Trusted Window Cleaners in Portsmouth, VA

Glazing refers to the panes of glass or plastic in a window, door, or skylight. A double glazed window for example, has two panes of glass. Double-glazed windows are often called double-paned windows.

Tempered Safety Glass is a type of glass that has been repeatedly heated and cooled. This makes the glass much stronger than ordinary glass. Also, if Tempered Safety Glass is broken, it crystallizes into small, harmless shards that won't cut or hurt curious little hands or pets. You don't need Tempered Safety Glass unless you're dealing with an extremely large continuous glass surface such as a sliding door, in which case the stress of its own weight and the likelihood of something hitting it mean safety glass is a better option. Also, Virginia and North Carolina building codes require any glass within 18 inches of the ground or 36 inches of a door to be made of Tempered Safety Glass. This prevents someone from kicking through a low window, and protects your house from someone breaking a window, reaching through, and unlocking the door.

Air leakage (or air infiltration) refers to the amount of air that leaks into or out of a building by means of cracks in the walls, windows and doors. It's important to make certain that professional installers accurately measure and install your windows in order to minimize air leakage, which can cause drafts, over-heated homes or over-cooled homes, and higher energy bills.

Besides ruining the view of your window, fogged panes also signal that the insulation value of your window has been compromised. The effectiveness of double-paned windows comes from the pocket of air in between the two pieces of glass. Air or gasses like argon have a higher insulating value than glass alone. Heat cannot pass through it as easily. However, once the seal is broken on a window, the argon or air inside escapes. The insulating value of your double-pane decreases, and your energy bills go up. Also, if you have one window that is fogged, any other windows of the same brand or that were installed at the same time are at risk. Seal failure is a result of poor installation or design. If one window fogged up, the rest probably will too.

The SHGC is a measurement of solar heat radiation that is transferred or absorbed through a window and then released into your home. SGHC refers to a window's or door's ability to shield solar radiation by means of Low-E coatings, argon gas fills, and any other methods such as tinting. The rating for the solar heat gain coefficient is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's or door's rating, the less solar energy it transmits, and the more effectively that window or door will insulate and protect your home from heat gain.