wondering about windows

Prairie Dog, I have had your words going through my head since that thread about ghastly hydro bills. I would like to pick your brain about windows, if that's okay. I would like to hear your take on it since you were/are part of the industry.

Of course, the discussion about windows being a heat liability in a home isn't as clear cut as all that. One must take into account placement of windows, size of windows, installation method, gaskets, caulking, and all sorts of other variables that affect a window's performance.

I have done some reading (not lots) on the different designs of window structure, vinyl, metal, wood cladding over plastics. There seems an endless number of complicated ways to design the edge bits that hold the glass in place. But what I have read, over and over again is that the glass itself, despite many changes in technology, is still a HUGE heat loss / heat gain in a house. Glass is glass is glass, with very little actual measurable improvements over the years.

This is not about window design, this is about glass. My limited reading makes the same conclusions. That triple glazed is better than double. THat gas (argon?) filled is better than not. Application of reflective foils improves heat deflection. But overall, the improvement in performance is very incremental and the vast leap in price for these 'fancy' windows is NOT reflected in a matching leap in performance. That you pay a steep premium for a not so steep improvement in heat loss/gain. The tests do NOT support the claims of vastly superior insulative quality. That even after all these years, glass is glass is glass and a window is essentially a big hole in your wall.

We have big picture windows looking out over the valley. As the temp takes a rapid drop, the cold air coming off those windows is sharply noticeable. I have been at the neighbour's house, he likes to point out his gas filled windows. On a cold night like tonight standing next to his, which cost a lot more than mine did, you still feel COLD air roiling off and blasting you in the face. As a consumer, I am NOT convinced that the higher price tag is at all justified by a minimal rise in performance. Either performance has to come way up, or price has to go way down, but there is a disconnect in there, for me anyway.

We are contemplating building new. I want to build to keep heat out in summer and in, in winter. If there is something I should consider when looking at new windows or placement of windows or square footage of windows or installation...I am all ears. Our windows now are cedar. When I went to Home Depot and asked for a 6 foot sliding glass door in cedar, the window man almost had a stroke. Apparently these are not a common item at Home Depot. WOuld you install wood, vinyl, metal???? What? How does one make best use of today's window technology?

Well Uno there are a lot of people out there selling windows and each has there place in the industry as well as in the home .Most windows in the past were wood , which although it's a good material it does have certain aspects that make them non desirable in the Canadian market .Haveing said that I was involved with wooden and metal clad windows all those years that I was in the window manufactureing busness .My self I have wooden windows with just dual pain glass and although they do get cold to the touch and such I can't say that I have ever really noticed any sort of draft or flow of air comeing off of them .I would never again buy wood wimdows simply for the reason that we have four seasons here ,most of what we built was generated towards the USA and down south where they just don't have the extremes in temps that we have here .You living in a wetter area it would seem that cedar would be a natural choice seeing as to how cedar has a high tolorance towards moisture and rot .But it will also absorb the moisture and hold it and release it as it drys out so that again isn't something that you would want .Triple pane glass would be the way to go if building new , argon gas is almost a must these days , and a low E coating to deflect the damageing rays that discolor your curtains and carpets etc is also a must .If I was to build new I would go with PVC hands down , it resists rot , it flex's unlike the older PVC which was more like a plastic then a PVC .The only problem with Triple pane windows is that you will have to live in the house for years in order to get back the extra money that you spent on the extra pane of glass /argon/low E coating .Most Dual pane windows have the Argon gas, the low E coating and that is the most popular window being bought these days .Now what most people aren't aware of is that you can actually ask for and most will supply you with a wider spacer bar inbetween the panes of glass thus giving you more argon gass which will give you some more barrier against the elements .Then there is the bar itself , there's aluminum , there's thermal , there used to be what they called a swiggle ( a black sort of rubberized sealent that was ridged )so that is another option that you should look at .Metal bars were known to get hot during the day when sunlight would hit it, and then release the heat back between the panes during the time when the sun was not making contact with the bar .What most peopel again don't know is that the desicant ( beads ) that absorb that moisture is in the hollow of the spacer bar if you have aluminum spacer bars .The thermal bars have a coating that is dull and will not attract heat as much , but normally are a bit pricier .So for now if you are faceing a evening sunset ,you'll want the Low E coating , the argon gas to act as a barrier .The more sunlight during the day warrents Low E coatings , heat comes in , rays stay out .PVC if you want no maintenance, triple if you want to live in the house a long time .Right now we here are seeing some real advances with windows being built by German standards , I mean the Germans have started bring in there designs and selling them locally to the Germans that are here and they have set up a shop that is now selling a lot to area builders , and the prices are good .That would be my only advice , shop around .....selling for huge amounts of money doesn't say that they are good , caulking ,methods that they test there units are all questions that you should be asking , and they should be able to give you answers that you can understand , they should be certified !! most builders have to be goverment certified to warrent there windows going into a new home these days .There is most likly far more that you want to know but as I said before the windows of today are not what they used to be , the options in glass along would boggle your mind ...solar reflective ( looks like you're looking at a mirror from the outside , but from the inside it's like looking through a tinted car window , Azurelite Blue , another one that we had to use in the US Forestery job that we did a few years ago .....looks like the old coke bottles used to , a blue tinge to the glass that looks bluer the further away you go from it ,al which were made to conserve energy not loose it ...................hope that sort of answers a few questions ?/

Thank you Prairie Dog! There is a lot of information here and lots that I can look into more thoroughly if I care to do a little reserach.

I have basic double pane cedar windows. I love them. They are not great performers, but I like the look, although the upkeep is a committment. Next time around wood windows will likely not be in the budget.

I appreciate you taking the time to post such a thoughtful answer.