Have you ever noticed that your sofa, carpeting, and draperies fade unevenly depending on where they are in relationship to your windows? Or that your painted walls have become dull and faded from the sun’s rays? Even if your home does not face direct sunlight, damaging UV rays can bounce off neighboring buildings and trees to enter your home. But quality replacement windows can protect your home outside and in—with sunlight filters that prevent fading.
Sunlight is made up of three components:
All three components contribute to fading, but ultraviolet rays are most closely associated with it. UV rays break down chemical bonds in fabrics, textiles, paints, dyes, and watercolors, and cause fading. Any material that contains color pigments carries light-absorbing bodies called chromophores that are incorporated in dyes to “carry” colors. IV rays damage chromophores in a process known as photodegradation and that causes fading.
Quality replacement windows with low-emissivity (Low-E) glass are specially coated to reflect ultraviolet light. Because these window systems minimize the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light that can pass through the glass, they protect your internal furnishings. They let in visible light so can enjoy a room full of natural sunlight without having to worry about your drapes and rugs fading. You may be able to add an additional UV-protective coating, but you’ll want to be careful if you intend to grow plants in the room. The coating won’t let enough sunlight through for plants to grow.
In addition, Low-E glass helps to keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. This type of glass has a microscopically thin, transparent coating, even thinner than a human hair. It reflects long-wave infrared heat as well as short-wave solar infrared energy. When heat energy inside a home tries to escape to the colder air outside in the winter months, the Low-E coating reflects the heat back to the inside of your home. The reverse happens during the summer. Just like a silver-lined thermos, since Low-E glass is made up of very thin layers of silver, it reflects the interior temperatures back inside.
Now might be the perfect time to install replacement windows since tax credits are available through December 31, 2022. Windows that have earned the ENERGY STAR® certification can receive a tax credit of 10% of the cost, but capped at $200 for windows. This tax credit has been extended through 2032 with further details to be released at a later date.
Want to learn more about replacement windows? NOW Remodeling in Boise, ID, and Spokane and Richland, WA is a Preferred Contractor for ProVia Windows. Request your free quote today.