What is low-e glass?
Low-e glass is glass that has a low emissivity coating applied to it. In other words, coating is applied to the window to minimize the amount of ultraviolet and heat that can pass through the glass, without compromising natural light flow.
Ultraviolet light is the damaging component of sunlight that can cause damage to valuable items in a home, such as pictures or upholstery fabric or wall coverings. Items susceptible to UV light break down on a molecular level, which is nearly impossible to repair, making it important to stop UV light in its tracks.
What does low-e glass do?
Low-e glass acts to protect your home and shield it against heat and light.
When heat inside a building tries to escape to the colder air outside, the low-e glass reflects the heat back inside, reducing the amount of warm air that escapes through windows. The reverse happens in the summer time—when the exterior hot air tries to intrude to the cooler air inside, the low-e coating will reflect it back, reducing the amount of cold air that is lost during the summertime.
To put it in simplest terms, low-e glass works the same way a thermos works. Thermoses have a lining that encapsulates the temperature of the liquid they contain to prevent heat transference. The emissivity coating applied to low-e glass works in the same way.
Why should homeowners invest in it?
When it comes to saving money on energy bills, low-e glass is the answer. Low-e glass will quickly shore up any lost heat in the winter months, saving you on your heating bill; in the summer, it’ll protect your home better from scorching temperatures, which can create costly cooling bills as well. Moreover—and even more beneficial to homeowners—cutting down on heat transference means less stress put on your HVAC system, since it won’t have to work as hard to maintain a constant temperature in your home.
On the UV front, low-e glass is going to provide protective benefits to your home. Some low-e glass can block up to 99 percent of damaging UV light, which means safeguarding your home’s materials from damage. This means saving upholstery, paint systems, wallpapering and a wide variety of décor items from the dulling effects of sunlight, which, as mentioned above, will cause irreparable damage at a molecular level.
To learn more about low-e glass and get more information about why this exceptional type of glass is a must-have for homeowners, contact Fast Glass today. Making the decision to invest in low-e glass for your next window glass replacement in Littleton, CO, could just be the best home upgrade you make!