Three Advantages to Double-Pane Windows
With the Arizona heat being a major factor in how homes are designed and built, home owners and renters are consistently on the lookout for ways to minimize their cooling costs. The overwhelming majority of previously air-conditioned air that lost to the outside sun is through doors and windows, particularly through windows thanks to the sunlight that pours through.
Consequently, more and more houses in the Phoenix area are using double-pane windows (two sheets of parallel glass, with a small amount of Oxygen in between for optimum insulation) for the following three reasons:
Minimal Heat Transference
Simply put, double-pane windows preemptively allow less heat into the home; the air conditioning system has less to cool, and is typically reported to save approximately 20%-30% per month. These substantial savings are often accompanied by rooms being able to reach cooler temperatures in the summer without excessive AC costs. One customer reported installing double-pane windows in a western-facing room (one that receives the brunt of the hottest afternoon sun), and reported immediate drops of 10-15 degrees.
Noise Cancellation
Regardless of the original concern being too much noise coming in (cars, airplanes, neighbors, etc.), or too much noise coming out (worrying about disturbing neighbors), double-pane windows break up significantly more sound waves than their single-pane counterparts, and provided for a quieter, more private feel to a home.
Resistant to Breaking
Security is an additional benefit, particularly from the outside in. For a burglar to enter a home, there are now two sheets of glass to break through. Conveniently, this is also helpful for homes with children, which might be the occasional target of a stray toy or ball. Indeed, it does cost more to initially install double-pane windows, but with the benefits explained, they typically pay for themselves within the first year of ownership.
If interested in learning more, feel free to contact us!