<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Umbra on window manufacturers]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Phil Smith http://www.grist.org/article/windows/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 07:11:24 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/windows/1 Windows and Window repair

I think the value of 40% household energy use is through windows may be a historic value that may not stand up to serious analysis.

What we have found is window replacement for economic reasons gives one of the poorest returns possible.

If a window is physically falling apart then the move to the most efficient possible which in the US is overall pretty poor. The most efficient come from Canada or Europe. If you want to see some super windows go to those Certified for use in the European Passiv Haus construction standards. These standards are remarkable with a strong focus on Sustainability. Energy consumption is a tich more than 1kwh/sq ft/year! I hope your German is better than mine!  http://www.passiv.de/

]]> Windows and Window repair

I think the value of 40% household energy use is through windows may be a historic value that may not stand up to serious analysis.

What we have found is window replacement for economic reasons gives one of the poorest returns possible.

If a window is physically falling apart then the move to the most efficient possible which in the US is overall pretty poor. The most efficient come from Canada or Europe. If you want to see some super windows go to those Certified for use in the European Passiv Haus construction standards. These standards are remarkable with a strong focus on Sustainability. Energy consumption is a tich more than 1kwh/sq ft/year! I hope your German is better than mine!  http://www.passiv.de/

]]> Comment #2 by willa http://www.grist.org/article/windows/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 13:01:38 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/windows/2 preservation

I don't know how old the house in question is, but you might consider that the windows are an integral part of the house and its character.  Not that you should tolerate inefficient windows, of course!  But if your house has old-fashioned true divided lights (TDLs)--the ones where each pane of glass is held separately by a frame within the frame, and the muntins aren't just there for looks--I humbly submot, as a preservation grad student, that storm windows can be installed outside the existing windows, thus conserving both energy and cultural resources.  I'm not one of those preservationists who thinks that if you change the windows ona historic house, you've utterly ruined it forever, but bear in mind that anything over 50 years old is potentially eligible for listing on the National Register, and thus potentially part of our cultural heritage.

I can't even belive I'm writing this.  I just finished a midterm, and it shows. Ugh. :)

]]> preservation

I don't know how old the house in question is, but you might consider that the windows are an integral part of the house and its character.  Not that you should tolerate inefficient windows, of course!  But if your house has old-fashioned true divided lights (TDLs)--the ones where each pane of glass is held separately by a frame within the frame, and the muntins aren't just there for looks--I humbly submot, as a preservation grad student, that storm windows can be installed outside the existing windows, thus conserving both energy and cultural resources.  I'm not one of those preservationists who thinks that if you change the windows ona historic house, you've utterly ruined it forever, but bear in mind that anything over 50 years old is potentially eligible for listing on the National Register, and thus potentially part of our cultural heritage.

I can't even belive I'm writing this.  I just finished a midterm, and it shows. Ugh. :)

]]> Comment #3 by ann g http://www.grist.org/article/windows/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:06:44 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/windows/3 storm windows great choice

As a seasoned historic preservation employee, I concur! Storm windows have been found to equal if not exceed the efficiency of replacement windows. My own old house was built c. 1926, with metal casement windows (brrrr). When the previous owners purchased it in 1970, it came with interior wood storms. I'm still using them, and find them easy to install each fall, and store each spring in a closet in the spare bedroom.

If the windows are in really bad shape, one should also look at replacing the sashes (the movable parts that have the glass) and not the entire window. Replacement sashes are a good option when the originals are deteriorated.
Ann G.

]]> storm windows great choice

As a seasoned historic preservation employee, I concur! Storm windows have been found to equal if not exceed the efficiency of replacement windows. My own old house was built c. 1926, with metal casement windows (brrrr). When the previous owners purchased it in 1970, it came with interior wood storms. I'm still using them, and find them easy to install each fall, and store each spring in a closet in the spare bedroom.

If the windows are in really bad shape, one should also look at replacing the sashes (the movable parts that have the glass) and not the entire window. Replacement sashes are a good option when the originals are deteriorated.
Ann G.

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