation that helped develop today’s high-performance products, you can’t find an ENERGY STAR®-certified window without them.
As an all-around home improvement contractor, Exterior Source wants to explain to you how Low-E coatings work:
Blocking the Sun’s Infrared Light
Windows use multiple layers of metallic-oxide coating to reflect the sun’s infrared light, which is a major heat source inside the house. In comparison, clear glass doesn’t discriminate. It lets in most of the entire solar spectrum, visible or not. As a result, windows without Low-E coatings allow plenty of sunshine and heat-causing infrared light.
Buying replacement windows reinforced by Low-E coatings is one way to dramatically decrease the sun’s influence on your indoor climate. They can move the needle, and your HVAC system won’t have to work as hard to maintain ideal indoor temperatures.
Insulating Indoor Heat
In addition to mitigating the sun’s infrared light, coatings contribute to heat-loss reduction too. If you normally fire up your heating equipment during the cooler months, it will help regulate the temperatures of your rooms. Exterior Source agrees that other components, such as argon fill and stainless-steel spacer, are key to thermal insulation, but Low-E coatings play the greatest role.
Rejecting Ultraviolet Radiation
Similar to the way ScratchGuard™ paint finish protects LeafGuard’s seamless gutters, Low-E coatings defend home-interior items against sun damage. Glass options with 12 coatings, like LoE3-366® from Joyce Windows, can deflect up to 97% of UV rays. In other words, your furniture, drapes, blinds and carpets are far less likely to get discolored even if they constantly bask in the sunlight.
Exterior Source gives you access to a wide array of windows with excellent ratings from trusted manufacturers. Call us at (804) 275-5323 in or (757) 464-2060 in Tidewater to set up your free consultation, and discuss your window replacement needs.
