Pretty much every homeowner that is looking into replacement windows in Carlsbad, CA wants more efficiency for their home. It’s often the reason they are replacing the windows in the first place. Energy efficiency will make a big impact on your home’s comfort and your energy bills. Plus, you are doing something good for the environment when you run a household with more efficiency.

So how do you find out about the efficiency in the windows you are considering? Their labels. But you have to know how to read them. The labels are conveniently located on the windows so you can compare them to one another and figure out what’s best for you. The NFRC, or National Fenestration Rating Council, has taken time and put effort into rating windows on the market so you can do just that. However, you still need to be able to understand the labels to know what’s what. Here are some details to help you with important ratings on the labels as you get started.

SHGC

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, or SHGC, will show you how much solar heat that window will take through and release into your house. A lower number means there won’t be as much heat coming through and a higher number means more heat. When you live in a sunny area, like California, you’d probably rather have a SHGC with a lower number, so you don’t get as much heat coming through into your home.

U-Value

This number will measure the amount of heat loss that will go through your window because of the material, construction, style, and other variations. The lower the number is here, the better the window is for efficiency. You don’t want heat flow in your home, you want good insulation and resistance.

VT

Visible Transmittance, or VT, is how much visible light the window transmits. When les light comes in, homes stay cooler in the sunny California environment. Look at the VT number and compare it to others to see how energy efficient the windows will be for your home’s situation.

Whenever you are looking at labels, it’s important to keep your home goals in mind. Your home might do better with different numbers than a similar home to yours down the street because you are situated differently under the sun and you have more trees in the back. To help you with those variations and understanding now only the numbers, but what’s best for your home, contact professionals.

There are lots of other ratings on replacement windows in Carlsbad, CA, but you don’t have to know every detail about all of them because the experts at Window Solutions will help you with the process from start to finish. We can describe what the numbers mean and hep you make decisions for the betterment of your house. Call us at (619) 258-0515 for a free consultation and we’ll get into ratings and numbers as deeply as you want. You can also visit us at 11632 Riverside Dr. Lakeside, CA 92040.