Low E Glass Coatings: What Are They And How Will They Benefit You?

Glass is a very important factor for windows and window installation. It is true that a strong frame is required to keep all the components in place while carrying out window installation. But what can really make a difference in the kind of glass you use and the quality of glass coatings applied. If energy conservation is one of your main concerns then glass coatings should be a priority when you make the choice of glass for your windows.

One of the best investments you could make is good quality windows. You can end up paying very high energy bills all through the year if you do not make the extra effort to conserve energy in whatever little way you can. Along with using energy saving appliances you can also use Low E glass.

In order to judge the quality of glass you need to familiarize yourself with the different types of glass ratings and how effective each type would be. The glass is considered to be better if the rating is lower. There are two key numbers in glass ratings. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and U Values. U Values gauge in insulating quality of the glass and how well it can keep you warm during winter. SHGC on the other hand will show how cool the glass will keep you in the summer months; it measures how well the glass can reflect heat away.

The technology that applies a thin layer of metal to the glass enabling it to reflect heat back into the home is known as Low E glass technology. In the times gone by Low E glass was only used for single pane windows but now it is used for all types of glass panes. A very thin layer of tin was applied to molten glass in the case of single pane windows. This was not as effective as the other advanced types of Low E coatings. But soon with the advancement of technology more efficient forms of Low E glass was developed. Micro fine reflective layered surfaces were developed with Silver and this has increased the energy efficiency of glass units to a large extent. Further, each of these layers are gently coated and sandwiched between two glass panes. With this type of glass the use of abrasive cleaners is no longer an issue.

There has been a recent surge in window installations with glass coatings. Tahoma's climate can be pretty wearing down during the summers and having Low E glass coatings will benefit you in more ways than one.