All homes, whether new or old often have cracks or openings around windows and doors. These gaps are a major cause of heat loss and add to your home’s overall energy heating costs. If you can feel cold drafts around your home windows, you are losing heat there. Even if you don’t feel a draft, you could still be losing air. Winterizing your home windows is a great way to help keep your home warm and save on energy costs this winter.

#1. Glass

Home Window Glass & Triple Pane Glass Units

A window pane, also sometimes referred to as glazing, is quite literally the sheet of glass separating the inside of your home from the outside. Triple-pane home windows come with three panes respectively. They are also known as insulated glass units, that have air pockets between their panes which diffuse heat transfer and reduce home window conductivity, resulting in a better-insulated home—perfect for Canadian winters!

Home Windows with Solar Solutions Option

Solar Solutions glass options provide the absolute perfect choices for winterization while at the same time exceed the Energy Star requirements in Canada.

This one-of-a-kind system certifies the gas content in each and every unit, by applying the gas right at the time of sealing the unit. The non-conductive Super Spacer (S.S.) helps to keep the cold or warmth from transferring to the interior, and reduces condensation build up during the winter months.

Super Spacer

Always look for home windows that come standard with Super Spacer, the world’s only 100% polymer foam, NO-Metal Warm Edge spacing system. “Thermal efficiency through no presence of conductive metals” is Super Spacer’s hallmark. The edge of the insulating glass unit is indeed the most vulnerable to heat and cooling loss, condensation and frosting. Super Spacer’s NO-Metal formula blocks the heat escape path and provides one of the best thermal performances in the industry. That means it keeps the heat in during the winter months and keeps the cool in during the summer months. Super Spacer assures comfortable winter humidity levels with hardly any worries about condensation and mold.

Argon Gas

Double-pane home windows can be filled with argon gas to help insulate a room and minimize the transfer of heat through the window. Argon Gas is a colourless, odorless gas, that is denser than air. Thus, adding it to the captive air in double-pane windows improves thermal insulation efficiency. Installing argon gas-filled windows can help improve your energy efficiency and lower your home energy costs.

Krypton Gas

Krypton gas is an inert, slow-moving gas that improves thermal performance. Denser than Argon, Krypton gas does an excellent job of preventing heat loss. For maximum efficiency, Krypton is usually used in triple pane home windows.

The Ultimate Home Window Combination: Krypton/Argon Mix Gas

Why choose one when you can have both? The optimal combination of both Argon/Krypton Gas Mix not only increases the energy efficiency of your windows, but this combined duo also significantly reduces outside sound, adding to the privacy of your home.

#2. Frame

Look for quality home window vinyl frames.

It all begins with the raw material of the window frame which will allow for a stronger, longer lasting and more energy efficient vinyl window—less likely to warp, due to extreme cold.

Precision automated welded home window frames and sashes, and foam-filled frames add to the window durability and strength.

High-quality constructed home windows made of vinyl are very adaptable to weather changes: Vinyl window frames don’t absorb water and won’t expand and contract as much as other materials. They are almost weather-resistant window frames.

Home window vinyl frames, add superior insulating values, because they are non-conductive, and temperature transference is very minimal. Regardless of the temperature outside, vinyl windows are helpful to reduce the risk of draft air coming into your home. During the winter, these drafts can bring in the cold air that causes temperature fluctuations. With vinyl, your home will stay warm in the winter months.

#3. Installation

Caulking

If your home window’s caulking needs replacing, you can dig out the old one using a putty knife or screwdriver. Make sure you clean and dry the area before you replace the caulking. Caulking should be used for joints that remain stationary. Also using a polyurethane caulk is best because it can be painted, does not shrink, sticks better, and does not attract dust or dirt. A little caulking can go a long way in saving you money on your energy bill.

Weather-stripping

Weather-stripping is used on home windows with moveable parts. There is a variety of weather-stripping options that you can use. Whatever type of weather-stripping you decide to use it will help keep windy drafts outside your home.

Felt: normally the least expensive and goes on fairly easily, but it can’t withstand moisture.

Vinyl: reasonably priced, but a little harder to install.

Metal: They seem to work best in older and historic homes.

Magnetic strips: are expensive but they are the most effective.