Southern California is known for a lot of things. It’s the home of Disneyland. It’s where Hollywood is located. It has some of the world’s biggest businesses and organizations.
It’s also known for its sun and heat.
It’s hot down here. We’re at the end of August as of this writing and looking at several days with no clouds and 92 degree+ weather. It is typically even hotter in July and it’s getting hotter every year.
When we think about getting new windows, we often focus on their appearance, especially if your windows are older. Appearance absolutely matters in terms of property values and loving your home, which is of course why our team at Open Wall Solutions is so focused on working only with the most attractive windows we can find.
However…
If you’re only allowed to look at one thing when choosing a window, it’s not the look of the window. It’s not the size or the color or the thickness.
The single most important consideration you should make with your windows is energy efficiency.
What and Why is Energy Efficiency Important?
Your windows are responsible for anywhere between 25% to 50% of your home’s heat transfer. On hot days, when the sun is glaring, your windows are responsible for about ~30% of the energy you have to use to keep your home cool.
The less energy efficient your windows are, the more heat will get in. This causes:
- Energy Bills to Increase – Energy prices keep increasing, if your windows are not energy efficient, you could spend as much as 30% more on your energy bills just because of your windows alone.
- Comfort to Decrease – If you’re losing a lot of energy through your windows, your home is going to struggle to stay cool. You will feel hotter and less comfortable in your home no matter how much you run the AC.
- ACs to Die Earlier – The more your air conditioner has to work, the more likely it is to have problems. It is more likely to need repairs, and could also need to be replaced at an earlier date than you expected.
It’s also important to note that windows are expected to last 20+ years. Not only do you need your windows to protect you from today’s high energy costs and heat, but you also need it to *keep* protecting you from those higher* energy costs and hotter* weather that we’re expected to have in 5, 10, and 20 years.
At Open Wall Systems, we have windows that are focused on energy efficiency for this very purpose. Not only are they competitively priced and attractive, but they’re energy efficient, which is extremely important here in Southern California. We connect you with windows that meet all of your goals, but if you could only choose one, choose the most energy efficient window. That’s the window that you’ll continue to love and appreciate for decades.
Learn more about our windows or come visit our showroom!