windows

Part 5 of our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building from the publishers of HealthyHouseInstitute.com. Click here for the introductory post and furthur details.

Question: Aren’t wood windows best from a health standpoint?

Answer: Wood windows are usually treated with water-repellent and fungicidal chemicals. So, while wood is a natural material, treated windows can certainly bother some sensitive people. Also, they’re usually made of pine which can have a strong natural odor. Furthermore, wood windows require routine painting. However, wood windows usually aren’t strong outgassing sources. Therefore, these concerns are only important for very sensitive people.

Vinyl windows are a less-expensive option. While they never need painting (a real plus), the vinyl itself can outgas a little—especially when new—which can be enough to bother some sensitive individuals.

Personally, we prefer aluminum-framed windows. Most are available prefinished in white or brown, and they require little maintenance. In cold climates, you should look for frames with thermal-breaks to minimize sweating. Aluminum windows generally have rubber or plastic seals that have a slight odor—but it usually isn’t significant.

Multiple panes of glass are a good idea in harsh climates for energy efficiency. Low-E coatings and argon-filled windows rarely cause health problems, and we think they’re important to conserve energy.

Question: Is there a healthy window putty I can use?

2008 is fast approaching, and the team at GetWithGreen.com is stopping now to recognize a few of our favorite eco-friendly home improvement products for 2007. These products are assembled together under one roof: GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007.

GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007 consists of manufacturers (or categories) who deliver eco-friendly products, which make our planet a greener place. These products help us conserve, help us reuse, help us recycle, or help us become less reliant on existing harmful resources. We also looked heavily at the popularity of these products with you, our readers.

Let’s give a GetWithGreen.com Thumbs up to our 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007:

1) Cyber-Rain – “The smartest, greenest, and easiest irrigation system on the planet.”

sprinkler cyberrainThe Cyber-Rain XCI System caused quite a bit of stir at GetWithGreen.com in 2007. It was one of the most widely read stories, and for good reason. Resetting the sprinkler timer at every change of season, or for un-seasonal weather changes, just isn’t practical – and we don’t do it! Instead we just let our sprinklers turn on when it is not necessary, and we waste our most precious resource. The Cyber-Rain XCI System made it to our list because it automatically adjusts our sprinklers depending on the weather forecast, thus greatly reducing water usage, and...

Read the other winners at www.GetWithGreen.com

Thermal imagers have been used by the military and manufacturing facilities for a long time. Recently, they've been refined and specialized for building science applications and I just bought one. It's loaded with report software and using my laptop, I can burn a CD real time.

These imagers reveal temperature anomalies so you can see where a building leaks or is infiltrated by air and where it traps moisture. Having this information is crucial if a homeowner is going to make improvements in the right order. There is definitely a correct order for some projects. Here's an example.

Have you heard the horror stories about dual-pane windows? In the Q&As that follow my talks on How to Go Green without Going Broke, I certainly have! People are spending $15,000 and more to replace all their old windows, without getting more than a two-dollar reduction in energy bills.

Dual panes can't save energy unless your walls are insulated (this doesn't apply if you live in a fishbowl/Eichler). They can make rooms less drafty and quieter, but the warm air will still find its way out the uninsulated walls, like it always has. NOTE: replacing a window with dual panes reduces that window's heat loss by 50% or less. And because windows typically account for only 25% of a wall, the cost/benefit ratio is not that attractive.. As part of a whole house upgrade or new construction, dual panes make a lot of sense -- and they're the law. But before you decide to replace all your windows with dual pane products, determine whether and how well your home is insulated.

Until recently, that's been difficult to do. Now, a thermal imager can show you where and how badly your home leaks. You can also identify areas of potential mold growth. Some pest control companies are using them now, because thermal imagers can detect the presence of termite nests as well.

It's been a while since I posted due to me constantly having to attend to my bids on the house. We have been getting some extreme prices on certain subcontractors, so it's a matter of checking 2, 3 or sometimes more bids to see that you get a reasonable price! It's an art in itself.... but anyway, I wanted to post about windows and doors, since I learned more about them. I didn't realize the complexity, but they are a crucial part of the house and affect your energy efficiency, structural integrity, not to mention your personal style.

There are a number of different frame and door materials, and costs vary greatly. Our architect wanted us to get fiberglass windows (vs. wood, aluminum or vinyl) and I wanted to know why and what the differences were. Here's what I have found out.... MORE HERE.

We just came back from a very informative and intelligently put together SIP class at EH Systems. They are a SIP manufacturer that we are definitely considering to buy our panels from, as they offer great customer service, are within a 100 mile radius of Austin (so I can knock on their door if I need to), and hopefully will have prices that are reasonable.

If you're STILL not convinced that SIPs aren't the best way to go, please research and read up on the SIPA website and Oak Ridge Laboratories (government agency). There are tons of articles and technical information for you skeptics, proving its energy efficiency, structural integrity, superiority and payoffs. Yes, they cost a little bit more to build than conventional stick framing, but you can get your money back after 4-5 years of energy savings on your electric bill!!! As I've said many times before, green building costs more upfront, but the money comes back to you in several ways. You are putting your money in your house rather than utility company's pockets, you are saving on electric bills and you are more comfortable in your house, period. Just read about my raves on the Owner Builder Book's forums, you'll see I'm quite the SIP activist :-).

Anyway, the class was free and we got a free hot (and delicious!) lunch and a tour of their plant where they build the SIP walls and roofs. Here's a pic of Jan (who is 6'1" but looks short here!) at the SIP plant with all the panels stacked.

I learned a lot about SIPs, and how they are put together and framed. As a mechanically challenged female, it seemed pretty easy! It sort of goes in like LEGOs. I guess all that practice putting together IKEA furniture paid off in some way. :-).

One of the most useful tips we learned today is about properly installing and flashing windows using ProtectoWrap and Tyvek wrap. This method can be used on any wall system, but is the way that windows SHOULD be installed to allow proper water sealing and drainage. This is especially important on SIP panels because you will not be able to know about water damage as easily, and rot can still happen under your masonry if things get wet and aren't channeled for water drainage....MORE HERE

People love natural light. Subconsciously, unknowingly, we seek out sunlit places and enjoy spending time in natural light. Beyond this desire, however, are some tangible benefits to adding natural daylighting into buildings.

Studies have proven daylighting makes employees more comfortable and productive. Reduced absenteeism, employee satisfaction and higher productivity are all bottom line benefits from the use of natural daylighting. An increase of just 1% in productivity provides enough financial savings to a company to pay their entire energy bill.

In a jointly published study, Greening the Building and the Bottom Line: Increasing Productivity Through Energy-Efficient Design, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Rocky Mountain Institute describes these benefits in greater detail. This study provides numerous case studies of documented proof of the effects of natural light.

Wal-Mart (to your surprise) has discovered great value in natural daylight. Beyond the energy savings, Wal-Mart discovered an additional benefit. In their Lawrence, Kansas store, they found (possibly by accident) sales in the daylit portion were twice that of the artificially lit portion. They also found the cash registers that extended under the daylit portion rang in twice as many sales as the artificially lit ones. More information is available on the Wal-Mart Web site.

Of course, simply adding windows to a building is not enough, light brings with it potential heat and glare. A good architect knows how to control, diffuse and use light to create a healthy and comfortable indoor environment.

Image via sxc.hu, Steve Woods

Hi Kevin,

We're building new, and will be putting in vinyl windows (I know, bad environmental decision, but it's the wallet talking right now), and were wondering if the "Suncoat" on Milgard windows will actually interfere significantly with the passive solar heating that we're seeking here in Alaska? Our home will face south and, in the winter, could collect quite a lot of warmth through the windows. What would you recommend?
Jane

Thanks Jane,

The short answer is YES, Suncoat will NOT give you the passive solar gain that you're looking for in your new home. However, the solution is a bit more complex. There are basically two types of low-e glass—low solar heat gain glass, which keeps the energy from the sun out but also keeps longer wave energy within the home from escaping, and high solar heat gain glass, which keeps the longer wave energy in but also lets in the sun's energy for natural, free solar heating. The problem is that, due to the bias in favor of cooling found in our codes and with Energy Star, the U.S. window industry has all but abandoned offering high solar heat gain, low-e glass as an option. (To better understand this issue you might want to read this.)

Milgard is not really any different than the rest of the U.S. manufacturers in that regard. Here is what you'd be giving up: A dual-pane Suncoat window has a center of glass solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.36 and a winter U-value with an argon fill of 0.29. That means that it is rejecting 64 percent of the solar energy. By comparison, a high solar heat gain low-e dual pane Energy Advantage system from Pilkington Glass has a center of glass SHGC of 0.70 and a winter U-value with argon fill of 0.29. So basically you can get the same insulation value but with the ability to let in TWICE the amount of free solar energy for your passive design.

So here's my recommendation: First, because of wallet issues, if you're going to use any vinyl in a home, windows are probably the best and only place to make that compromise. However, I recommend you find a manufacturer that provides foam filled vinyl frames. This will greatly improve the overall window performance. Second, you can ask the manufacturer to substitute a high solar heat gain glass for their standard offering; however, in talking with several manufacturers I have found that only Marvin has been willing to do that, and they only make wooden windows. If you can't find anyone to substitute the glass you need, have a window fabricator near you fabricate insulated glass units (IGU without frames) to your specification and then frame them directly into your south facing wall. Depending on the window size and wind loads in your area, a reasonable specification for the IGUs would be 1/8" float glass outer pane, 1/8" Pilkington Energy Advantage glass on the inner pane with the low-e coating on the third surface, 1/2" argon filled space between panes and a non-metallic warm edge spacer.

All the best with your project!

John Van Doren

image sxc.hu, carlos freitas