Window Wisdom: How Many Panes Does Your Home Need?

When shopping for windows, buyers are faced with three options: single-pane, double-pane and triple-pane glass. Not sure what’s right for your Harrisburg home and budget? Here’s a side-by-side comparison.

Single-Pane Windows

Single-pane windows are often what you’ll find in older homes. While you can still buy them second-hand, most major retailers don’t sell single-pained windows. They are typically inefficient at keeping the heat in and the cold out. And while single-pane windows might seem like a cheap replacement option, they’ll come at a price in your heating and cooling bills.

If you’re living in an older home and stuck with single-pane windows, you can use plastic shrink-wrapped to the window to help with your energy bills in the winter. Adding storm windows to your existing single-pane windows is also a good option to beef up their efficiency.

Double-Pane Windows

Double-pane windows will add an additional layer of insulation to your home. The two panes of glass are more energy efficient than one, so your heating and cooling costs will go down. Renewal by Anderson uses Low-E4 glass, which is 56 percent more energy efficient in the summer and 45 more efficient in the winter compared to normal double-pane windows.

The double-pane windows will also block more UV rays to cut down on sun damage to your home’s fabrics and furniture. Street noise can even be reduced with double-pane windows.

Triple-Pane Windows

Some companies are touting the benefits of triple-pane windows. The third layer of glass is said to increase soundproofing and can also make the window more secure. While it’s proven that triple-pane windows will shave about another 20 percent off your energy bills than double-pane windows, they’ll also cost you more to buy and install.

The biggest downside to triple-pane windows might be their weight. That extra layer of glass makes them heavy —  too heavy for many of the standard vinyl window casings that come standard in homes.

No matter what type of home or budget you have, you’ll find that a certain number of panes will work better than others. Compare all of the options, and decide which fit is the best for you!

(photo via)