Increasing the Size of Your Windows Increases Lighting, and It Can Also Impact Energy Efficiency

Every homeowner in the Greater Toronto Area has an opportunity to improve not only the appearance of their home, but also its comfort and even its value when replacing old, outdated windows. By choosing replacement windows, the homeowner will be providing themselves a great chance to completely transform the look and feel of any and all rooms in the house, if they so choose.

When replacing any window in any room, this is the time to consider changing the size as well as the style. By changing the size of the window, it usually means a greater expense with regard to installation, but that may very well be worth it.

For those who are considering increasing the size of some windows in their home, such as those that are in a family room, living room, or dining room, it’s important to focus on energy efficiency as well.

Not only will the windows need to be more energy-efficient to cut down on drafts during the winter, which is a major source of heat loss during those cold, winter months, but they also need to consider how larger windows are going to affect their comfort during the summer.

The larger a window is, especially if it is facing the South or West, the more direct sunlight will penetrate into the home in the spring, summer, and early autumn months. When the sun’s ultraviolet radiation penetrates into the house, it is generating heat inside the house, much like a greenhouse. This will cause the homeowner to have to run the air-conditioning system more frequently, thus relying on more electricity and costing more on their utility bills.

There is a way to combat this problem.

Low E film coating is an effective way to cut down on energy loss during the summer months. This is a film coating that is applied to the glass at the manufacturer that blocks a significant percentage of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation from certain angles. The lower the angle, meaning the lower the sun is in the sky, such as at evening hours or during the winter months, the less it blocks those UV rays, which means the homeowner will still enjoy some warming from the sun during the winter, although it will be quite limited.