| What do windows have to do with a green | | | | feeling a draft from leaky windows and doors. |
| home? Windows are a big part of your green | | | | This gap around the window frame should be filled |
| home, since most of the heat lost from your | | | | with quality insulation to reduce the amount of |
| home is lost though the windows. A set of | | | | heat escaping from the home. There are several |
| inefficient, leaky or badly installed windows can | | | | ways to apply the insulation. One effective way is |
| defeat any efforts at energy savings or | | | | to fill this gap with expandable foam and then |
| conservation. How can we stop the money from | | | | cover the nailing flange of the window with special |
| flying out the window? In this 'Focus on Green | | | | tape to seal the gap completely. |
| Homes' edition, we explain how to keep the | | | | By doing all these steps, you can greatly increase |
| windows from allowing the heat out of your | | | | the energy efficiently of the traditional window. |
| home. | | | | Usually windows cannot be eliminated or reduced |
| Through new technological breakthroughs, | | | | in size due to building codes and builder's rules of |
| techniques are now available to build attractive, | | | | thumb. Windows are pleasing to the eye and |
| but energy efficient windows that retain heat a | | | | provide ventilation and safety features that are |
| lot better than the old way of building a window. | | | | important to any home. Therefore, windows have |
| First, energy efficient windows have two panes | | | | to be made more efficient in order to make your |
| of glass instead of one. And, in addition, newer | | | | home truly green. |
| windows have had the air space between these | | | | When choosing windows for a green home it is a |
| two panes of glass filled with argon gas that | | | | good idea to look at many window manufacturers |
| dramatically slows the heat transfer through the | | | | and their window prices because the most |
| glass panes. | | | | expensive windows are not always the most |
| Heat is also lost through the air space between | | | | efficient. Calculating the energy pay-off time is an |
| the window frame and the window space in the | | | | important tool for choosing the most efficient |
| wall. Most people have had the experience of | | | | windows for the money. |