Once upon a time, a window was just a window. Now, however, windows come with a wide variety of bells and whistles—not all of them worth a premium price. If you would like to learn more about what window features are truly worth investing in, read on. This article will discuss three particular things to consider when buying new windows.

Greater Air Depth

Double glazed windows have been around for many years now. Such windows offer improved thermal efficiency by including not one but two panes of glass. These panes are separated by a pocket of air that acts to insulate against both heat loss and heat gain. Double glazed windows are so effective that they can lower the amount of heat loss by up to 30%.

The catch here is that not all double glazed windows offer the same degree of insulating power. The key criteria here is how deep the pocket of air between the two panes happens to be. Generally speaking, the thicker the pocket, the better the window will be at insulating. Yet there is no reason to sucked into paying more for a window with an excessively thick air pocket. A depth of 10mm to 20mm will offer the optimum performance.

Low Conductivity Gas

Increased air depth is not the only way to boost the efficiency of a double glazed window. More and more manufacturers are now offering windows where the gap between the panes is filled not with simple air, but with a low conductivity gas such as argon. These gases are nontoxic and relatively inexpensive. Because they have a higher density than air alone, they are able to do an even better job at keeping hot and cold air where it belongs—inside of your home.

Awning & Casement Windows

Air leaks are one of the most significant causes of home energy loss. And the fact is that certain types of windows are simply more prone to air leaks than others. If you want to ensure that air leaks are kept at a bare minimum, you will do best to invest in either casement or awning windows.

What makes these windows so much more effective at preventing heat loss has to do with the way they close. Both awning and casement windows contain a compressible gasket. When the window is closed, its frame presses tightly against this gasket, thus preventing air from escaping. A sliding window, on the other hand, cannot achieve such air tight results, thanks to the fact that a little bit of play must be allowed in order to move it up and down.

To learn more about these and other options, contact a window and door replacement company.