apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This sounds like a silly question, but does the same principle apply in a hot climate with loss of cool indoor air?

This got me thinking: how much of an impact do shades and or curtains make in prohibiting heat loss? While probably not in the same league as double-hung windows they surely do help?

Maryja,

That's a tough one to answer. Let me do some digging for a future post!

-jonathanb

For a purely anecdotal answer to Maryja's question... it's not a coincidence that Victorian window fashions in colder climates involved heavy velvet drapes that puddled on the floor and had a lot of hoohah for a valance. All that fabric helped the room retain heat during the winter. We could feel the difference when we closed our 10' velvet IKEA drapes.

Thanks for answering the question. The windows are in bad shape so new ones are in order. Now we just need to find a reliable installer.

As to drapes, my sister in law lives in a cold rural area and using insulated drapes in the winter and it helps a lot.

Alice--I'm in dire need of new windows as well. What brands of windows are you considering?

In response to Deidre, from what I know in my course study, the same is for the referce. If you have alot of hot air making it into your home, the harder your AC has to work. I'd say your first bet is to have a better seal for air. Then after that, worry more about heating load from the sun, white shades work wonders in the summer.

shadowswimmings response to Deidre also kind of relates to my question about curtains retaining heat, except in reverse.

Growing up in New England we often kept the shades/curtain drawn during the day to preserve the cool air that circulated at night when we would open windows. I recall it working and do the same out here in the PNW when it occasionally gets hot but is it based in fact or just an old wives tale?

That's a brilliant advice, I was a little bit doubtful about that but your arguments made me decide for windows. I would also love to know more about double glazing cost so I can start making plans.

I am not sure about your windows argument. I think the single best thing you can do to start out is to get an energy audit. That's the only way you're going to know for certain how to prioritize/schedule your improvements, given limited budget. What's the most bang for your buck?

This is a GREAT resource for you: http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/envelope.htm

I am not well versed in building performance at all, but I have heard anecdotally from people who work on residential building energy efficiency and weatherization that often times insulation, particularly attic insulation, could do more for you than replacing windows -- particularly considering how expensive windows are to buy and install. I dunno, but I go back to my first suggestion, which is get an energy audit!

Also, rethink replacing functioning old wooden windows with double glazed vinyl ones. Vinyl windows must be completely tossed if broken and cannot be repaired, only replaced. You might be much better off rehabbing your windows and installing high quality storm windows. The wood on older wooden windows is old growth and hard and hardy and they have been functioning for a long time. Perhaps recaulking and reglazing are in order to improve efficiency.

New windows are not as green as they are cracked up to be. If you enjoy the free heat you get from the sun in the window, kiss that goodbye with Low E windows. It also prevents the sun from warming as well.

I can tell you from personal experience: reducing drafts makes it FAAAAR warmer in the house than anything else. My home has old (wood with counterweights!) single pane windows. I made draft snakes to go at the base, and at the middle (they slide open upwards from the middle, and there's a gap there) and all of a sudden it was actually possible to get the house WARM. It was amazing.

I would go with windows and beautiful heavy curtains.

My understanding with Low E windows is that they DO let winter warmth in due to the lower angle of the winter sun.

@elementarian Insulation only helps if there aren't significant drafts. If you're choosing between switching to double paned windows from otherwise sound ones, yeah, you're better off getting attic insulation. In this case, however, it sounds like there's a draft related to the windows so it's more like the windows are always open a little bit, so you're getting more outside air coming into the space which you then have to heat. The energy it takes to replace the heat lost through the walls and ceiling will be significantly less than the energy it takes to bring large amounts of outside air up to a comfortable temperature.

@Maryja if nothing else, you're preventing a greenhouse effect by covering the windows during the day. My apartment can get 10 or more degrees warmer than outside if the shades are up, but it stays relatively cool if they're down. I doubt the shades are helping keep the cool air in, but they are keeping solar energy out!

Depending on your situation, your best bet is to update the windows. Even without an insulation inside the walls, the wall material will still insulate better than old windows. If you've got single pane wood windows, aluminum windows or even double pane vinyls with no UV coat or insulative gas inside, updating will really help you out.
The best window systems on the market should have a Soft Coat Low E coating (better UV protection than a Hard Coat or an applied film). Also get an insulative gas - Argon is most common, but Krypton will last longer & provide better protection. Triple pane may sound like overkill, but it does provide better protection than double.
Remember, this is an investment into your home, so don't just buy based on price alone!
(I'm a window specialist, I know what products are on the market & which ones are most efficient)