So, you’re looking to replace your home’s windows and know you want something energy efficient and improve your window’s performance.
As you’re researching different window types and the glass they can come with, you decide that adding a glass coating or tint is what you want.
You see, there are numerous types of coatings, shades they can come in, and different properties they all have. So, what type of window glass coating are you looking for?
We’ve got you covered.
At Southwest Exteriors, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners design the perfect window for their homes. We know that improving your home's energy efficiency is one large goal of replacing your home's windows.
But, depending on your goals for your new windows, you may be looking for something more than just making your windows as energy efficient as possible.
This article will outline five types of window glass coatings and how they will affect your home.
After reading, you will understand what type of glass coating will be the best option for your new windows. Then, you can find the right company that will meet your needs for your project.
5 Types of Window Glass Coatings and How They Affect Your Home
Window glass coatings provide your home with various types of protection.
Whether you’re looking for a coating to give your home more shade or want something to keep your home cooler, there is a coating for you.
Here are five types of common window glass coatings we will cover in this article:
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Low-E Coating
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Insulating Coatings
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Tinted or Colored Coating
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Glare Control Coatings
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Security Coatings
Let’s dissect each of these coatings further to learn more about how they affect your windows and home.
1. Low-E Coating
The first and most popular type of window glass is Low-E glass. Low-E stands for low emissivity. This means there is a low emissivity of harmful rays through the glass.
Low-E glass blocks infrared and UV rays that come from the sun. This helps your windows keep your home cooler as your windows won’t let those harmful rays penetrate your home.
Low-E glass can come in levels with increasing layers, depending on the contractor. Each added layer will increase the rays blocked by the glass and increase the window's energy efficiency.
How do Low-E coatings affect my windows and my home?
These rays bring heat into your home and can damage your furniture near a window. (The sun's heat rays will absorb the furniture and can cause deterioration and discoloration of your furniture.)
This will be the first type of glass you will want to look at if you want an energy-efficient window to keep your home cool.
2. Insulating Coatings
An insulating coating is the second type of window glass coating that will help make your home more energy efficient.
An insulating coating on a replacement window is a layer of film that acts as an added barrier to trap air in your home and regulate your home's interior temperature.
How do insulating coatings affect my windows and my home?
Insulating window coatings do exactly as their name suggests: insulate your home. This type of coating blocks external air from affecting the temperature of your windows and getting into your home.
Overall, insulating window coatings will help keep your home cool during the summer and warm during the winter.
But, if you want highly insulated replacement windows, you will likely want to invest in double or triple-paned windows first.
3. Tinted or Colored Coating
The third type of coating that will most affect your home's energy efficiency is tinted window coatings. Depending on the window manufacturer, different color tints with different properties will affect your windows.
For example, a bronze tint will reduce solar heat, glare, and some visible transmittance. A green tint will reduce visible transmittance and provide more shade indoors. A gray tint will also reduce solar heat, visible transmittance, and block more UV rays.
How do tinted coatings affect my windows and my home?
Your tinted windows will affect your home depending on the tint color and properties it comes with. Choosing a window tint that blocks UV rays and solar heat will help keep your home cooler and protect your furniture from solar damage.
If you choose a window tint that blocks visible transmittance and reduces glare, this will help block sunlight from coming into your home and keep your home more shaded.
If you are considering a tinted coating for your replacement windows, think about your goals for your home. What do you want your windows to do? You will want to find the right window contractor that offers the right window tints to meet your goals.
4. Glare Control Coatings
Another type of window glass coating that is more of a visual coating is one to help with glare control. This type of glass coating reflects sun rays on the exterior of your windows and makes it more comfortable for your eyes when you look out the window.
This coating is more popular on office buildings or city skyscrapers where many other reflective surfaces surround buildings.
However, this type of coating may be what you are looking for if you live in a highly sunny climate or your home faces the sunrise or sunset.
How do glare control coatings affect my windows and my home?
Glare control coatings help reduce the glare from the sun inside your home. This coating is especially helpful for rooms with computer or television screens.
If you work from home or have a home entertainment center with windows, this coating will help make it easier for you to see your screens without squinting.
5. Security Coatings
The last type of window glass coating we’ll cover in this article is security glass coating. This is another type of window film similar to glare control coatings, but this coating helps make your windows stronger and makes it harder to break the glass.
Also, like glare control coatings, security window coatings are most popular in commercial buildings, though they may be what you are looking for in your home.
How do security glass coatings affect my windows and my home?
Security glass coatings make your windows stronger and more difficult to break. This means they help protect against potential break-ins and even harsh weather, like hurricanes and tornadoes, that may blow debris toward your home.
So, if you want to add strength to your windows, whether to protect against weather or other outside forces, adding a security coating to your glass may be what you are looking for.
Finding the right glass coating for your replacement windows
Now that you know five common types of window glass coatings, you have a better idea of which coating, if any, is right for your replacement windows.
Window glass coatings can improve your windows, and in turn, improve your home, with energy-efficient properties, protection from outside elements, and add a unique aesthetic to your home.
- If you want to protect your home from harmful UV rays and keep your home cooler during the summer, a Low-E coating or tinted coating may be what you are looking for. An insulating glass coating is also a great option to help regulate the internal temperature of your home all throughout the year.
- If you work from home or live in a climate with harsh sunlight and minimal shade, a glare control coating will help make looking at your screens more comfortable and take some strain off your eyes.
- If you want to protect your home from exterior elements and make your windows stronger, a security coating is what you are looking for.
Finding the right window glass coating for you depends on your replacement windows goals.
This is why before finding the right window contractor for your project, you want to outline your wants, goals, and needs first to find the right company that will provide you with what you need.
You know now that replacement windows can have glass coatings, but did you know they can also have different types of glass?
This article will outline six types of glass for replacement windows, like insulated, decorative, and laminated. Then, you will better understand what type of window glass and coating will be right for your new windows.
Are you ready to replace your home’s windows?
Southwest Exteriors offers high-quality window replacements with many glass types and coatings to fit your needs.
Whether you’re looking for something for shade, to strengthen your windows, or improve the energy efficiency of your home, we have the right window for you from Marvin, Anlin, ProVia, and many other top manufacturers.
So, are you ready to start your window replacement project with a contractor you can trust? Schedule your free, in-home consultation with a design consultant today, and get the look you love coming home to!