When buying new replacement windows for your home, many choices are available. From window installation experts to frame colors to the types of windows you want, there’s a lot to consider. As you decide what windows will best suit you, don’t overlook the specialty features and treatments that can improve the look and functionality of your windows!
Many types of advanced window coatings and treatments are available to Kansas City homeowners, and including some of these with your new window purchase may help them last longer, look better, and be more energy efficient.
Window Treatments vs. Window Coatings
While the words “treatment” and “coating” may be used synonymously in some cases, window treatments and window coatings are different. One option is external and the other is integral to the window glass itself.
Window treatments are any material used to partially or fully cover a window to block out light and heat. They are usually easy to open, shut, or tilt to let in more or less light, such as blinds or shades. Generally speaking, window treatments aren’t part of the glass itself.
Window coatings are enhancements to the window glass and are not adjustable or removable. They are often used to improve energy efficiency. While they’re not essential to include with new replacement windows — especially if you invest in high-quality replacement windows — they can make a big difference in the effectiveness and longevity of your windows.
Types of Window Treatments
There are many types of window treatments available and a lot of variety within each category. Common window treatments include blinds, shades, drapes, and shutters. Here are some additional advanced window treatment options you might consider:
- Motorized opening and closing functions
- Light filtering, room darkening, or blackout fabric options
- Customized options with continuous cord loops
- Cordless lifts
Seven Types of Window Coatings to Consider
Beyond the blinds, window coatings can add another layer of efficiency and security to your home. Here are seven advanced window coatings you may want to consider when buying replacement windows:
1. Insulating Coatings
Coatings designed to improve insulation can dramatically reduce heating and cooling costs, making them especially beneficial in extreme climates. For the best insulation, it’s best to start with double or triple-paned windows, and an insulating coating can give an extra layer of protection by blocking external air from affecting window temperatures. Insulating coatings are ideal for regions like the Midwest, where we experience both hot summers and very cold winters.
2. Low-E Coatings
Low-E, or “Low Emissivity” Glass blocks infrared and UV rays from sunlight filtering into your home. This coating both protects you from harmful rays and increases the window’s energy efficiency, making it one of the most popular window coating options.
3. Tinted Coatings
Tinted or “colored” coatings give windows a variety of enhancements depending on the color or tint. Here are some examples:
- Bronze tint: Reduces solar heat, glare, and visible transmittance
- Green tint: Reduces visible transmittance and increases shade indoors
- Gray tint: Reduces solar heat, visible transmittance, and blocks UV rays
Tinted windows provide very similar results to Low-E window coatings, but they also significantly reduce natural light in addition to the energy efficiency benefits. Depending on your goals with the windows in question, this can be a drawback or a benefit.
4. Glare Reduction Coatings
Glare reduction coatings help decrease light transmission into your home, making them common in very sunny locations or rooms with several large windows. These window coatings are available in varying strengths, depending on how much light you do or do not want to allow through.
5. UV Blocking Coatings
UV-blocking coatings rank similarly to Low-E as the most popular window coatings. They block up to 99.9% of UV rays and 80% of solar heat. Not only will this coating help protect you from harmful rays and keep your house cooler, but it also will protect your furniture and flooring from UV damage.
6. Privacy Coatings
Privacy coatings add a decorative element and make the glass impossible or difficult to see through while still letting in natural light. Privacy coatings often are frosted or textured glass. While this type of window coating is most popular in bathrooms, these coatings might be used in bedrooms or other rooms as well if the window is at street level.
7. Security Coatings
Security film is made to ensure any broken glass is kept within the frame in the event of a break-in or an accident. This makes for an easier clean-up if a window breaks and makes it more difficult for your home to be broken into through a window. The thickness of security coatings is a harder material to crack or shatter and especially thick varieties have been known to withstand blasts.
Give Your Windows Some Special Treatments
If you’re considering replacement windows for your home and are interested in learning more about the advanced window coatings and treatments available, contact us at Rolox Home Service to learn more!
