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There are so many ways to dress up windows. Glass with color accents is a current trend, artist Jon Goldbaum has observed.
courtesy of Jon Goldbaum
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Double pane or triple? It's your decision
As homeowners search for energy-efficient windows, they ask: Is triple pane better than double pane?
Energy Star, a federal program that rates products by their energy use, names six window types that meet its energy-efficiency guidelines for the south-central United States, including Tucson.
Four — including the top three ratings — have three panes of glass. The others consist of two glass panes.
All six types of windows use gas, either argon or krypton, to fill in the gaps between panes instead of the alternative, plain air. Other differences among the six were in the framing materials and solar heat properties.
The triple-pane windows are best suited for buildings "in very cold climates" or "for climates with both significant heating and cooling loads," according to the government- and industry-funded Efficient Window Collaborative.
A computer model run by Tucson Electric Power Co. bears this out. Adding a third pane of glass improved home insulation, TEP spokesman Joe Salkowski says, but it didn't block more heat from sunlight compared with two panes.
Reducing solar heating "is the aspect most useful in our climate," Salkowski says.
TEP's specifically configured model saved $20 a year using triple-pane windows instead of double pane, he says.
Matt Hardin, a sales manager for Tucson Window & Door, which sells both types, estimates that a 48-inch by 48-inch, Energy Star-qualified triple-pane sliding window would generally cost around $1,400, while a similarly configured double pane costs about $850.
Brad Benson, a sales manager at Triple Pane Systems, says the triple-pane window generally would cost about $600.
» Resources
• Artistic Glass & Mirror, 2029 E. 14th St., 624-4984.
• Efficient Window Collaborative, www. efficientwindows.org.
• Energy Star, www. energystar.gov/index. cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_windows.
• Goldbaum Door & Window, 449 E. Fort Lowell Road, 887-1060.
• Triple Pane Systems, 3825 E. 37th St., 790-7487.
• Tucson Window & Door, 3961 E. Speedway, Suite 406, 298-3667.

at Home

Wonderful world of windows

They can add beauty, value to your home
By Elena Acoba
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.18.2007
When it comes to home décor, window seller Matt Hardin acknowledges that few people think much about his product.
"Windows are not the sexiest thing in the house, for sure," says Hardin, a sales manager with Tucson Window & Door.
Most window buyers concentrate on what windows can do — lower utility bills, cut noise levels and reduce furniture fading — rather than what they look like, says Brad Benson, a sales manager with Triple Pane Systems.
Yet features can attractively dress up an exterior window.
● Grid lines, which give a solid piece of glass the look of glass panes, can simulate specific architectural styles.
● Fiberglass frames can look like wood, while vinyl frames come in several colors. By far the most popular color in Tucson is bronze, Hardin says.
● Double- and triple-pane windows can encase a shade, blinds or a decorative panel.
● Decorative glass can serve as a window, although it's not very energy-efficient. Often it's placed against the interior side of a window. Here are some options:
• Laminated glass — two pieces of glass fused with an acrylic interlayer — provides colorful printed patterns.
• Textured glass — think shower doors — obscure views and diffuse light.
• Stained glass adds color and pattern. Artist Jon Goldbaum says clear glass with color accents is currently popular.
• Etching puts a frosted picture into glass.
● Contact freelance writer Elena Acoba at acoba@dakotacom.net.
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