Using Glazing Effectively Helps Save Energy around your Home

Make your house more energy efficient and reduce your monthly bills.

Glazing

If replacing windows then always double glaze if you are able to afford it.

The difference between double glazing and single glazing over the total cost of glazing to a home is not a great deal and you will be surprised by the amount of money it saves you and the quality of life in your home that it brings.

Modern double glazing is now often filled with an inert gas in the sealed area between the panes of glass.

This helps with the insulation properties of both heat transfer and to an extent, sound.

It reduces solar gain in the summer as well as heat loss in the winter.

There are a number of proprietary after market double glazing systems such as using poly carbonate fixed to the inside of existing windows but also with a small air gap. Poly carbonate is a type of plastic that has quite amazing properties.

Unlike acrylic which is also a clear plastic it is very hard and scratch resistant. It is also an incredible insulation material. I was shown a demonstration where a naked flame was help beneath a clear piece of poly carbonate and I was told to put my hand on top of the poly carbonate. Being the trusting person that I was (and if I'd been burnt the sales person would also have been in a lot of pain), I tentatively placed my hand on top of the poly carbonate over the flame. It was cold to touch.

Very weird when you are expecting it to be at least warm. I was immediately convinced of the insulation properties. The downside was that it was expensive but it certainly worked and was much cheaper than replacing all the windows with new double glazing.

Another method of double glazing is to actually double window. This was a very common method in the buildings in Europe. The double windows do the same job as the double glazing but in the summer the second set of internal windows are kept open. The other advantage of double windows to a building is that they are very good sound insulators if the gap between them is 4 to 6 inches or more. As an interior designer another way of achieving this system is to use bi folding shutters to the insides of the windows. This is particularly suited to older and rustic homes. They can be in any number of finishes from timber to glass to fabric covered MDF board.

Reducing Under Floor Drafts

If you are able to get under the house i.e. it is built on piles with a crawl space or has a basement, then using a fiberglass blanket under there or polystyrene sheets between the joists is very effective too. Because wind can get under a house it is important to strap these items in place to stop any movement. The blanket used under a house is usually a special form that is sandwiched in aluminum foil. Ask your local building supply store for the correct type if doing this job yourself or as a good interior designer should be doing if specifying - do some research and find out what's best in your local market.

House insulation using drapery and energy efficient checklist

Diagram and more information on house insulation .

How to increase energy efficiency.