If your client wants high-efficiency replacement windows, ones with low emissivity (low-E) glass are a perfect option. You want customers to make informed decisions about the materials in their homes, so it can be helpful for you to brush up on how and why low-E panes are beneficial before speaking with them. The following guide offers a brief overview of this technology and why its popularity has skyrocketed.

What Is Low-E Glass?

Low-emissivity glass is treated with metallic coatings that repel infrared light and ultraviolet rays that can stream through windows and bleach fabrics, wear down building materials, and radiate heat into the home. The overlay is virtually invisible but still lets light through, preserving your client’s views. It also drastically reduces the property’s HVAC energy usage since the glass acts as a barrier, reflecting heat away from the window. It keeps warm air inside during the winter, and hot air remains outside during summer.

Passive Coatings

replacement windows

Passive coatings, also known as hard coats, use indium tin oxide to imbue the glass with low-E properties. During the manufacturing process, the tin is applied to the molten glass when it’s just beginning to firm up, which fuses the materials together. This option is also known as pyrolytic low-E glass due to the high temperatures needed for the application.

Solar Coatings

Solar coatings, or soft coats, are made through magnetron sputtering. The glass is placed in a vacuum chamber, and positively charged ions shoot into negatively charged silver in front of the glass, causing silver atoms to embed in the pane’s surface and form a heat barrier. Solar-coated, low-E glass offers better protection than passive coatings, but either one will lower your client’s energy usage.

What Are the Benefits Of Using It?

Low-E glass hinders heat transfer between indoor and outdoor air during all seasons, cutting it by as much as 50% and allowing your clients to save on utility bills. They’ll enjoy enhanced comfort in their home, and their air conditioning and furnace units will experience less strain, which will extend their life spans.

Passive coatings are ideal for cold-weather regions because they don’t block all of the sun’s light, so rays can still warm the home. Solar-coated, low-E glass is great for residents of warmer climates. These types of replacement windows block more UV rays and better insulate houses, keeping them warm in winter and cool in summer.

Flooring, furniture, and decor will be protected from sunlight-related fading, and coatings are also almost impossible to scratch, peel, or damage. This offers your customers energy efficiency and eco-friendliness for years to come.

If your clients want low-E replacement windows, get incredible pricing on materials from Tri-State Wholesale Building Supplies. This family-owned and -operated business has over 50 years of experience serving contractors and homeowners throughout Greater Cincinnati, OH. They offer Earthwise® windows and doors, siding, decking, and enclosures to enhance the homes of local residents. Explore their replacement window options online, and call (513) 381-1231 to place an order.