Replacement Windows
Windows are a critical part of the process of improving the insulation and energy saving factors of your home. Installing Soft Coat Low-E insulated glass windows with argon can improve the insulation rating of your windows by as much as four times. AGC Contracting can assist with every aspect of the process of choosing and implementing new windows.
Lifetime windows for you and your home
Bryn Mawr II™ windows are the next generation of CertainTeed’s Bryn Mawr windows — recognized for superior quality by a major consumer publication. Their advanced design, based on our experience as the industry leader since 1979, combines long-lasting performance, great looks, superior thermal efficiency, and cost efficiency at a level never before available.
Bryn Mawr II™ windows can add value to your home. A rich set of features, an extensive selection of styles, and one of the strongest warranties in the industry make them the right choice for any home, and for every day. Hire our contractors for windows in St. Louis, St. Charles, O' Fallon, St. Peters, Chesterfield, Wildwood, South County, North County and West County. Read more about CertainTeed Windows
Low E Glass - Types and Benefits
The E is for Emissivity
My Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines emissivity as "the relative power of a surface to emit heat by radiation." Emit means to "throw or give off." Okay, so Low-E glass obviously is a special glass that has a low rate of emission. In other words, if there is a heat source inside your house (or outside), the glass bounces the heat from that object back away from the glass. In the winter months, if you have Low-E glass in your home, much of the warmth (heat) given off by the furnace and all the objects which the furnace has heated, is bounced back into the room.
In the summer, the same thing happens but in reverse. The sun heats things up (the air, sidewalks, driveways, next door neighbor's bricks, etc.) outside of your house. This heat radiates from those objects and tries to get into your house. Of course, it tries to take the path of least resistance, that being the glass. With Low-E glass much of this heat bounces off the glass and stays outside.
Argon Gas Fill
An improvement that can be made to the thermal performance of insulating glazing units is to reduce the conductance of the air space between the layers. Originally, the space was filled with air or flushed with dry nitrogen just prior to sealing. In a sealed glass-insulating unit, air currents between the two panes of glazing carry heat to the top of the unit and settle into cold pools at the bottom. Filling the space with a less conductive, more viscous, or slow-moving gas minimizes the convection currents within the space, conduction through the gas is reduced, and the overall transfer of heat between the inside and outside is reduced.
Manufacturers have introduced the use of argon gas fill, with measurable improvement in thermal performance. Argon is inexpensive, nontoxic, nonreactive, clear and odorless. The optimal spacing for an argon-filled unit is the same as for air, about 1/2 inch (11-13 mm).
GLASS R VALUES
Type of Glass
Single Pane regular glass
Clear Insulated Glass 7/8 inch overall thickness
Hard Coat Low-E insulated glass
Hard Coat Low-E insulated glass with argon
Soft Coat Low-E insulated Glass
Soft Coat Low-E insulated glass with argon
R Value
0.85
2.08
2.45
2.75
3.50
4.35
With energy cost on the rise, new windows are one way to lower your heating and cooling bills. Contact us today for a free quote.