Benefits of Insulating Windows

Insulation is very important to have in your home. While most people think of insulating your walls or attic, there is another place air tends to escape from: your windows. In fact, single-pane windows, which are found in most U.S. homes, are one of the most common areas where energy inefficiency occurs.

Heat can escape your home in four different ways:

– Infiltration, which is when air leaks in or out of your home through gaps along the edges of your windows.
– Conduction – when heat passes through the window glass.
– Radiation, which is when warm air flows to cooler air to achieve equilibrium. This is the most common way heat can escape your home.
– Convection – when hot air rises and cold air sinks, the warmer air is pulled towards windows and escapes, making the room temperature as a whole significantly cooler.

There are several types of insulation you can add to your home to prevent heat from escaping in any of these ways. While many choose rolls or batts, this is not always the best option. Rolls and batts are not able to insulation every nook and cranny of your home because they are bulky, meaning that you won’t maximize heat conservation using this method. Blown in insulation is generally a better option. It can get into smaller spaces and fill cracks, especially near windows. It is also moisture resistant, which means that it will not grow mold or mildew over time.

Ultimately, factors like where your home is located or where you need insulation will affect what type you choose. For example, Northeast Ohio has both extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. If you’re looking for insulation, you’ll want to find one with a very high r-value. An r-value measures the strength of insulation, and a climate that fluctuates in temperatures generally requires a higher r-value to protect homes from changes in temperature throughout the year.

Windows cause a great deal of heat loss, and insulating them could save you money on your energy bill. If you’re ready to start saving money and settle into a more comfortable home, contact us today!