CONSIDER THE CLIMATE WHEN CHOOSING REPLACEMENT WINDOWS IN COLUMBUS

Ideally, residential properties are built taking a number of factors into account, some of which may be more significant than others. The local climate plays an important role in building homes; and in fact is the basis for many of the provisions in a local building code. A homeowner’s choice of replacement windows, in particular, should be influenced by the climate in their location.

Deborah L. O’Mara gives some pointers on choosing window replacements according to the climate in your area:

“In order to make your home as energy efficient as possible, it’s important to determine the best window for your climate: one that keeps heat out in the summer and, in the winter, keeps it in.

In older homes, windows are often one of the largest sources of heat loss in winter, due to air leakage and the windows’ low insulating qualities. Windows are also the major source of unwanted heat gain in the summer.

Many windows, skylights and glazed doors now bear energy ratings or labels, similar to those placed on household appliances, to help builders and homeowners choose energy-efficient products. These labels have been developed by the nonprofit National Fenestration Rating Council, which operates a voluntary certification program that documents criteria corresponding to heat loss and gain methods, including U-factors and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC).”

The climate in Columbus, Ohio brings humid, wet summers and cold winters. According to the Environment Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program, windows and doors in the Northern US should have a U-factor 0.30 or lower. The U-factor pertains to the overall level of insulation that a specific home fixture can provide; the lower, the better. Some states like Florida have a hotter climate than Ohio and therefore have much higher U-factors to consider (i.e. at most 0.60).

In addition to this, homeowners should also consider the kind of weather conditions the climate brings. In Columbus, tornadoes are rare but they do occur periodically. This means that the ideal replacement window in Columbus, Ohio should be impact-resistant and be able to withstand high-gale winds. Trusted window replacement contractors like Ohio Exteriors can help homeowners find the right kind of windows for their homes that will have a good chance of standing up against the weather.

(Article Information and Image from The Best Window for a Mixed Climate, HGTV Remodels)