storm windows - leave em or lose em?

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wengr
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:11 am

storm windows - leave em or lose em?

#1 Post by wengr »

hello, I'll be intalling some Simonton 5500 double hung replacement units. there are already 30 year old alum. stormwindows in place. would i be better to leave them in place or remove them? tia

Skydawggy.
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Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:29 pm
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: storm windows - leave em or lose em?

#2 Post by Skydawggy. »

wengr wrote:hello, I'll be intalling some Simonton 5500 double hung replacement units. there are already 30 year old alum. stormwindows in place. would i be better to leave them in place or remove them? tia
You may cause the vinyl to buckle and the glass seal to fail if you use storm windows, due to heat build up between the storm and the new window. There really is no benefit and in fact you will reduce the overall energy efficiency of the new windows.

wengr
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:11 am

Re: storm windows - leave em or lose em?

#3 Post by wengr »

hello and thanks for the reply. I am surprised to hear about a potential loss of efficiency. do you mean there would be an immediate loss, or only in the event of the replacement being damaged due to excess heat? any links where i can learn more about this topic? thanks again, greg

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Windows on Washington
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Location: DC Metropolitan Area-Maryland/Virginia/DC

Re: storm windows - leave em or lose em?

#4 Post by Windows on Washington »

There are optimal widths for air spaces when it comes to insulated glass units. Going to far under, or over those recommendations will dramatically hurt efficiency. In the case of a storm window over an new replacement window, you would wind up trapping excessive amounts of heat and likely deform the window as a result. The idea that you might save on energy in a cold winter is possible, however, that depends on your climate and also if you want to remove those storms every time that the weather is above a certain temperature.

Skydawggy.
Posts: 1193
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:29 pm
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: storm windows - leave em or lose em?

#5 Post by Skydawggy. »

wengr wrote:hello and thanks for the reply. I am surprised to hear about a potential loss of efficiency. do you mean there would be an immediate loss, or only in the event of the replacement being damaged due to excess heat? any links where i can learn more about this topic? thanks again, greg
There would be an immediate loss initially and a long term permanent loss if the vinyl warped and/or the glass seal failed. Depending on what part of the country you live in, storms would have some effect on the amount of light entering your home and would reduce any Solar Heat Gain in the Winter. I don't know of a single window manufacturer of vinyl windows who recommends additional use of a storm window. In fact, most will void any warranty if storms are used.

Your best direction is to purchase a good quality window and deal with an experienced installer. If you want maximum energy efficiency, consider purchasing quality windows with triple pane glass.

Links? Try the one at the top of this page or do a search. Better yet, contact a couple of reputable window companies and have them explain the warranty implications. The "Request a Quote" link on the top of this page is also an excellent place to start.

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