Caution: Science Ahead
Factually, the U.S. Department of Energy has calculated that
by putting in some 21st century portals, you can actually suck 50% of the
amount of energy you twitter-away every year. Sure, vinyl doesn't grow on
trees, but they are extremely "green."
The big thing you want to take into consideration is this
egghead term called the "U-factor." It's a metric that lets you know
how well windows and doors are able to block the flow of heat or cold. Golden
Rule: The lower the U-factor, the better it will be from blocking the great
outdoors from invading the comfortable indoors in Las Vegas.
Likewise, look into the center-of-glass U-factor. Basically,
the glazing. So, let's get into comparing window frames.
Wood
Classic, pretty, elegant. The big issue is that they age
faster than a movie starlet. There is an upside. Heat doesn't transfer from the
elements swirling around in the open air. Translated, wood frames will keep the
heat-and-cold where it belongs. Another plus with wood is that it's renewable. On the other
hand, it's expensive.
Steel
Then you got your steel frames. They'll be around well after
the cockroaches take-over the earth. Pretty flexible stuff, too. Good for grand
structures, but unless you're planning a stadium, what's the purpose?
Insulation-wise, steel frames suck. You'll be forced to double-up by installing
a thermal break.
Get it? More money, honey.
Vinyl
Now for the gold standard, vinyl. Great for energy conservation.
The newest models are as air-tight as a bug's ear. We're gonna throw another batch of science at you. This
one's called "R-values."
What's that? An R-value is a measurement to tell you the how
well the insulation is resistant to heat flow. In this category, shoot for the
highest number you can find.
That Wallet of Yours
Talk about cost-effective, vinyl beats all others by a mile
-- maybe ten -- if you're redoing a whole house or business. As for
maintenance: Us lazy folks unite around vinyl. A garden hose spruces 'em up. A word of caution: Don't mix-and-match between the three.
Finally, vinyl windows come in as many colors as the
spectrum on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album. Count 'em.
That's a lot of choices.
