Innovative windows: top 3 options

In house design, being transparent is not always an advantage. The humble window is the perfect example, often relegated to a secondary role both when it comes to making decisions about home improvements and looking at the various elements of a new house. Yet windows can be one of the most crucial parts of a house, influencing the quantity and quality of natural light as well as the temperature and energy requirements.

To help you understand what a great set of windows can mean for both recently built and older properties, here are three of the most innovative windows solutions currently on the market.

Ply Gem

Energy efficiency is key when it comes to looking at what makes a set of windows worth the investment. How would you feel about saving 30% of energy bills simply because you have just chosen to get new windows installed? Ply Gem makes it possible thanks to their highly insulating properties. Boasting an R-value of 5, Ply Gem reflects radiant heat waves and makes your house warmer during winter as it keeps radiant heat inside. You can also expect your home to stay cooler during summer, when radiant heat is prevented from getting in.

Smartglass

Also referred to as electrochromic glass, Smartglass works by making windows become opaque with the simple flick of a switch. With coatings boasting a technology similar to that of integrated circuits, smartglass is great for the environment as it’s estimated to help save up to 8 percent of a building energy consumption. On top of the green credentials, smartglass also makes your life much easier, as it will be sufficient to switch to a darker tone when looking for privacy or go back to normal when wanting to take in as much sunlight as possible.

Self-cleaning glass

With a thin outer coating made of titanium dioxyde, self-cleaning glass is quite magical as it cleans itself thanks to the energy it captures from sun rays. The electrons generated by the substance break water molecules naturally present in the air and thus manage to attack the organic molecules which make up the dirt. What’s more, the coating captures the raindrops and uses them to clean up the surface even more during rainfalls. The cleaning layer keeps working continuously, and  you will never have to buy cleaning products to make your windows shine. That’s good news for the environment, as self-cleaning glass minimizes waste and impact, representing a greener option than traditional windows. The outer coating is also created in a way that will make it last for the whole lifetime of these windows, so that you manual cleaning will never be needed again. From a cost perspective, you will have to factor in more budget than for a traditional set of windows: expect to spend  20 percent more on average.