Living Like Ed - (Page 36) feel a draft when you’re sitting or standing near one? Put your hand on a window. Does it feel cold in the winter or hot in the summer? If so, you’re losing energy. Double-pane windows are just what they sound like: two panes of glass (or sometimes plastic) in a single frame with a bit of air in between. That sandwich of air reduces heat transfer, keeping cold air outside from sucking the heat right out of your house in the winter. It also keeps warm air outside in the summer from transferring through a single thin pane of glass and heating up the inside of your home RACHELLE’S TURN I was concerned when we decided to make the switch to double-pane windows. I didn’t want this adorable (albeit tiny) RACHELLE’S 1930s home to have ugly-looking windows just so Ed could TURN save a few bucks and use less energy. Adding modern-style windows to this older house would look awful! But Ed did his homework and actually found out that the manufacturer who had made our windows back in 1936 was still 36 around, and they make double-pane windows that look just like our originals. There are many window companies that make doublepanes in a variety of looks, so the style of your home won’t be compromised. You know, when Ed first wanted to replace all of our windows with double pane, I just thought, “Why are we spending all this money on something we already have?” I didn’t really get it. But our energy usage has gone down. And what I love the most is that now I can’t hear a thing! We live in a busy area, right across from a school, a block from a busy road, and a few miles from an airport. Over the years, I had grown to live with kids yelling, cars honking, and planes taking off. After the double-pane windows were installed, though, I felt like I was in the secluded countryside. Even if you’re worried you won’t save that much money on your energy bill (which you will), the silence itself is worth every penny. Rachelle’s right. These are quality windows. The others didn’t seal as well. These have little gaskets on them. The hardware is very nice. They’re cane roots, and olive seeds. These products are also naturally biodegradable. R-value refers to
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